6

Hazel stormed out of the car livid, she didn't even wait for the driver to come around and open the door for her as he attempted to do so.

She gave him a tight lipped smile as she slammed the door shut, it wasn't he who insulted her afterall.

She murmured a thanks to him as she turned to make her way into their small apartment.

He only nodded curtly with a slight bow of his head before hopping into the car and zooming off.

Hazel knocked a few time, leaning against the wall by the door in exhaustion. She wasn't completely well yet and she found herself craving more of the delicious bacon, pancakes and all the other assorted meals Lucas had lined up for her earlier this morning.

If she had her way, she might have stolen some and stashed it away in her bag for later. But no, she couldn't sell her dignity for a bit of food.

Enjoying such delicious food daily was surely a tempting idea to Hazel, living a life luxury like Lucas did was something she never dreamt of either, she had always imagined a simple middle class life, with an equally simple middle class man who would love her with all his heart and make her happy with a small family of hers. Not a man like Lucas, not with his intimidating stance and accumulated wealth and arrogance.

"Who is there?" Her grandma's soft voice echoed through the house from her room. "Hazel?"

"Ma!" She called out in return, "I am home."

She slung her purse away from her shoulders, tossing it to the corner of the small living room as her grandma strut out as quickly as her frail body could allow her to.

"Ma..." Hazel walked towards her, the woman stared at her with worried eyes.

She walked towards her granddaughter, eyes crinkled with worry. "Where have you been? You didn't come home last night."

Hazel pondered on an answer, eyes wide. How does she explain to he grandmother that she is just loving the formidable Mr. Rossi's mansion? There would be way too much explaining and worrying to do. "I was at Anna's place." She lied.

Grandma's eyes relaxed a fraction. "Anna's place, why didn't you tell me you would be spending the night, you had me very worried."

"I am sorry ma." She bowed lightly, feeling truly sorry that she had kept the poor woman worried and waiting.

Her grandma heaved, the worry relaxing from her face. "Did you not go to work today? You are home early." She observed quietly, eyeing her over.

Again, Hazel pondered upon an answer, but she decided to tell the truth this time. "I... I got fired." She admitted, head bowed in shame.

Her granny was silent for a moment as she let the information sink in. "Fired? Why? What did you do?"

Hazel heaved, feeling a sudden urge to cry as the reality of her situation continued to weigh upon her. She was jobless now and soon enough her name will be involved in a scandal that could potentially tarnish her image. "I didn't do anything ma... They decided to lay off some staff." She settled on that excuse, it was the best excuse she could come up with, but she knew very well that sooner or later, the whole truth would come to light, and she would have loads of explaining to do.

Contrary to the reaction Hazel expected, granny just exhaled, shaking her head lightly and turning to pick up her knitting material from the couch. "I always knew the day would come, I was tired of you working there anyway. You should try some other job, you can't remain a servant forever." She sat carefully on the couch, trying to ignore the continuously growing strain on her back.

Hazel nodded, a silent promise being made within herself. "I will ma... I will start looking for a new job from tomorrow morning."

Granny gave her a weak smile, nodding with satisfaction. "That's very good my child. You know life is too short to spend your life serving someone like the Rogers, you must try to do something for yourself, something you like doing. It may be difficult, but we must dare to try at least."

Hazel was too torn thinking of places to start looking tomorrow, she barely heard what her grandma said next, but she nodded in affirmation. "Thanks ma, your words are very encouraging."

She nodded satisfactorily."Come, I made you some food."

Hazel smiled. "Really...? But I am stuffed, Anna cooked a mighty feast for breakfast this morning." That was yet another lie, Hazel had never found herself having to lie so much at once to he Grandma, it didn't feel good at all having to string together all these lies and excuses, yet she found herself unwilling to reveal the truth yet.

"She did? That's wonderful then, perhaps you would have it for lunch then." Her granny smiled, settling back down into her seat.

"Sure thing ma." She smiled.

"Well go wash up and get some rest, you must be tired. And you have to think of what to do next, so you need the time." Her grandma beckoned.

"Thanks ma." Hazel smiled, thankful for her understanding nature, she felt so relieved that she wasn't angry or disappointed in her for having lost that job.

She retired to her room, where she showered, and as she let the water cascade down her shoulders, she thought of Lucas Rossi, his powerful, yet alluring grey eyes and his assertive aura and intimidating nature. How in the world did she catch the attention of such a man?

She dried herself, stepping into her room and going to seat on the bed when suddenly the door to her room was thrown open.

"Hazel? Where have you been?!" Anna, a childhood friend of Hazel's stormed into the room, her small yet powerful petite frame storming towards her.

"Hush!" Hazel cautioned, placing a finger to her lips.

She lowered her voice obediently, brows still furrowed. "What do you mean hush? You haven't been picking my calls. Did the Rogers ban phones from that measly mansion of theirs too?"

"No they didn't..." Hazel shook her head weakly.

"Then why weren't you picking the phone?" Anna questioned impatiently.

"You must quiet down." Hazel cautioned, worry written in her eyes. "Grandma thinks I spent the night at your place."

