Ch. 241..250

Chapter 241: What If I Do Not Give Up?

Hazel’s nose hurt, she reached out and wrapped her arms around Joshua’s waist. His arms were always so warm and reassuring.

Joshua looked a little stunned. He gently embraced Hazel and whispered, “Hazel, what happened?”

She suddenly returned to her thoughts. If she told Joshua, would she be able to make him misunderstand that she was wronged? She took a deep breath, looked up, and made a face at him. “I just want to hug you.”

Joshua lifted his eyebrows. If he was right, Hazel was distraught. But she was pretending that everything was okay, which made him even more worried.

“I will let go!” Hazel let go of him and prepared to go back to the room.

Joshua suddenly caught her wrist. “Hazel, are you going to run after flirting?”

“Can’t I?” Hazel blinked. “You don’t forget the rules.”

Joshua’s face was a little grim that she actually mentioned the rules again. But fortunately, there were only two months until her graduation, as long as she got the diploma, he would take Hazel to the Civil Affairs Bureau to be married.

“As long as we don’t violate the rules, we can still do a lot of things. Don’t you think?” Joshua stepped forward and lifted his lips.

“You, what do you want to do?” The only thing that Hazel could feel was her heart pounding. She could not help but step back. What was going on? She looked at Joshua and wondered how things actually developed in an unspeakable direction?

“You…” Joshua smiled.

Hazel’s cheeks suddenly became red. Her feet were unstable, and she leaned on the wall next to her.

Joshua’s arm reached out to the wall and looked at her as if she was a frightened little bunny. He couldn’t help but laugh. “… What do you say?”

Hazel was mad at him, and for a long time, Joshua was trying to tease her?

“What do you think I want to say?” Joshua smiled. “And… why do you seem to be disappointed?”

“I am not.” Hazel pushed him away in annoyance. “You go away!”

Seeing that Hazel was shy and ready to run, Joshua suddenly hugged her from behind.

The warm embrace had a heart-warming atmosphere, and Hazel was tempted but should standstill.

“Hazel,” Joshua leaned over her ear and whispered, “Is there anything you want to say to me?”

Hazel’s body trembled a little, was Joshua referring to the Flores family’s business? He knew that the Flores family went to her company today to make trouble, and Jaxson saved them. He certainly knew that the Flores family had met her.

However, why didn’t he ask directly but wanted her to take the initiative to say it? Hazel looked stunned and sought-after, how could she say anything? Instead of doing this, it is better to say nothing.

“What about you?” She looked back at him. “Do you have anything to say to me?”

Joshua lifted his eyebrows, what does she want to know?

“I just talked casually with Theresa!” Not waiting for him to answer, Hazel said first. She did not have the courage to have a showdown with Joshua. She went on to say, “I am exhausted, I think I need to go have a rest.”

Seeing Hazel yawn, Joshua gently kissed her forehead. “Well, go get a rest.”

Hazel turned around and went to the room. Looking at her back, the darkness of Joshua’s eyes was a little deeper.

***

In the house temporarily rented by the Flores family, Lanny and Caroline had been happily packing things. As long as the money, cars, and houses promised by Joshua arrived, they were ready to leave the city.

Henry knew their plans. He didn’t say much, but he left with some unpleasantness and went to a bar nearby.

He ordered a glass of wine and smiled at the woman next to him. She was there waiting for him.

“Hey, Miss Wilson.” Henry greeted her.

Mandy looked at him and nodded. She had a pair of earphones in, and Henry could hear Susan’s voice. “You ask him, are they really going to leave?”

“My parents really want to go,” Henry said with a scornful voice. “They went originally for money. Now that they have so much money and they have been so happy to forget everything!”

“But money will be spent,” Mandy said with a deep meaning, “If you leave now, I am afraid that it will be difficult to ask for money next time.”

Henry nodded. “You are right. Then what do you mean, should I ask more?”

“Even if you want more, where is there a big money tree?” Mandy chuckled.

Henry’s eyes suddenly became very bright, and there was a greedy light inside. “The Denmark Group… there should be a lot of money?”

“That cannot be measured by money.” Mandy said, “Don’t say the Denmark Group, as long as you keep asking him for help, you will have a lot of money that you cannot spend in the future! You are really willing to give up like this?”

Henry’s eyes flashed greedy light, and he said something unwillingly, “What if I do not give up? Joshua simply will not see us!”

“If he won’t see you, you can go see him!” Mandy said.

“If we could see Joshua, wouldn’t we have done it by now?” Henry looked at her with sarcasm.

They made trouble in the orphanage, but Joshua did not show up at all. They wanted to go to the Denmark Group, but they were not close, and they were evicted by security guards. To see Joshua was even harder than going to Heaven.

“You can’t, but Hazel can always.” Mandy picked up the glass in front of him and shook it gently.

“What do you mean… let Hazel help?” Henry’s eyes lit up.

“If she helped to arrange it, it would be easy for you to meet Joshua.” Mandy took a sip of wine.

“But if she doesn’t want to?” he couldn’t help but ask. After all, Hazel’s attitude towards them was still very negative.

“If she doesn’t want to, you can still create trouble for her,” Mandy sneered.

“As long as you dare to make trouble, do you think that Joshua will not appear?”

“I understand,” Henry drank his wine. He said eagerly, “I will go home now and convince my parents!”

