There she was.
Hazel Knight.
Time seemed to pause. His eyes locked onto her face.
Caleb: (with a proud smile) "She's my fiancée. We're engaged. I tried to invite you to the engagement day, but I didn't get to you in time."
Drake continued staring at her, utterly frozen. Caleb noticed his odd silence and tilted his head, a little confused.
Caleb: "Wait... do you know her?"
Hazel looked at Drake briefly, then calmly turned toward Caleb.
Hazel: "Caleb, actually... we're business partners. You don't need to introduce me."
Caleb: (chuckling) "Oh right! You told me that already—I completely forgot."
He nudged Drake playfully on the shoulder.
Caleb: "Anyway, man, can we eat something? I'm starving."
Drake blinked, finally breaking out of the daze.
Drake: "I'm sorry, Caleb... I have to go."
Without waiting for a response, he turned and walked away, fast—like he was escaping.
Caleb and Hazel stood there, stunned.
Caleb: "What the hell is wrong with him?"
Hazel looked at him, then gave a nonchalant shrug,
Hazel: "No idea."
She look toward the hotel exit where Drake had disappeared,
Hazel: "Anyway, I'm hungry. Can we eat?"
Caleb: "Of course."
He draped an arm over her shoulder gently, and they walked toward the dinner table.
Drake slid into the driver's seat of his car, slamming the door shut behind him. The moment he leaned back, his breath grew uneven, chest rising and falling rapidly as he stared at the steering wheel.
His thoughts raced.
"First, she showed up as the CEO of Royal Empire... and now Caleb's fiancée?"
He clenched the steering wheel tightly, his knuckles pale.
"What is this? Some kind of twisted fate?"
His mind drifted back to her face—calm, composed, like she didn't even recognize him.
"She looked straight at me. Not a flicker of anything. Did she really not know me?"
His throat tightened.
"Did she forget me...? After everything...?"
His jaw clenched. The pain hit deeper than he expected.
"How? How could she forget... me?"
He slammed his hand against the wheel in frustration. The sharp echo filled the silence of the car.
Drake leaned forward, resting his forehead against the wheel, breathing heavily—confused, hurt..
Drake sat there, frozen in his car, headlights washing over the empty street ahead. His mind wouldn't shut up.
"Back in high school... Caleb never even said he liked Hazel. Not once. Even when she and I were together, he didn't act weird or anything. No jealousy, no hints, nothing."
He swallowed hard, fists still clenched on the wheel.
"He didn't care then… so what now? Out of nowhere—they're engaged?"
His throat tightened again. The confusion twisted with something sharp—anger, disbelief, and the sting of a memory that never faded.
"Hazel... did you forget everything? Or are you just pretending?"
He leaned back into his seat.
Meanwhile, Lucas sat on the edge of his bed, phone in hand, eyes fixed on the screen. He had been waiting for Levi's update all evening. Just then, his phone buzzed. Without wasting a second, he answered.
Levi (on the call): "Man, the plan is working. We just have to remind Ben. He's still in London, he will be back in a week."
Lucas (relieved): "Yes, yes, that's good news. I really hope everything goes smoothly now."
He paused for a second, then asked with a little concern in his voice,
**"And Hazel? Is she okay? Managing everything with work?"
Levi: "Yeah, she's totally fine. Don't worry about her."
Lucas: "Alright..."
Levi: "I'll call you later, got something to finish. Bye."
The call ended.
Lucas leaned back with a deep breath, staring at the ceiling.
________________________________________
Past
Hazel sat at her study table, a soft desk lamp casting a dim glow over her open books. Her phone buzzed again and again on the table beside her, but she ignored it—until finally, with a quiet sigh, she picked it up and answered.
Seraphina (her mom, on the call):
"Oh God, sweetie, are you okay?"
Hazel (flatly):
"Yeah, I'm okay."
Her voice carried no emotion, just a dull monotone that made the concern on the other end deepen.
Seraphina:
"I was trying to call you so many times, why didn't you pick up? Fine, I'm not arguing now... You told me you didn't want to stay at your aunty's place anymore, right? I found a flat—'Everlight Heights."
Hazel:
"Oh... yeah."
A long pause.
Seraphina (softly):
"If anything happens… just call me, okay?"
Hazel:
"Yeah, alright. It's bedtime now. Bye. Good night."
And just like that, the call ended. Hazel set the phone down slowly and sat there, staring into the quiet room, the silence wrapping around her like a heavy blanket.
Meanwhile...
Seraphina sat in her office, the lights low, her eyes fixed on the phone that had just gone silent. Hazel had ended the call without waiting for her response—again. A soft ache tightened in her chest.
Just then, the door opened and Zayden stepped in, loosening his tie slightly. His eyes immediately fell on Seraphina's face, noticing the quiet sadness clouding her expression.
Zayden:
"Hey… are you okay?"
Seraphina (softly, trying to hold it together):
"I feel bad for her."
Zayden (walking closer):
"For Hazel? Come on, Sera. We're leaving here after one year just for her. We'll be with her—with our princess. Don't be upset, okay?"
Seraphina (her voice trembling):
"But we weren't there when she needed us…"
Her eyes welled up, tears brimming as guilt washed over her again.
Zayden didn't say anything. Instead, he pulled her gently into his arms, holding her close. He kissed the top of her head softly and whispered,
Zayden:
"It's okay... We'll make it right."
Their embrace lingered in silence, both silently hoping it wasn't too late.