CHAPTER 26
1119 Words
“The One That Ruins Everything”
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Raymond’s POV
Morning – My Apartment
I stared down at the crumpled piece of paper in my hand.
Mia’s address.
It had taken me days—no, weeks—to get this far. I didn’t want to seem like some obsessed guy who couldn’t take a hint. But the truth was, I couldn’t stop thinking about her.
Her eyes. Her laugh. The way she spoke like no one had ever really listened to her before—and the way I wanted to.
I remembered how she looked the last time I saw her—guarded, unsure, yet still strong.
Was she still with that boyfriend?
Had she moved on?
I ran a hand through my hair, groaning aloud. “Dammit, Raymond. Get a grip.”
But some part of me already knew the answer. My gut didn’t lie.
I slipped on my jacket, shoved the address in my pocket, and grabbed my keys.
Even if she slammed the door in my face—I had to know.
Even if it hurt.
I just needed… closure. Or maybe, just maybe, a new beginning.
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Mia’s POV
Morning – Apartment Kitchen
The scent of vanilla pancakes filled the air as I flipped another golden circle onto the plate.
Mira sat at the table, her legs swinging excitedly under her pink hoodie.
“Can we go to the park after breakfast?” she asked, her big brown eyes hopeful.
I smiled gently. “If we finish all our food, then yes. Pinky promise.”
But my mind wasn’t on pancakes or the park.
It was on him.
Raymond.
I hadn’t seen him since that awkward, beautiful, terrifying coffee shop moment. He made me feel something I hadn’t felt in a long time.
Seen. Heard. Wanted.
And ever since I walked away, I couldn’t stop wondering… what if I hadn’t?
I hadn’t told Hazel about the breakup. She had too much going on with Alex. I didn’t want to pile more onto her plate.
But it was over. Really over.
He didn’t hit me. He didn’t scream.
But he hurt me—in all the quietest, cruelest ways.
I didn’t cry when I left.
But I breathed.
And for the first time… I didn’t feel like I was suffocating.
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Alexander’s POV
At the Office – Midday
I glanced at the clock. 12:15.
Hazel had just dropped off my coffee with a sweet smile, the kind that stayed with me long after she left the room.
God, she didn’t even realize what she did to me.
I was about to call her back in—pretend I needed something just to see her again—when the office door creaked open.
Without a knock.
That alone set off alarm bells.
I looked up—only to feel every muscle in my body stiffen.
Her.
Vassane.
Wearing that trademark smirk, hair perfect, heels clicking across the marble like she still belonged in my life.
She didn’t.
“What are you doing here?” I snapped, standing up.
She closed the door behind her slowly, deliberately. “Relax, Alex. Can’t I just say hello?”
“You lost that right the day you walked out of my life.”
Her eyes narrowed slightly, but her lips curved. “I made a mistake. But we both know what we had doesn’t just disappear.”
Before I could blink, she moved—swift and practiced—and pressed her lips to mine.
Hard.
Uninvited.
Unwanted.
I shoved her back instantly, my voice shaking with fury. “Don’t ever touch me again!”
But it was too late.
The door behind her had opened.
And there stood Hazel.
Her eyes locked onto mine, then to Vassane. The lipstick on my mouth. The shattered expression on her face.
The tray slipped from her hands.
Coffee splattered across the marble.
And her heart broke with a single, silent look.
“H-Hazel—” I stepped forward.
But she was gone.
Gone like the wind she was named after.
And I stood frozen in the wreckage she left behind.
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Hazel’s POV
Moments Later – In the Hallway
I didn’t know where I was going.
I just knew I had to get away. From him. From that kiss. From the ache that threatened to swallow me whole.
My chest burned, and the tears spilled faster than I could stop them.
How could he?
After everything.
I turned a corner—and ran straight into someone solid.
“Hazel?!”
Raymond.
His hands gripped my arms, steadying me.
I looked up, wild-eyed, breathless.
“Raymond—I—I need to go—”
“What happened? Hey, you’re shaking—”
But I tore away before he could ask more.
He turned toward the office, a storm darkening his eyes.
And I didn’t look back.
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Raymond’s POV
Seconds Later – Alex’s Office
I stormed into the office, and the first person I saw made my fists curl into stone.
Vassane.
The puppet master of pain. The ghost of every mistake Alex ever made.
“You’ve got some nerve showing your face here,” I growled.
She turned, ever so slowly, that same smug tilt to her head. “Raymond. Still loyal as ever, I see.”
“Leave. Before I throw you out myself.”
“Charming, as always.”
Alex’s voice cut through like a blade. Cold. Controlled. Dangerous.
“Vassane. Get out.”
She stared at him for a second, eyes unreadable, then shrugged. “You’ll come around.”
She blew him a kiss before walking out, hips swaying like a queen. Like she hadn’t just lit a match and dropped it into our world.
The moment the door shut, I exploded.
“What the hell was that, Alex?!”
“She kissed me. I didn’t see it coming.”
“She kissed you? Hazel saw that, man! She’s devastated! Do you even realize what she must be thinking right now?”
“I’ll fix it,” he said quietly. Too quietly.
“You better,” I snapped. “You finally found something real. Don’t let her ruin it.”
We stared at each other in silence.
This wasn’t over.
Not by a long shot.
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To be continued…
🔥 Hazel’s heart just shattered—but will she let Alex explain?
🔥 Raymond’s heart is torn—between the girl he can’t forget and the chaos surrounding his best friend.
💋 And Vassane? She’s just getting started…
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Comment” if you’re ready for Chapter 27 — where truths will be confronted, doors will be slammed, and someone may finally say “I love you”… or walk away.
- Writer
