The old man looked at Alex, trying to find anything in him.Alex noticed the old man's eyeball going around his body before he sighed dropping his cup of coffee.“I don’t look much like my mother,” he said for the old man to squeeze his brows.“Ex…excuse me,” he said in shock.“I’m Alexander McCollum’s and if she’s your daughter then I’m your grandson because she’s my mother,” he said pointing at his mother's picture on his phone.“No way” the old man gasped.“No way,” he said again not believing the grown-up man in his front was his family. When he thought he was going to die alone in this world after the disappearance of his daughter and the death of his wife.“Marie son” he whispered for Alex to nod smiling.“Can I hug you?” He asked looking at Alex with tears in his eyes.“Please let me hug you, Alexander,” he said standing up as he immediately removed his coat looking at Alex who stood up and the old man hugged him.“ Marie son” he called again hugging Alex who hugged him back.“
At the tunnel entrance close to the stream, both men walk in with Hazel who still struggles to free herself.“Please just say whatever you want. Don’t hurt me please” she pleaded for them both not to respond.“Have you searched for her phone?” One asked for the other one to shake his head.“We don’t need anything, Marcus, just enjoy her and leave.” The other responded for Hazel to begin to cry.“Please I beg you” she cried for the other one to chuckle.“Somebody help!!” Hazel screamed hoping her voice would echo and this got both men angry and Marcus slapped her making her fall to her knees.“Please” Hazel cried as her mouth began to bleed.“Find a suitable place, Marcus, we have walked for too long, I’m losing my patience.” The other one said as he looked at Hazel smiling.Marcus pushed Hazel to the ground after they left the damp area of the tunnel.“Let’s take turns,” he said for Hazel to shake her head pleading.Outside the county, in a damp area, Sam stopped the car for Alex to i
Hazel looked away because it was a thought she had been curious about which she would even call the mastermind of going to find her mother.“I don’t understand Alex” she finally said for Alex to sit close to her holding her hands.“Let me make you understand Hazel,” he said looking deep into her blue eyes.Hazel could feel the heat between them but she’s very sure Alex won’t touch her because she’s still bleeding.“I want to hate the fact that Marie is your mother's friend and she advised your mother to abandon your father because he’s very poor but still it’s very obvious that Marie could be my very own mother Marie.” He said pushing Hazel's hair back of her ear.“And if that happens to be, will you hate my mother?” He asked using his thumb to rub her thick luscious lips.Hazel could not speak as she could feel Alex's breath on her face. She parted her lips trying to breathe through her mouth since his closeness was making her breathless but she didn’t know that was a trigger for Ale
Hazel held tight to Alex as they all stood looking at the old woman.“And you are?” Alex asked covering his fear with curiosity.“Gladys, Gladys Kentucky,” she said with a smile.“Are you Gloria Kentucky's mother?” he asked for the old woman to smile.“Oh, dear Gloria, I’m her aunty. I am Gloria's father's sister. I saw the Kentucky bloodline in her that’s why I came directly to her. Come” she said walking towards the shabby house.“Alex, let’s go back” Hazel whispered for Alex to chuckle.“Let’s feed our curiosity, dear wife.” He said as he held Hazel's hands and they quietly followed the old lady towards the old farmhouse.Inside the dark-looking room with light sipping from the broken weak woods of the house, the old lady asked the three of them to sit but none was ready to risk sitting on a shabby-looking cushion chair.“We are good, thanks,” Alex said for the old lady to chuckle.“I might be a witch, but I can’t hurt her, that means I can’t hurt you both too because she’s with yo
After the long drive, during the sunset, a black car drove into Alex's mansion, Sam drove to the garage and packed the car while Alex carried Hazel who was sleeping down as he walked into the mansion.All the maids and the mansion butler stood to welcome their boss who walked past them carrying his wife without responding to their greetings.Gently Alex dropped Hazel on the bed before he began to pull off his clothes to take a shower.Once he was done, he came out with a towel around his waist to hear a knock on his bedroom door.“Who is it?” Alex's deep voice asked for his butler to quickly respond.“Boss, the chairman is at the study,” he said for Alex to sigh.“Ok,” he said as he went to his wardrobe to dress up.Alex walks out of his bedroom in white long pants and a white shirt, he walks towards his study.“I’ve told you this is my territory, you don’t walk in here like you want,” he said to his father who sat on his cushion chair reading a magazine.“You are becoming reckless,”
Hazel already arranged Alex's head on her lap as she kept rubbing his back to calm him down which he already did.It’s been almost thirty minutes of silence when Alex's phone rang and Hazel looked at the caller I’d.“Simon” she whispered before picking up.“Boss, I sent the madam's mother information to the email already, and also I’ve prepared some men to go bring your grandfather from the western county,” he said but got no response.“Boss” he called for Hazel to respond.“He’s sleeping,” she said and hung up.She wondered what information Alex asked for and what Simon found and most importantly he never mentioned he had a grandparent in the western county.Simon covered his mouth as he didn’t know if his boss would be happy for his wife to be aware of the findings now. He sigh going through his computer as he wonder what on earth pushed Hazel's mother to get married to one of America's most notorious drug lords.Alex felt Hazel moving her legs like she was feeling numb so he raised