After that, Henry quickly left the bar. Mandy’s eyes flashed with disgust as she watched him walk away.

“Luna, it has been solved.” She whispered.

“I know,” Susan said in her ear. “The money has already transferred to your account. Do it well, and I will never treat you badly!”

***

Hazel woke up early to a knock on her door. She opened it slowly and saw Theresa standing outside the door, apologetically saying, “Sorry, Hazel, I hate to bother you so early.”

 

Chapter 242: Do You Want To Teach Me A Lesson?

“It’s okay, I needed to get up anyway.” Hazel smiled. “Are you looking for something?”

“… um.” Theresa twisted her fingers, Hazel knew she had something difficult to say.

Hazel opened the door so Theresa could step in and then closed the door behind her, she encouraged. “If you have to tell me something, just say it.”

Theresa took a deep breath, and she said, “My parents want to see you…”

“Why do they want to see me?” Hazel asked strangely. “Do they want to teach me a lesson?”

“No,” Theresa said in a hurry. “They said that the shopping matter was their fault, and they wanted to apologize to you.”

“Apologize?” Hazel was surprised and wide-eyed. According to Lanny and Caroline’s temper, it was better for her not to see them, but they actually wanted to apologize? It was too misleading.

“My mom said so,” Theresa said, a little embarrassed.

“What do you think? They really want to apologize or want to lie to me and then find me to teach a lesson?” Hazel asked.

“They didn’t tell me what they’re going to do, but my parents are not the ones who suffered the loss at all. I don’t see it being possible for them to apologize.” Theresa analyzed, “but they will not lie to you. I guess they will be asking for your help.”

“Is there something I help them with?” Hazel frowned slightly. That was more likely, and it would make it possible for Lanny to take the initiative to bow to her. It seemed that it was the only possibility. She nodded. “Well, then I will see them.”

“Do you really want to see them?” Theresa looked at her with some concern.

“I must see them,” Hazel sighed. “If I don’t go, I assume they will come to find me.”

If she gave the Flores family the opportunity to create trouble, they would, and it would only become worse than it already was.

Hazel asked Theresa to contact her family and meet her in a restaurant’s private room. The Flores family appeared to be calmer and more restrained. Although Caroline, despite Hazel, was still showing kindness, “Hazel, come and sit.”

Seeing that Caroline actually helped her by pulling out the chair, Hazel was even more astonished. What kind of help did the Flores family want from her, and they would actually endure this?

“Mrs. Flores,” Hazel said, “What’s the matter? Just say it!”

“You, why do you call me Mrs. Flores?” said Caroline. “You can call me aunt.

You are still angry about the incident at the mall. That was really our fault.”

Hazel looked at them, and she said calmly. “You don’t need to go through all these formalities, we don’t get along, and I am fine with that. So, just tell me what you want.”

Caroline could not maintain the fake smile on her face when she realized that Hazel would not show them any respect.

Lanny tugged on Caroline’s sleeve, and she sat down with overwhelming anger. She took a deep breath and looked sad. “Hazel, we are already planning to leave.”

“Leave?” Hazel was somewhat shocked.

They did not tell Theresa this. Hazel did not ask Joshua, so she did not know.

“Yeah,” Lanny sighed. “We are coming to you today, just to ask you to help us with favor.”

Hazel looked at them with amazement.

“We want to meet Joshua once,” Caroline covered her eyes and shouted.

“He has grown up, but I haven’t seen him yet. If I go back like this, I will regret it all my life…”

Lanny took out a package of cigarettes and started smoking.

Hazel slightly frowned. Their request was not excessive, and she had no reason to refuse. She said in a deep voice, “I will discuss with Joshua…”

“No, no!” Caroline stopped crying, and she quickly said, “He doesn’t want to see us. If you call and ask him, he will definitely refuse!”

They promised Joshua to take the money and leave. If Joshua found out that they changed their minds, then they would be forced to leave with nothing.

Hazel frowned, “What do you want me to do then?”

“You can’t just take us to the Denmark’s House?” Lanny crushed the cigarette in his hand.

Hazel frowned even more, and it seemed that the Flores family wanted her to force a reunion upon Joshua. He did not want to see them, and if she did that, wouldn’t it make him extremely upset?

Seeing that Hazel was hesitating, Caroline began to dry up again. “Hazel, you won’t promise me, and it is killing me! If I can’t see my son, what reason do I have to live…”

Caroline got up and was going to a wall, but Lanny swiftly grabbed her and held her.

The two of them cried, made demands, and were still talking about dying; it made Hazel’s headache even worse. Although she knew they were pretending, she would not be able to explain in the event that something terrible did happen.

Joshua was indeed hiding from the Flores family. If she arranged for him to meet the Flores family, then maybe she could change things for the better, she thought.

“… well,” Hazel said with some vulnerability. “But let’s make a deal first. I just take you to see him. It is all his choice to reunite with you or not!”

She wanted to change things, but she couldn’t force Joshua. This was his business, and he should make his own decisions.

“We promise you!” Lanny and Caroline looked happy, they stopped the drama suddenly, and the two eagerly said, “Let’s go now!”

“Go now?” Hazel groaned, “So urgent?”

“Of course, I am anxious to see him!” Caroline said with a happy look.

Hazel frowned, but they kept urging, “Let’s go now!”