"Anna frowned in confusion. "Why does she think so?"

"Because I told her so." Hazel explained, walking to her bed and plopping herself upon it, letting out a sigh.

Anna bounced down beside her. "Where did you go then? You got a guy you're sneaking off to see huh? Huh?" She wiggled her brows provocatively at her, grinning.

"No! It's nothing like that." Hazel scrunched her nose as she defended herself.

"You don't have to be shy about it at all, you can let me know." Anna continued to wiggle her brows.

"Anna! I promised, that's not it at all." She swatted her hand away from her face as she tried to pinch her cheeks playfully.

Anna rolled over so she could face her friend fully to hear the full details of tyr seemingly spicy news. "Then you must give me the full gist, leave no details out."

Hazel, heaved, preparing herself for the confession that was sure to shock her friend. "I got fired."

"You what?!" Anna gasped, "you got fired?" Her brows furrowed in worry and confusion.

"Yeah I got fired." Hazel nodded sadly, turning her head away. She never thought her leaving the Roger house would be from getting fired, she thought she would quit peacefully and quietly, when she was ready, when she had the opportunity to move to a new job.

Anna glanced around in thought before she asked. "Howcome?"

Hazel shook her head, sighing and burying her face into her pillow. "It's a long and complicated story, I don't even know how to break it to you.'

Anna gasped in sudden realization. "Does it have anything to do with the news?"

"What news?" Hazel asked, voice muffled by her pillow.

"The news that Lucas Rossi called off his engagement to Alva Roger." Anna revealed.

"It's in the news already?" Hazel sat up in shock.

"Yes, why are you so tense about it." Anna asked, clearly seeing how unsettled her friend was. Hazel almost seemed to be in a state of panic.

"Because... It was... My fault." Hazel heaved, her voice small and sad.

Her friend stared at her with disbelief. "Your fault? What do you mean your fault?"

"I don't want ma hearing a word of this." Hazel warned sternly turning to her friend.

"Who would?" Anna rolled her eyes, "it's not like I work at the radio station or anything, nobody is hearing a word. "So tell me... What happened, where were you?"

"I was... I was at Lucas Rossi's mansion." Hazel revealed.

Anna was quiet for a moment, unsure if her friend was still toying with her. "No way... You don't really meant that do you?"

"I do." Hazel nodded.

"Did you get arrested? You know no one is allowed near the gates. Who bailed you out?" The questions spilled out of Anna like a waterfall.

Hazel shook her head. "I didn't get arrested... I actually got inside."

"You did? How?" Anna's brows remained creased.

"I don't even remember, I blacked out." She shrugged in response.

"What do you mean you blacked out? Hazel? What are all these tales? I am so confused right now and don't know what to believe."

"Lucas Rossi called off his engagement to Alva and suddenly declared he was going to marry me." The information came out recited, like some shocking news headline being announced on television, or like a rumour on a gossip blog, something that seemed too insane to be true.

"What?!" Anna jumped, almost throwing herself to the ground from the impact.

Hazel stood from the bed too, clearly unsettled on her own end. "He left without an explanation whatsoever to why he would suddenly want to marry a maid he has never even met prior, Mrs Rogers of course got livid and fired me, saying she would ruin my life if I don't get Mr. Rossi to call off the engagement..."

"You... You don't mean all that do you?" Anna's eyes were wide like saucers, lips agape and hands propping her up on the floor.

"Why would I lie about any of it? This whole ordeal has thrown my life in chaos, I have lost my job, I passed out in the rain outside a billionaire's mansion only to wake up inside it." Hazel paced around the room, throwing her hands.

Like a switch went off in her brain, Anna grinned. "What did it look like inside it? Were there statues and pictures of him everywhere? Rolls Royce, Mercedes and all kinds of car you think of parked outside?"

Hazel raised a brow in disbelief. "That's all you are concerned about?"

"Of course that's not all. What did Luca Rossi look like? Is really a hundreds year old Vampire who is afraid of photographs and light?" She kept grinning as she stared up at her friend, clearly more excited than disdained by the news.

Hazel rolled her eye. "No, he is not a hundred year old Vampire." I mean, Vampire have pale skin right? Lucas' skin was not pale at all, he looked very young, he skin even looked rather sun kissed, and Vampires were afraid of the sun weren't they?

"Was he handsome?" Anna queried further.

The image of Lucas' face appeared in her mind again, his sharp jawline and deep grey eyes that seemed to stare right through her. She shook ahead, trying to shake the images of him from her mind as a blush rose to her cheeks. "I... I don't know! That's not the point, the point is he wants to marry me! Without cause, he just gave this silly promises of a grand life."

"And what did you do?" Anna raised her brows.

"I rejected it of course, I won't be bought into a marriage with a strange man." Her friend declared.

"Without consideration?" Anna frowned.

"What do you mean without consideration? This is absurd." Hazel bellowed.

Anna shrugged. "But you should think about it, you might just be the luckiest girl in the world right now."

"There is nothing to think about, I will not marry him." Hazel declared defiantly.