Immediately Hazel sat down as she kept looking at the photo, her tears were rolling because she knew her father was long gone, and seeing someone look exactly like him brings back his memories of suffering.“Who are you? why are you showing me this?” She asked for the unknown sender to reply.“I am anonymous and I’m showing you this because you know who is he” the sender responded.“My father is dead” she typed.“No, he isn’t. I will thank Katherine for telling me that your father was actually not dead, he suggested they fake his death to let you live your life in peace” the sender responded for Hazel to frown.“How did you know Katherine?” She furiously typed.“Oh I don’t know her she contacted me.” The sender responded as it sent along the papers of Mr Smith's release from the Geriatric Hospital.“Ahh” Hazel gasped as she covered her mouth after reading the papers.“Who are you? please don’t hurt him. What do you want?” She asked in her text as her body became nervous.“Calm down, f
“Daddy” Hazel called crying as she rushed and hugged him while she shed tears.The man who had been sitting still for hours hugged his daughter back as tears came out of his eyes too.“I’m sorry” he whispered for Hazel to shake her head as she hugged him tight.“Uhh, this reunion is boring Mommy,” Kayla said as she smirked at the crying Hazel who was hugging her father.“I told you that poor people's reunions are always boring, I thought they would be some emotional thing to watch since their separation was based on lies but the poor never disappoint. So boring” she said as she looked at her daughter who was in a wheelchair with her both hands wrapped in bandages.“I can’t believe you brought me from the hospital to watch this boring thing, who on earth fakes their death so their daughter doesn’t drop out, are they that poor” Kayla said with disgust as her mother sighed.“Let me make it fun,” Martha said as she signaled her bodyguard who dragged Hazel away from her father.“No, no. Pl
Hazel hugged the governor’s wife after dinner. As they walked to their car with their guards following behind, Hazel glanced around nervously. Alex, noticing her uneasiness since their moment on the balcony, gently helped her step into the car before climbing in after her. Hazel sighed, relaxing her hands on her protruding stomach.“If someone is pregnant, do they get to see things?” she asked hesitantly.Alex pulled out his phone. “I’m calling Dr. Frankie,” he said, not sure how to answer her.He held her hand while waiting for Frankie to pick up.“Sir Alex,” Frankie greeted.“Do pregnant women hallucinate?” Alex asked directly.“Yes, Sir Alex. A lot of pregnant women seem to have hallucinations,” Frankie explained.Alex sighed in relief and hung up, turning to Hazel.“He said yes, so don’t worry,” Alex reassured her, placing his palm on her protruding stomach.Hazel smiled but still looked concerned. “Alex…” she called softly.“Yes love?”“Since Harden left, he hasn’t made any moves
At Diana’s residence, Hazel knocked on the door, and a moment later, it opened to reveal Diana, her face swollen from crying. “Hazel!” Diana exclaimed, pulling her into a tight hug. “I brought you something,” Hazel said gently, gesturing for the guard to set the items down. Diana wiped her tears and smiled faintly. “Thank you. I didn’t expect you to come.” Hazel held her hands. “Of course I would come. You’re not alone, Diana. You have people who care about you.” Diana’s lips trembled, and she nodded. “I thought it was all my fault. If only I’d done things differently…” Camila came out smiling awkwardly. “I’m sorry, meet my friend and colleague, Camila” Diana introduced for Hazel to smile at Camila who smile back. “ when she said she knows Alexander McCollum wife I chuckled but now I believe.” Camila said for Hazel to smile. “Nothing special though” she said as she held on Diana before they sat down while Camila left to make a cup of tea for Hazel. “Don’t blame you
Simon couldn’t believe that his old friend, whom he had met just once and exchanged numbers with, had reached out to him for help.“Calm down. I’ll call you back because right now, I’m in the middle of work,” he said, hearing the desperation in his friend’s voice.“Okay, please do call me. I’m really in need, Simon,” his friend replied before hanging up.Simon sighed, walking toward Hazel, who had just picked out a luxury brand shoe and bag. Together, they left the store.They drove to a phone shop, where Simon went in to purchase a new phone for Hazel.While waiting in the car, Alex looked at Hazel.“So, you’re not talking to me anymore, hmm?” he asked. Hazel turned to him, frowning.“Why wouldn’t I speak with you? Why are you accusing me? I didn’t say—”“I’m not accusing you, Hazel. I’m just saying you haven’t spoken to me since your call,” Alex said, his tone softening.“Does that mean I’m ignoring you? You’re accusing me, right now, Alex, and—”“Baby,” Alex interjected, surprised