She had made a promise, so she had no choice.

When they walked out of the restaurant, their son Henry had a car waiting. He looked Hazel up and down, she didn’t know what he was thinking, but she felt very uncomfortable. As she walked to the car, he carefully opened the door for her.

Hazel reluctantly got in the car and took them to Denmark Residence. They had previously asked Theresa the address but could not enter the house to see Joshua. Hazel was with them now, so they could just walk in.

When they got out of the car, the Flores family kept looking at the luxurious villa in front of them.

“Heaven, God…” Caroline said stutteringly. “This, such a large garden! It is so beautiful! It seems to be bigger than the acres of our field!”

“There are fountains, big swimming pools…” Lanny’s eyes were huge.

“There are so many servants in such a big house…”

Lanny greedily looked at everything in front of him, his heart was full of jealousy. He unwillingly clenched his fists. Joshua was obviously a child of the Flores family; how could he have all of this when he was just a useless country boy?

 

Chapter 243: Are You Laughing At Us?

Lanny’s greed was even stronger, and he couldn’t wait to have it all. Even if he got more from Joshua, it would not be as much as Joshua had. He just had to figure out how he could get it all.

Lanny’s eyes suddenly fell on Hazel’s body. She felt a chill run down her spine; she felt as if a vicious man was watching her.

She felt scared and uncomfortable but was also puzzled, she raised her eyebrows and looked around. The members of the Flores family were all still admiring the villa in front of them, she thought it must have been her imagination.

Leading them into Denmark Residence, their eyes became even brighter. They kept looking around and touching everything. Hazel could not understand why they were so rude. Caroline told Nanny Carter to prepare some tea and pretend not to see anything.

The two maids passed by and smiled. Lanny, who was looking around, suddenly became angry. He pulled a maid by the arm and slapped her. “Why are you two laughing? Are you laughing at us?”

The two maids screamed, and they looked at him with shock and fear.

Hazel heard the commotion, hurried over, and stepped in front of the maids. She sustained her anger and looked at Lanny. “What happened?”

If she knew that they would cause even more trouble, she would never have agreed to bring them there.

“You ask them!” Lanny said wickedly, “They dared to laugh at me!”

“We didn’t,” the eyes of the maid who was beaten was red. “We were just talking about our wages.”

“According to what you said, my husband made a mistake? Who do you think you are? You are trying to make him look bad!” Caroline rushed forward unreasonably.

Hazel already understood what had happened. The Flores family was clearly too inferior, thinking that everyone looked down on them. She looked at Caroline coldly.

“If you are coming to make trouble, then I will only ask you to leave!”

Caroline suddenly stopped, and she was staring at Hazel.

Although they were at Denmark Residence, they had not seen Joshua. If they are driven out now, they never would.

“Well, I think this is a misunderstanding,” Henry stepped forward and smiled at Hazel. “We will show Hazel some respect. This is all right.”

Lanny and Caroline felt better, and they sat down with anger.

Hazel was on edge. Henry was still watching her, and his gaze made her feel a little disgusting. She tried to ignore him and turned to comfort the two maids, hoping they could deal with the trauma they were just exposed to.

Seeing that Hazel was treating the maids so well, Lanny and Caroline were even angrier. What did Hazel mean? Was it their fault? The hardest part for them was even though they were angry, they could not get angry at Hazel.

“Dad, Mom.” Theresa heard that they were there and walked over to them with some fear.

Caroline was outraged and suddenly slapped Theresa’s face. “You whore! You are living so well in the nice place that you forgot about your parents?”

Theresa endured the pain, and she dared not make a sound.

Hazel suddenly could not handle their attitude any longer, she stepped forward to protect Theresa. “Enough! If you just came here to hit people, then you can leave immediately!”

Lanny rushed to Caroline, she continued to stare at Theresa. Eventually, they both sat down.

“You should go back to your room,” Hazel said helplessly to Theresa. If Theresa was there, she thought Lanny and Caroline would be venting anger toward her.

Hazel was really regretting bringing them to Denmark Residence. Had they really wanted to come not to cause trouble?

Theresa looked at Caroline with fear, but Hazel patted her on the shoulder to give her some encouragement, and she ran to her room.

“Hazel, when will Joshua be back?” Caroline pulled Hazel to the side and eagerly asked, “He will come back?”

“… Yes,” Hazel said silently. “He should be back soon. I have already called him.”

Caroline hurriedly said, “Would you like to urge him again…”

“Okay, I will go call him now.” She didn’t want to say too much to her.

Hazel walked toward the door with her mobile phone. She really didn’t want to stay in the same room with them for a moment longer. She was the only one around, the servants delivered tea and then went to hide from the cruel family.

When she walked outside, she let out a sigh of relief. She really didn’t know if this was the right decision. She hesitated about calling Joshua but then saw a familiar car pull in the driveway.

Joshua got out of the car and walked towards Hazel, and she looked at him blankly as he got closer.

“Why are you waiting outside?” Joshua calmly stopped her shoulder. “Go inside.”

Hazel looked up at him and had the overwhelming urge to tell him everything. She did not know what to say, though, and she was suddenly worried that if Joshua saw the Flores family, he would be angry.

It felt like a lifetime to Hazel, but it had only taken a few seconds for them to walk inside.

