Hazel hopped into the driver's seat with a practiced ease that made James narrow his eyes in suspicion. She navigated the turns toward his family's estate with a haunting familiarity, as if she had driven the route a thousand times before. James tried to convince himself she only knew the way because his parents were famous, but the precision of her driving felt personal.
When the car finally pulled up to the grand entrance, James turned to her, his voice tight. "You don't have to come with me. Just go."
Hazel tilted her head, a small, dangerous smirk playing on her lips. "I wasn't planning to go in. But since you clearly don't want me there... I guess I'll just go in with you."
James ignored her, clenching his fists so hard his knuckles turned white as he marched inside. Hazel followed closely behind, her footsteps light and mocking on the marble floor.
"Oh, dear! Where have you been?" Morgan cried out the moment she saw him. She rushed forward, her face etched with the worry of a mother who hadn't seen her son in days. "I was so worried about you!"
"Mom," James breathed, feeling a momentary wave of relief.
Hazel let out a sharp, audible scoff from the doorway.
Morgan froze, her eyes landing on the stranger. "Huh? Who is this?"
"Well..." James started, his mind racing for a lie.
"Hello, Mother," Hazel interrupted, her voice dripping with artificial sweetness. She paused, widening her eyes innocently. "I mean... Mrs. Morgan."
Morgan's brows shot up in genuine surprise at being addressed so familiarly. "She is just a friend," James added quickly, trying to dampen the tension.
"Girl...friend," Hazel corrected firmly.
To James's surprise, Morgan didn't look shocked; instead, she looked annoyed. "James, why do you keep bringing them here? I know she is one of your 'chicks,' but why do you always do that? Just bring the one you're actually serious with, will you?"
"Actually," Hazel said, stepping further into the room, "I'm the one he is serious with.
Morgan laughed, a dry, elegant sound. "Beat me... you? Ah, I get it. I like how you don't have any idea about manipulation."
Hazel's smile didn't falter. "I guess it's the opposite. But you are looking so pretty today."
"Oh, thanks," Morgan replied, smoothing her hair, her vanity momentarily won over. "Have we met before?"
"Of course not," Hazel lied smoothly. "But you know you are famous."
"I know, right?" Morgan sighed, waving a hand toward the sofa. "You can have a seat. I need to talk to my son for a moment."
"Oh, sure. Go ahead," Hazel said, settling onto the expensive upholstery as if she owned it.
As Morgan led James away for a private word, he looked back over his shoulder. He couldn't understand why she was so calm or why she was acting like a charming guest in the home she was currently destroying.
A few minutes later, Josh emerged from his room, stretching. Hazel stood up immediately to greet him with a bright, cheerful "Hello!"
Josh stopped, blinking at her. "Who are you?"
"Ah, I'm James's friend," Hazel said, her voice bubbly and light.
"Oh, really? That punk is finally home?" Josh grunted, though he seemed intrigued by her presence.
By the time Morgan and James returned from their talk, the scene in the living room was unrecognizable. Josh and Hazel were laughing together, deep in a conversation that seemed surprisingly friendly.
"What is going on here?" Morgan asked, her voice sharp with confusion.
"James, where did you find this cheerful girl?" Josh asked, looking genuinely amused.
Hazel tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Hmm, I think I'd better get going."
"So soon?" Josh asked.
"Yes. And James," she said, turning to him with a look that didn't reach her eyes, "you don't have to come back tonight. You can spend time with your parents."
Morgan's face hardened. "Why do you talk like you are giving him permission to stay?"
Hazel's expression shifted instantly, the mask of the "cheerful girl" slipping for a fraction of a second. "What? I am actually giving permission for him to stay. And if I tell him not to stay, I don't know who's going to change that."
"Excuse you?" Morgan snapped, her voice rising in indignation.
"I'll be going now. Goodbye, Mr. Josh," Hazel said, ignoring Morgan entirely.
"Ahh, okay," Josh muttered, baffled by the sudden change in atmosphere.
Hazel moved closer to James, leaning in until her lips were inches from his ear. "I'd advise you to keep your mouth shut," she whispered, the threat cold and unmistakable.
Before he could react, she leaned up and gave him a soft, lingering peak on his cheek. She turned on her heel and walked out the front door, leaving a stunned silence in her wake.
The air in the room was thick with a tension that threatened to shatter the glass decor. Morgan stood by the window, her eyes fixed on the driveway where Hazel's car had disappeared.
"I don't know what's going on between you and her," Morgan said, her voice trembling with a rare, sharp edge. "But don't you ever try to be with that thing. There is something wrong with her, James. Deeply wrong."
"That's not like you at all, Morgan," Chris interrupted, stepping into the room with a dismissive wave. He looked at James, his expression a mix of pride and disappointment. "Actually, she's a cool girl. What the heck is she studying in school? She seems to be incredibly interested in politics. I love kids like that. I bet she'll make a brilliant politician one day."
James felt a surge of bile rise in his throat.
"How I wish you were more like her," Chris continued, pacing the length of the rug. "Now you get it? This is the kind of person you should row with. Not those sick life-suckers you're usually so obsessed with."
James flinched as if he had been struck. The irony was so heavy it was suffocating. His father the man responsible for the very leverage Hazel was using was praising his tormentor.
"What did you just say?" James's voice was low, vibrating with a dangerous heat. "Do you have any idea what I've been through? Do you even know what's happening?"
Chris stopped pacing and frowned. "What are you talking about?"
"You call yourself a father?" James snapped, his restraint finally breaking. He stepped into his father's space, his fists clenched. "Because of you! Because of the 'fucking shit' you've done, I have to deal with things I never wanted! I'm trapped in a nightmare because of what you did.
"You must be out of your fucking mind!" Josh shouted, stepping between them to prevent a physical fight.
"I'm not the one who's crazy!" James screamed, his face turning a bruised red. "You think she's a 'cool girl'? She's a monster, and she has us all by the throat because you couldn't keep your hands clean! I'm the one paying for your life, Dad! Me!"
James shouted, the words pouring out in a frantic, disjointed stream of blame. He tore into his father's character, his negligence, and his hidden life, but even in his blind rage, he kept the secret.