Chapter Three
843 Words
Hazel stared at her laptop screen until the words stopped making sense.
ARES BLACKWOOD.
The name sat at the top of the page in bold letters, followed by headlines she didn’t fully understand. Business deals. Acquisitions. Nightlife investments. A photo of him stepping out of a black car, expression calm, eyes sharp.
She scrolled.
Another article.
Another photo.
Then she saw it.
Alex Blackwood — younger brother.
Her stomach dropped.
She closed the laptop slowly, as if that might undo what she’d just learned. It didn’t. The truth stayed exactly where it was, heavy and impossible to ignore.
Her phone buzzed on the desk.
Unknown number.
She didn’t answer.
It buzzed again.
A message appeared.
Unknown:
Enjoying asking questions about me?
Hazel’s blood ran cold.
She stared at the screen, her fingers hovering uselessly above the keyboard. She hadn’t told anyone yet. Hadn’t called. Hadn’t even left her room.
And somehow, he knew.
She locked her phone and shoved it into her bag like it might burn her.
The café was louder than usual.
Cups clinked. Chairs scraped. Music played softly overhead. Alex sat across from her, already flipping through his notes, completely unaware that her chest felt too tight to breathe.
“You’re quiet,” he said, glancing up. “Again.”
“I didn’t sleep,” Hazel replied.
He smiled sympathetically. “Rough week?”
She nodded, then looked down at her hands. “Alex… can I ask you something?”
“Of course.”
She hesitated. Then, “Your brother.”
Alex paused. “What about him?”
“What does he do?” she asked. “I mean….really.”
Alex leaned back. “That’s kind of a long list. Why?”
Hazel opened her mouth to answer
Her phone buzzed inside her bag.
Once.
Twice.
She didn’t need to look.
Her breath caught.
Alex noticed. “You okay?”
She pulled the phone out slowly.
Another message.
Unknown:
You should focus. You’re not very good at hiding when you’re nervous.
Hazel’s hands shook.
Alex frowned. “Who’s that?”
She swallowed. “Your brother.”
Silence dropped between them.
Alex straightened. “Ares?”
She nodded.
“He’s been calling you?” Alex asked, disbelief creeping into his voice.
“And texting,” Hazel said quietly. “Since the club.”
Alex’s jaw tightened. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
“I didn’t know who he was,” she said. “I only figured it out today.”
Alex leaned forward. “What happened at the club?”
Hazel lowered her voice. “I walked into his office. He said I heard something I shouldn’t have.”
Alex exhaled sharply. “That explains a lot.”
“That doesn’t make it better,” Hazel said.
Her phone buzzed again.
She didn’t open it this time.
Alex shook his head. “I’ll talk to him.”
“No,” Hazel said immediately.
Alex blinked. “Hazel—”
“No,” she repeated. “If I’m going to be scared, I need answers. Not protection I didn’t ask for.”
Alex studied her face. Finally, he nodded. “He’s not easy.”
“I know,” she said.
Her phone buzzed again.
She stood abruptly. “I have to go.”
“Hazel—”
“I’ll call you later,” she said, already backing away.
She didn’t wait for his reply.
The building felt colder than she remembered.
Glass walls. Quiet halls. Too much space.
The receptionist looked up when Hazel approached.
“Name?”
“Hazel Moore.”
A pause. Then a polite smile.
“He’s expecting you.”
Of course he was.
The office door was open.
Ares stood inside, sleeves rolled up, phone in his hand.
“You read fast,” he said without looking up.
Hazel’s voice shook. “You’re watching me.”
He finally met her eyes. “I told you I would.”
“Why text me while I was with Alex?” she demanded.
“To see what you’d do,” he replied calmly. “You didn’t lie.”
Her chest tightened. “That doesn’t make this okay.”
“No,” he agreed. “It makes it controlled.”
“I didn’t ask for this,” Hazel said.
“You asked questions,” Ares replied. “That’s how this started.”
He walked to the desk and placed a file down.
Her name stared back at her.
“You want answers?” he said. “Then stay where I can see you.”
Her heart sank. “You’re forcing me.”
“I’m protecting you,” he corrected.
She shook her head. “From what?”
Ares held her gaze. “From people who won’t text first.”
Silence filled the room.
“You start tomorrow,” he said. “Under me.”
Hazel felt small. Cornered.
But she nodded.
Because she didn’t know how not to.
As she turned to leave, her phone buzzed one last time.
She didn’t need to look.
She already knew what it would say.
- Writer