Henry saw him first and yelled to his parents. They all looked at the door with excitement.

The man standing at Hazel’s side… is Joshua?

This was the first time they saw Joshua, and the three were completely shocked. They all felt like it was a dream. They thought Joshua was so handsome, noble, and smart, and when people saw him, they would be shocked by his temperament.

Lanny and Caroline were delighted, but gradually, their hearts are full of doubts. They looked at each other, knowing they were both thinking the same thing.

Joshua… Was he really the son they once sold? He did not come across like the people of the Flores family.

Just a moment of hesitation, in a blink of an eye, their looks changed to one of sudden determination.

Whether or not Joshua was their son, they must be sure to convince everyone that he is the son they sold. Otherwise, would he make them return all the things that they had already got?

Joshua gave them a passing glance with a calm look in his eyes.

Hazel was somewhat confused. Why do the Flores family seem to be so excited, but Joshua seemed to be indifferent? This is totally different from what she imagined.

“You, you are Joshua?” Caroline came forward, and she asked, a little embarrassed.

“Yeah.” Joshua nodded calmly.

“I, we are Theresa’s parents, and we come to see her today.” Caroline rushed to say.

 

Chapter 244: My Son

Hazel was caught off guard, she hadn’t realized how worried she was. She was afraid that Caroline or Lanny would cry out after seeing Joshua and shout, “My son!”.

But they did not speak it out? Even if they had asked Joshua a lot of questions, they still did not clarify their reasoning. It seemed that the Flores family had plans of their own.

Hazel did not understand what was happening. She looked at Joshua, and he said to the maid indifferently, “Please ask Miss Flores to come out.”

The servant went to get Theresa, and Joshua calmly said to the family, “Since you are guests of Hazel, please sit down.”

The three of them nodded and sat down on the sofa across from Joshua and Hazel.

Henry stared at Joshua with anger, and his heart was full of jealousy and opposition. Even if he was not willing to admit it, he and Joshua were simply so different.

Theresa walked in very quickly, and the palm print on her face had not disappeared, it was actually undeniable and looked worse.

Joshua saw it. He asked unexpectedly. “What happened to your face?”

Caroline stared at Theresa fiercely, and Theresa’s body trembled a little, quietly whispered, “I just accidentally fell.”

She was afraid that Joshua would ask more questions. Caroline quickly pulled Theresa to her side with a kind and loving appearance. “Oh, Theresa.

Why don’t you be careful? Whenever you fall, it leaves your father and I so worried!”

“Right.” Lanny also responded.

Hazel looked at all of this coldly. Caroline had actually slapped Theresa, but she could lie about it without any change in her facial expression.

“Denmark, Mr. Denmark…” Lanny said with shyness, “Thank you for taking care of our daughter during this time. You are willing to let her stay, and we really appreciate it.”

“You don’t have to thank me,” Joshua said in a reasonable manner. “She is a friend of Hazel. If you want to thank someone, then thank Hazel.”

“Okay.” Lanny smiled, but there was no intention to thank Hazel.

“I don’t know how old Mr. Denmark is this year?” Caroline suddenly asked eagerly.

Joshua’s eyebrows raised slightly. He did not answer, but he calmly opened his mouth. “Since you are here to see your daughter, I will not bother with…”

“Wait!” Caroline hastily stopped him. “Mr. Denmark, don’t be surprised that I asked your age. There was no reason other than when I saw you, I thought of our son, our seventh child.”

Hazel’s eye bulged out of her head in shock. Was the Flores family planning a showdown at Denmark Residence? She looked at Joshua, but he still looked calm, and it seemed that he was not affected at all by her question.

Caroline sighed, and she continued, “Our seventh child, he should be about the same age as you. When he was born, he was charming, and he was very obedient, he didn’t cry much or make trouble. He was the least of our worries, we all loved him very much. Just…”

Saying, Caroline pretended she was about to cry and that she couldn’t finish her story. She covered her eyes and looked at Joshua. She looked at Joshua’s expression, and he was still calm. He had no intention to ask for more. She couldn’t elbow her husband, who was sitting beside her.

“Ahh…” Lanny sighed and said, “He was a good boy, but unfortunately, we were too poor and could not afford to keep him. If he followed us, we would only cause him to suffer even more. At that time, we did what we thought was best for him. So, we made a difficult decision. Since then, we have not seen him. Every time I think about it, I regret our decision.”

“To think about it now, if we had just let him stay with us, our family would at least be together. It would even make our lives better if we could see him again. We don’t know how he is doing. Has he had a hard life? Every time I think about it, my heart hurts. I really did something wrong. We really hope we can have the chance to make up for it…” Caroline said and began to whisper and weep again.

Hazel listened quietly, she finally saw their plan. It was a sensible way to tug at heartstrings, the most critical information was omitted, and they only emphasized how much they missed their son. How could one not be moved?

However, Hazel still did not fully understand. Joshua sat and listened quietly. He was not as expressionless as he was, but he did not appear to be extremely moved or resentful either. He almost looked sad and disappointed.

“Don’t be sad,” Joshua said. “Some things happen, and once you make a mistake, you will not be able to make up for it no matter what you do. If this is the case, you two should stop living in the past and make the most of your life.”

Hazel wondered what his words meant. Was he telling the Flores family that he would not forgive the mistakes they made in the past?

