Chapter 17

Hazel frantically tried to slip her mask of innocence back on, but it was too late. Harrison strode forward and grabbed her throat. Screams erupted as Hazel's friends scattered in fear, fleeing the room. In the end, only the two of them remained. "Hazel," Harrison forced the word through gritted teeth. "You've been lying to me for years, haven't you?" His mind reeled back to the first time he met her. Back when Hazel's father had just passed away, little Hazel asked him where her father had gone with red-rimmed eyes. Guilt and pity had made him vow to take care of her for the rest of his life. At first, it was just responsibility and sympathy. But as she grew older, she became different from the women in his world—the ones who carried designer bags, lived in luxury, and looked down on everyone else. Hazel, on the other hand, had always seemed so uncertain of her place, as if she thought she didn't deserve anything. That fragile, vulnerable side of her had made him protective. A