~Hazel~
I stared at Tyler, my heart drumming in my chest. He wasn’t just joking anymore—he was dead serious. I’d asked him to give me some time to think, to process everything, but he refused, his tone final.
“No, Hazel, we don’t have time for that. You have two options, either I make a public proposal tonight, or we run away to my private island. Nobody will find you there and you don’t have to suffer Asher’s bullying.”
“He’s only acting right till you both have exchanged vows.”
A shiver ran down my spine at how serious he sounded. His eyes didn’t waver, and for the first time, I truly felt scared. This wasn’t some petty manipulation to get back at his brother—Tyler believed what he was saying. He was completely committed to this twisted fantasy of us running away together, as if not