Lanny and Caroline looked at each other, they obviously thought that was what he meant. Although they were disappointed, they saw a bit of gratification in each other’s eyes.

What Joshua said was proof that he was indeed their child. Just because he still refused to forgive them, he deliberately did not reunite with them? Even if he didn’t want to reunite with them, it was okay. At least, he didn’t deny that he was a child of the Flores family.

“You, you are right…” Caroline said. “Mr. Denmark, I just saw you, and I couldn’t help but blurt out my feelings. You would understand that if you were a parent. You always love your child. Don’t you agree?”

Joshua’s eyebrows lifted a little, and he had no intention of answering her.

Sensing the tension in the air, Hazel jumped in and said, “Since you are here, have dinner with us at noon.”

“Okay, okay.” Lanny and Caroline immediately agreed.

Joshua looked at Hazel with some shock. She would not only bring the Flores family to Denmark Residence and not tell him, but now she was inviting them for lunch.

Is it true that Hazel knows something? Sharon was her assistant. Could it be that Sharon told Hazel something?

Hazel saw that he was in a daze. She picked up a small cookie from the table, smiled, and stuffed it into his mouth.

Joshua regained his surroundings. He swallowed the cookie and gently touched the tip of her nose. “Naughty. Do you like these cookies?”

Hazel hurriedly said, “Yes, these are the love cookies that you made with me. How can I not like them?”

Caroline was sitting across from Hazel, her face changed immediately. With a harsh tone in her voice, she said, “Hazel, the kitchen is where the woman should stay. How can you even let Mr. Denmark enter the kitchen? But, he also made cookies?”

 

Chapter 245: We Have Done Nothing Wrong

Hazel did not know what to say. When Joshua was home, he helped her bake some love cookies. It was something romantic that they did, there was nothing wrong with it, so why did Caroline scold her?

The Flores family really did not show any respect for women. They thought that she should stay in the kitchen?

“He was willing to help me,” Hazel said, and she got somewhat angry. She said with a dissatisfied face. “One of his favorite things to do is to make me all kinds of delicious food. We enjoy it. We have done nothing wrong!”

“You…” Caroline was angry. Lanny touched her arm and said, “They are a new couple, let’s not talk too much.”

Caroline pressed down the anger in her heart, and the more she saw Hazel, the more unpleasant she felt. If Joshua still refused to reunite with them, then she must teach Hazel some lessons. A woman who knew nothing, how dare she order Joshua Denmark? She was so arrogant.

Joshua frowned slightly. He felt the atmosphere in the room was a bit odd. Why did this couple have such a strange attitude towards him, and why did they try to control his life?

“Hazel was right,” he said. “As long as she is happy, I want to do whatever she wants, besides, what age is it now if the kitchen is a woman’s place, what should the male chefs do?”

Hazel’s heart was happy. She did not expect that Joshua would support her in front of the Flores family. She was so thankful that she leaned over and kissed him.

Caroline’s face became even more twisted. In her opinion, Hazel did not understand things and was also deliberately trying to ruin their relationship with Joshua. Even though Hazel helped them, Caroline still had no respect for her.

What made her most uncomfortable was that Joshua clearly did not want to reunite with them, but he was so obedient to Hazel. How did she let this happen? She had to find an opportunity to vent her anger.

When lunch was ready, everyone walked to the dining room.

Theresa was hesitant, though, so Hazel took her hand and led her to the table.

As the two of them pulled out their chairs, Caroline suddenly slammed her hand down on the table and shouted, “Theresa, what is the matter with you? We have raised you properly, how can you still be so rude? You were born a girl, a waste of money. What qualifications do you have to eat at the dinner table? Wait over to the side, and you can eat when we are finished.

Theresa was so scared that she stood up straight, and Hazel had not sat down yet. When she heard Caroline say that to her daughter, her head snapped up, and she gave Caroline an ice-cold glare.

Caroline may have been scolding Theresa, but she was implying it about Hazel as well. Hazel never thought in this era that the Flores family would still follow such an old tradition.

The tradition was that women could not sit at the table to eat until they had finished their meals. Obviously, Caroline was also a woman, but she was one who oppressed women at every opportunity.

“It turns out that women can’t eat at the table at your home?” Hazel said with a look of indifference. She said coldly, “You are also a woman, why are you able to eat at the table?”

“That is because I gave birth to seven sons!” Caroline said with a proud face.

Hazel was speechless, and Caroline’s words really aggravated her to the bottom of her soul. Is it an outstanding achievement to have a son? If she hadn’t had those many children, would they still have been poor and had to sell their kids?

Joshua’s eyes sunk slightly, and he was very curious as to why Hazel would help the Flores family. The relationship between Hazel and that woman was taut, he tolerated the family, but he was not stupid, he saw that she was deliberately targeting Hazel.

“Sit down,” Joshua said. “In our family, there are no such rules.”

A scowl formed on Caroline’s face, Joshua was clearly slapping her in the face with his comment.

Hazel again took Theresa’s hand and led her to the table. Caroline could not say anything but sit and look infuriated.

Joshua went on to say, “Besides, when you are a guest at someone else’s home, you should not scream and yell. It makes you look very rude.”

Joshua’s comments embarrassed Caroline, she did not think that Joshua would reprimand her for Hazel. Lanny could see that Caroline was going to explode, so he quickly pulled her aside and said, “Mr. Denmark is right. We are guests, we should abide by their rules.”

