All Chapters of His Father’s Addction: Chapter 31 - Chapter 40

HazelI didn’t need to look at Bella to know her head was swollen from all the praise and admiration directed at her, to my own detriment. My feet were burning with silent anger, but I was doing a good job masking it with a professional smile, because the alternative was letting Elvis see what his words had just done, and that was never going to happen. I had been at the top of every class I had ever sat in. My professors used words like "exceptional" and "remarkable" on papers they handed back to me. I had delivered work ahead of schedule in this office since the first week, clean, thorough, ahead of what was asked, and received nothing back but silence and the occasional nod. Now I was standing in this man's office, being told to learn from a girl who had been here less than a week."Okay, sir." That was all I gave him. "I sent a ten-page review paper to you both," he continued, closing the folder in front of him. "Go through it carefully, confirm it aligns with what's achievable

ElvisThe words had already left my mouth before the part of me with any sense caught up.I watched her face, waiting for anger, tears, the sharp comeback she was more than capable of, and got nothing. "If that's all, sir." She picked up her notepad from the corner of my desk. "I'll be in my office.""Get me Bella, on your way out."She was already gone.I turned my chair around and faced the window. Slut-shaming. I had stood in my own office and said those hurtful words to Hazel, words I would have cursed another man out for saying. All because I had watched her laugh at another man's table and spent the night constructing silly scenarios in my head.The chair swung back around when the knock came.Bella stepped in wearing another colour block. These past couple of days of observing her outfit made me realise she has a very peculiar fashion sense. She plays around with the wrong colour combinations, which often makes her look like a real-life clown."Good morning, sir," she said w

Hazel"Business before pleasure, Harry, you know this. Hazel has paperwork to get through; you can pick up wherever you left off after that."No jealousy in his voice, none in his face either. My chest tightened at that realisation.I let go of Harry's hand slowly and smiled at him so the disappointment wouldn't show anywhere it shouldn't. "Another time," I said, and followed Elvis out.Bella talked the whole ride back about his speech, how well it landed, how the room responded positively, the specific moment when he made that one point, and the energy became intense. She delivered it with the enthusiasm of someone being star-struck. Elvis raised one hand slightly without turning around; she stopped talking.He went straight to his room when we got inside. I watched him go, the set of his shoulders, the way he pressed two fingers to his temple and held them there briefly before the door closed behind him. Something was off. I had learned, over the weeks of watching him, what his nor

ElvisAlmost midnight, and she wasn't back.I checked the window again. I am torn between my ego and dialling her number to check if she is okay. I put my phone down. Picked it back up. Set it down again on the nightstand and looked at it sitting there. The door opened. Tessy walked in carrying a wine bottle and two glasses, with full glam makeup at this hour. She had shown up at the front door this afternoon, claiming she wanted to surprise me, and she honestly did. For the very first time in a long while, her timing was wrong. I want to have my space and fight the tiny bubbles in my stomach and chest alone. Hazel’s thoughts passing through my mind were already a handful."Your door was open." She set the glasses down on the side table and filled my glass without asking, "Can't sleep?""The loud makeup, Tessy." I looked at her. "It's almost midnight. I think you should let your face breathe."She ignored that entirely. Lifted her glass, brought it to her nose, inhaled slowly, then

HazelEven with my eyes closed, I knew someone was in the room. My nose caught an unfamiliar cologne, and I opened my eyes. I was right all along.Tessy is standing at the foot of my bed with her arms folded, with a look of disdain etched all over her face.I sat up and swept the covers back in one motion. This woman had already put her hands on me once. I was not going to be caught lying down."Aren't you tired?" I said, my voice slightly higher than usual. "Of doing this every time you see me?""Testing my patience is what you're doing." She stepped closer. "Elvis has left your room. Playing the pity card now, is it? Poor sick little assistant."My eyes moved fast without moving at all, doing the internal check, quick and quiet. The door. Had he closed it before getting into the bed? I was almost certain he had. I straightened my face, not wanting my expression to reveal anything."You're not ill," she continued. "We both know that. The moment Elvis sees through you, you'll be back