THE DON'S CAPTIVE MISTRESS のすべてのチャプター: チャプター 31 - チャプター 40

HAZELWhen I was finally lowered into the bath, the warm water hit my skin like a shock. I sucked in a breath, the sting burning through every bruise, every scrape. Angela didn’t look away. She didn’t apologise. She didn’t say it would be okay. She just waited until I adjusted, then rolled up her sleeves and reached for a clean cloth. Her movements were slow, almost methodical. She washed the dirt off my arms, my shoulders, my hands, avoiding the rope burns with a precision that made my throat tighten. She wasn’t being tender. She was being careful. And somehow that was worse. It meant she understood exactly how much I hurt without me saying anything. Every now and then, she paused and looked at a mark a little too long. Not with sympathy, more like assessing damage. Cataloguing it. Knowing what needed ointment, what needed wrapping, and what needed to be left alone.I kept my eyes on the water. Watching the dirt swirl out like smoke. Minutes passed. Maybe more. When she finally spo

HAZELMaybe Axel did come back to the house. Maybe he didn’t. I shouldn’t even care if Axel was here or wasn’t, or if he came to see me or not. But as the days went on, my anger for him only kept growing.It was six days in, and I was doing a lot better. I no longer felt the pain I felt. The bruises were fading. I guess I was back to my healthy self. But I still hadn’t walked out of my door.And it was on that day when I got a visitor.Actually, not a visitor....a new face.Someone I never expected.There was a knock on the door, and I was like, “Just come in,” because I spent my days mainly sleeping and reading. Angela had bought new books, and I would read. Of course, per Axel’s rules, I didn’t have a TV, and I couldn’t bring myself to use the phone he had given me, which reminded me of the night he sold me like meat.So yeah—“come in,” I said, and foolishly expected it would be Angela or Nico.But the person on the other side of the door wasn’t someone I expected..... It was Remo

HAZELHe nodded once toward Nico.“He is your shadow. Your guard. Your shield. His life was put in danger because of your decisions.”“I’m sorry,” I whispered, barely audible.Nico swallowed tightly.Axel’s gaze sharpened. “Sorry doesn’t change the facts.”He started rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt—calm, unhurried, as if preparing for a business meeting.“Axel…” I breathed.He didn’t hear me. Or he didn’t care.“This isn’t about me,” he said. “It’s about responsibility. His. And yours.”He moved toward a small metal table I hadn’t noticed before. Something on it glinted under the light.My throat tightened painfully. I took one step forward before I realised it, my instinct louder than my fear. Remo’s arm shifted slightly, warning but not stopping me. Just reminding me he was there.Axel didn’t look back as he said, “Hazel, stand where you are.”I froze instantly. He picked up something from the table. I couldn’t breathe.Nico’s jaw clenched, but he didn’t resist.This was r

AXELAxel sat at the head of the long dining table and watched Hazel walk out of the room without sparing him a single glance. He wasn’t sure what exactly about her managed to get under his skin, her defiance, her anger, or the way she moved around him like he was poison but he knew one thing:He was mad.The dessert suddenly lost all appeal. He pushed his plate away, stood up, and made his way to his office, each footstep echoing sharper than his patience. He had barely settled behind his desk when there was a knock, and the door opened without waiting for permission.Remo stepped inside, smug smile already in place.“So,” Remo said casually, “how was dinner with the missus?”Axel’s jaw tightened. “Not funny.”Remo only chuckled, unbothered. He moved further into the room, switching to business. “I’ve gone over the numbers for the deal with the Irish. We should finalise it before the end of the...”“Where’s Nico?” Axel cut in.Remo blinked, then sighed. “I told him to go see the doct

HazelI know I said I wasn’t going to talk to Axel.But how the hell was I supposed to stay silent after this?I pushed myself up off the floor, brushing dust off my palms and shaking with fury.“What is wrong with you?” I snapped at him. “I just fell and you're what...? And how did I even fall?”My eyes locked on him. His face was that same carved, unreadable mask he always wore, expressionless, cold, impossible to decipher.“This was you,” I said, pointing straight at him. “You did this. You did this. I didn’t want to sit where you wanted, so what...you broke the chair so I’d learn my place?”My voice rose, sharp and trembling with disbelief and rage.“I could’ve broken my neck, Axel. This is serious. You don’t do this. It’s dangerous.”Then, quieter, more to myself than to him, I muttered,“Why am I even talking to you…”He didn’t flinch.He didn’t blink.He didn’t move.Just that same mask, staring back at me like he was watching a storm he’d summoned on purpose.And that made it