Caroline suddenly snapped back to reality and realized that Joshua still refused to reunite with them. They could not talk like his biological parents. She could tell that no matter what they said, Joshua did not care very much, and if Hazel were involved, he would never consider reuniting even if he was face to face with them.

Caroline lowered her head, but her eyes suddenly become cold. Joshua was so obsessed with Hazel, she must find a way to separate them. She would absolutely not allow a woman to have such a profound influence on him.

It was obvious that the Flores family was a naturally unhappy group of people. The atmosphere in the room was heavy and gloomy, the more time Hazel spent with them, the unhappier she felt.

However, Joshua seemed to be completely unaffected. As usual, he calmly gave Hazel a dish and briefly talked with her about work. Hazel’s anger eased with his gentle voice.

After eating lunch, Caroline suddenly said, “Hazel, we just arrived in the city for the first time, and we are not familiar with this place. Can you spend some time taking us for a walk around?”

Hazel frowned slightly. What was Caroline thinking? Although she did not want to take them if she did, Caroline knew that Joshua would naturally follow. Was the Flores family just trying to get an opportunity to spend more time with Joshua?

If this is the case, she had no reason to refuse, “Okay…”

The word was barely out of her mouth when she heard Joshua say, “Hazel is really busy. If you want to travel to the city, I can arrange for others to accompany you.”

“Thank you,” Lanny answered.

Their plan was indeed what Hazel assumed. However, Joshua’s offer was the best they could get. Even though there would be no chance to contact Joshua or Hazel, they could stay in the city for a while longer.

 

Chapter 246: Do You Have Any Ideas?

Joshua still looked very calm. He knew that Flores’ family was selfish and was not surprised when they said that they intended to leave but suddenly changed their minds. He presumed it was because someone did not want to let them go. He wanted to make it easier on Hazel, so he gave in to them again.

It did not appear that the family wanted to leave Denmark’s Residence. They stopped Theresa and continued talking with her.

Hazel poked Joshua, whose indifferent attitude left her completely confused about what he was thinking.

“Hazel, come with me to the Denmark Group this afternoon,” said Joshua quietly.

Before Hazel could say yes, Caroline spoke, “Does Mr. Denmark have work to do this afternoon?”

“Yes.” Joshua nodded.

Caroline rolled her eyes and had a greedy thought. It would be nice if she could also live here like Theresa. What a great and comfortable house to live in.

She smiled. “We haven’t seen our daughter for a long time. Can we spend more time with her?”

“No problem,” Joshua said quietly. “The tour guide I arranged has arrived, and they will take your family around the imperial capital.”

In an instant, Caroline froze. Visiting the imperial capital was her previous request, so there was no way for her to refuse it.

Hazel turned to look at Joshua with surprise. Caroline obviously wanted to stay at Denmark Residence, but Joshua spoke simply and solved the matter. There was no way he didn’t understand what Caroline meant. Did it mean Joshua didn’t want the Flores family to stay?

Caroline tried to say something more, but Nanny Carter walked in with a guide before she could speak.

“Have good fun,” Joshua said quietly. “I have something to do with Hazel, and I won’t keep you.”

The faces of the Flores family were low, and they looked as if they were humiliated. Joshua’s words were clearly meant to drive them away. Even if they said they wanted to stay, very likely, they would be just asking for nothing.

“Thank you, Mr. Denmark,” Caroline said reluctantly.

The Flores family eventually left following the guide.

Hazel and Joshua got in his car and drive in silence to Denmark Group. She hadn’t told Joshua that the Flores family would be at Denmark Residence, and he did not mention it. She was still confused by his attitude toward them.

Joshua fulfilled almost all of the conditions that they had demanded, but he still did not seem close enough to be a family member. Was it because he refused to forgive them for abandoning him that he kept them at arm’s length?

As they were walking into the building, Hazel’s eyes darkened, she was trying to decipher Joshua’s attitude again.

“Joshua, do you think Theresa is pitiful?” She sighed.

“Mm,” he said, looking at her with deep eyes, “you seem to care about her?”

“Of course, she’s a nice, kind girl,” she said meaningfully. “I like her very much, and I feel she is like my younger sister, so I want to help her despite myself.”

“How do you want to help her?” he asked quietly.

She was confused. She was hinting, but why did she feel he wouldn’t be willing to help Theresa until she wanted to help him? Was he so embarrassed? She could do nothing but try to figure out his attitude.

“I’ve asked her. She wants to study in the imperial capital.” She suggested. “Maybe we can let her stay with us to study.”

“It’s easy,” he said quietly. “But if you really want to help her, you’d better advise her to spend less time with her family. You’d better confirm with her to see if she’s ready for that.”

“I, I will ask her later…” She was kind of in a daze.

She proposed that Theresa should stay because the Flores family would thus certainly stay in the imperial capital. If Joshua agreed, it meant he did care about the Flores family. But why did he say that only Theresa could stay without the other Flores family members? Why was it so hard to guess what was in that man’s mind?

She was completely bewildered, and it would be completely pointless to continue the conversation.

She happily changed her subject. “By the way, it is our school’s anniversary this weekend, and there’s a ball Sunday night. Unfortunately, I am short of a dancing partner. Who do you think… I should invite?”