Hazel heard the line drop as Diana rushed to check the news. “Diana, Diana,” Hazel called, but the line kept cutting off. She sighed sadly, finding it hard to cry for them, yet it hurt her heart to see their story end like that. “Madam, your lunch is ready,” the butler returned to inform Hazel, who only nodded as she sat on the couch, looking downcast. At the hospital, Diana broke down in tears as she read the news. She couldn’t hold back her emotions, feeling as if she was responsible for Steven’s drastic decision. “No… no!” she cried out, drawing the attention of a doctor and two nurses who rushed to her. “Nurse Diana, are you alright?” the doctor asked, but Diana kept crying. “Please call Nurse Camila; she’s her friend. She can calm her down,” one of the nurses said. “It was her ex-boyfriend who killed himself and his ex in California,” another nurse whispered, but Diana wasn’t listening. She kept crying, blaming herself for not giving Steven another chance. Camila
The standoff was electric, the three of them caught in a storm of past betrayals and present dangers. Hazel took a shaky breath, glancing between the two men who represented two parts of her life one that had been, and one that was. “This has to end, Harden,” she said, her voice strong despite the quiver in her chest. “We can’t keep going like this. We were just friends, stop acting like we dated.” Harden’s eyes filled with a mixture of pain and acceptance, and he nodded slowly, stepping back toward his car. “I just needed to hear it from you.” With one last glance, he got into his SUV and drove away, leaving the air heavy with unspoken words. Hazel felt Alex’s arm wrap around her waist, grounding her as the tension finally began to melt away. But as they stood there, watching the car disappear down the road, Alex knew this was far from over. Harden’s obsession was dangerous, and he would need to be ready for whatever came next. “I’ll protect you, Hazel,you and our baby is m
The sound of birds chirping echoed gently inside the spacious bedroom, coaxing Hazel from a deep sleep. She stirred, turning from side to side before slowly opening her eyes. The first thing she noticed was the emptiness beside her—Alex’s side of the bed was cold. Confused, Hazel sat up, rubbing her eyes before sliding out from under the covers. The cool morning air sent a shiver down her spine as she padded across the room to the bathroom. “Alex?” she called out, her voice reverberating softly against the tiled walls. Silence. He wasn’t there. A slight frown creased her forehead as she turned and walked out of the room, the soft patter of her bare feet moving down the elegant, wooden staircase. Each step was deliberate, the polished wood glistening under the warm glow of the morning sun filtering through the large windows. Hazel stopped at the last step, pausing as a peculiar stillness greeted her. “Alex, baby, where are you?” she called again, her voice tinged with worry. She cr
Inside the dark room, all the lights were off, and only the moonlight spread its pale glow across the space. Harden sat there, staring into the void, replaying the image of Hazel turning away from him, as if she’d never promised to stay away from Alex. He knew she was weak when it came to Alex, acting like they had never discussed moving on from him. Harden clenched his fists, rubbing his head.“I’m not letting this go like we didn’t talk about it, Hazel. Alex can’t have you anymore,” Harden muttered, frustration and anger clouding his expression.Meanwhile, far away in Hawaii, AS03 had just received the news of AS02’s death after a fight with Alex.He couldn’t believe that a five years old boy he was sent to assassinate his mother is now back, taking them down one by one. It pained him more to know that he had been paid to carry out the job when he was eighteen, his first successful job. Now Alex was seeking revenge, as if he had intended the killing himself.AS03 bit his inner cheek
Later that evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting an orange glow over the secluded villa, Alex stood at the large windows, watching the scene outside, his mind racing. Simon had gone to gather a security team, leaving Alex and Hazel alone for the moment. He turned when he heard Hazel’s soft footsteps approaching. “You look like you’re carrying the weight of the world,” she said, gently placing a hand on his shoulder. “You don’t have to do this alone, Alex.” He turned, his expression softening as he looked at her. “It’s not just about protecting us, Hazel. If they’ve gone this far—burning down the company, attacking people close to me—they’re desperate. I need to end this, or they’ll keep coming.” Hazel met his gaze, determination sparking in her eyes. “Then we’ll end it together.” He sighed, cupping her face. “You’re the strongest person I know. You’ve gone through a lot because of me, but this… this is different. I don’t want you anywhere near what’s coming.”
Alex’s hand traced gently over Hazel’s growing baby bump, his touch warm and reverent. It had only been a few months since she became pregnant, yet her body seemed to have transformed in every way. Her breasts had grown fuller, her face glowed, and every inch of her seemed more beautiful, more ethereal. His hand drifted up to cup one of her breasts, feeling its weight and fullness, which made him chuckle softly. Hazel gave him a curious look, amusement dancing in her eyes. “Why are you laughing?” “Nothing,” he said with a mischievous grin, shaking his head. Then, slowly, he began to place tender kisses across her stomach, brushing his lips over her skin as if to imprint his love on every inch of her. He held her hands, helping her settle into a reclining position as the chair slowly transformed into a makeshift bed. With gentle care, he arranged her body and leaned down, his mouth tracing a path from her belly to her chest. “You’re so beautiful,” he murmured, his eyes flicking up