Seeing the sparkle of excitement in her eyes, he raised her chin without hesitation. “Hazel Crowe, who else do you want to invite, huh?”

“What do you mean? It’s not like I have any wooers.” She shyly slapped his hand away.

“How could you have no wooers?” He looked at her with hidden bitterness. “I’m just giving you the best option. But really, you don’t have any other choices because I’ll never give anyone else a chance to approach you.”

She couldn’t help chuckling. The annoyance caused by the Flores family all vanished with the wind. She and the Flores family loathed each other, but she was thankful that it didn’t affect her and Joshua’s relationship.

“Then you must come,” she said seriously. “It is a date!”

“I’ll definitely come.” He nodded.

***

Although the Flores family visited the imperial capital following the guide, they felt even more dissatisfied. They had clearly seen Joshua, but why didn’t he admit their relationship?

Back at their temporary home, Caroline’s complaints never stopped.

“Lanny, what should we do?” she said, annoyed, “And why is Joshua so kind to this bitch, Hazel? It really pisses me off! I must break them up!”

“Do you have any ideas?” Lanny frowns with displeasure. “Do you think Joshua Denmark had held on the respect he had when he was a kid, and he would obey you in every aspect?”

“Of course, I have ideas!” Caroline said very unhappily. “Even if he doesn’t obey me, isn’t it very simple to make them misunderstand each other? But I need helpers… Henry, contact that woman and ask her to do something for me.”

“What?” Henry looked reluctant.

Caroline whispered in his ear, and he couldn’t resist disagreeing. “No way. Joshua Denmark would never agree with this!”

“Who said I was going to get Joshua to agree?” She sneered, “You’re stupid. I’m doing this for Hazel!”

“Okay, I’ll go now.” He agreed quickly.

 

Chapter 247: Why Did You Come Back?

Caroline was quite efficient. Before Quantum University’s anniversary began, she had brought a dozen young, beautiful women to Denmark Residence.

Joshua was at work, and Hazel was at school when they arrived. The bodyguards outside didn’t stop Caroline because she had called ahead of time to say she was coming to visit Theresa.

When Caroline brought the women into the living room, Theresa was dumbstruck.

“What are you doing, Mom?” Theresa asked in a low voice.

Caroline couldn’t help cursing, “Screw you. I’m not doing anything to embarrass you. Can’t you just talk louder? Do you think I’m a thief?”

Theresa shuddered with fear. She would have been too scared to ask at ordinary times, but it was different now. If Caroline did anything to annoy Hazel or Joshua, there would end up being a terrible outcome, so she clearly had to figure out her plan.

“Mom, what the hell are you doing?” she asked again.

Caroline was about to continue scolding her, but Nanny Carter came up to them and asked, “Yeah, I’m curious, too.”

Nanny Carter was followed by a maid who held a beautiful blue dress Joshua had prepared for Hazel in advance.

“Go and hang the dress in Miss Crowe’s room,” Nanny Carter turned her head around to whisper. “Miss Crowe will wear it the day after tomorrow in the school anniversary.”

Caroline listened carefully to their conversation. She glared at the dress as if she was trying to burn a hole in it with her eyes.

“You’re the housekeeper here, right?” As the maid walked away with the dress, Caroline quickly looked at Nanny Carter with a softer attitude.

When she came the last time, she saw that Joshua was very loving to Nanny Carter, so she knew very well that she had better not offend her. Having said that, Caroline was still a little condescending when she looked at Nanny Carter.

“I was just trying to tell you,” Caroline said with a haughty air. “Look! All the maids here are old and plain looking! How can you have these people around Joshua?”

Nanny Carter’s face became unsightly. “All of them have been working at the Denmark family for more than a decade, so of course, they’re not young. But they’re competent and polite…”

“I don’t think so.” Caroline sneered. “Weren’t there some of them laughing at us when we were here the last time? I think you had better replace the old and ugly ones. I’ve chosen so many young and beautiful girls carefully. They are more suitable to be around Joshua…”

Theresa was very anxious, and she did not think that Caroline would dare to do something so extreme. She secretly took out her phone and sent Hazel a message. “Hazel, come back soon. My mom brought a lot….”

However, before it was finished, Caroline shouted in anger. “Theresa, what are you doing?!”

Theresa was startled by Caroline, so she sent the message without finishing it.

“No, nothing…” She shook her head hastily.

“Are you secretly tipping Hazel off?!” Caroline asked in a low voice, grimly snatching away Theresa’s phone.

“I, I don’t…” Theresa was scared and denied it.

Caroline let out a hmph and didn’t plan to return it to her.

“No way!” said Nanny Carter, looking cold. “Take them away immediately. We don’t need them here!”

“You’re just the housekeeper here. Do you think you have the final say on everything?” Seeing Nanny Carter disagreed with her, Caroline got angry instantly.

“Of course, I call the shots!” Nanny Carter said unkindly. She didn’t show much displeasure with the Flores family last time because Hazel and Joshua were also there.

Nonetheless, this woman dared to interfere in Denmark Residence’s affairs,

Nanny Carter’s blood was boiling.

“What did you say?” Caroline spoke, annoyed. “I think you need to learn how to be a maid, too! Who are you? How could you be qualified to decide your master’s affairs?!”

“You…” Nanny Carter felt a surge of anger in an instant. It was the first time that she was humiliated in all her years at the Denmark family. Joshua had always treated her with dignity and respect.

Theresa was even more scared to see them arguing like that.

***

Hazel was busy talking about the anniversary with her roommates. She hadn’t been in school very much, so Ariel and Summer were complaining they did not see her enough.

When she heard the sound of a message, she opened it and frowned. Caroline came to Denmark Residence once again?

Although Hazel knew that the Flores family wouldn’t give up, she didn’t expect Caroline would be so quick and not give her a moment’s peace.

What did she bring? The half-sentence made Hazel very confused. What did Caroline want to do this time?

However, the situation seemed to be very urgent, so urgent that Theresa didn’t even finish her message.

Hazel quickly bagged up her back and rushed back to Denmark Residence.

When she arrived, she met Joshua at the door, who was getting out of his car.

“Why did you come back?” Asked Hazel in surprise.

“A maid called me saying there was something bad happening in the house,” said Joshua, frowning. “I had to go home and check on things. What about you?”

“I heard almost the same situation,” she said quickly, without explaining. “Stop it. Let’s go and check first.”

“Okay!” He nodded. He took Hazel’s hand naturally and approached the living room with her.

As soon as they went in, they heard a quarrel.

“I call the shots here. Get the women out of here!” Nanny Carter covered her chest and pale with anger.

Caroline said darkly, “I told you they’re not for you. I’m not going to do as you say…”

Caroline’s voice trailed off as Joshua and Hazel walked in and walked up to Nanny Carter.

Hazel patted Nanny Carter on the back, nervously saying, “Nanny Carter, you’re in bad shape. Don’t be angry…”

“What happened?” Joshua asked, looking unhappily at Caroline.

Caroline was already extremely irritated, but then Joshua and Hazel walked into the room hand in hand, which pissed her off. After they came in, they were just worried about Nanny Carter, who was just a maid. They didn’t care about her at all. To top it all off, Joshua had a demanding manner, as if she had bullied Nanny Carter.

She knew that if she got angry and lost her temper, her relationship with Joshua would worsen, and she definitely did not want that.

“Joshua, that’s it,” Caroline said with a smiling face. “Come and have a look at these young girls. How beautiful! And they’re all gorgeous. Also, I’ve asked them, and they said they have a good education…”

Hazel was flabbergasted. She had noticed the women before she walked in, but it had never occurred to her that they were all brought in by Caroline.

 

Chapter 248: Why Are You So Jealous?

“Master Denmark!”

The group of women was both surprised and pleased. Some of them lowered their heads very shyly, while others looked at him boldly.

There was a touch of displeasure in Joshua’s eyes as he calmly interrupted Caroline, “Why did you bring these people here?”

“Hear me out,” Caroline said, after giving Hazel a sideways glance.

With a smile on her face, she continued, “I’ve checked for you. All of these girls are good at cooking and other housework. They deserve to be around you. As long as you keep them around, they will take care of all of your meals and needs. They will be your everything…if you are hungry, thirsty, tired…”

Hazel was speechless. What cooking and housework? Caroline was aiming at her, suggesting that she didn’t deserve Joshua.

“So, you brought them here for Joshua’s blind date?” Hazel spoke nonchalantly.

“What blind date? Hazel, why are you so jealous?” Caroline explained impatiently as her eyes flashed with pride. “They’re all the new maids that I found. What do you think of them? Aren’t they great?”

Hazel’s lips twitched. Caroline was blatantly arranging for the woman to steal her boyfriend.

“Hazel, are you worried that these girls are too excellent and that Joshua will have a crush on them?” There was a sneer in Caroline’s eyes, but she said with a gentle tone, “You really overthink. Joshua is so kind to you, which makes me especially touched. Don’t you believe him?”

Hazel could not even speak, she finally saw through Caroline’s tactics. If she stopped these girls from being maids, that would mean she didn’t believe Joshua. If she said she believed Joshua, it would mean she agreed to let the women stay. Whether she agreed or not, it was an admission that these women were better than her.

As Caroline defiantly stared at Hazel, who was wondering how to reply, Joshua spoke quietly, “Don’t bother.”

Caroline was in a daze. She thought that Joshua might refuse, but she didn’t expect he would refuse so quickly. These girls were specifically selected by her. Henry’s eyes lit up when he saw them, but why was Joshua completely unmoved?

No man didn’t like pretty young girls, and there was a legitimate reason to keep them. Why would Joshua refuse? She could not figure it out at all!

She hurried to persuade, “Joshua…”

Joshua calmly raised his hand, stopping her from continuing. “Our maids are very capable, and I have no intention of changing them. Nanny Carter is my elder. She is responsible for all the arrangements of personnel in Denmark Residence. She really has the final say here. Please don’t disturb her work again. Besides…”

The smile on Caroline’s face was fading as Joshua’s words were clearly a slap in the face. She even heard the warning in his words, he was angry with her for quarreling with Nanny Carter.

Joshua looked at Caroline nonchalantly and said, “I don’t think any of these women are beautiful and excellent.”

Caroline’s face twisted into a scowl instantly. It never occurred to her that Joshua would deny her idea so exhaustively. Though she was angry and wanted to explode on the spot, she knew that she must react calmly in her heart.

“Joshua,” Caroline’s body trembled as she pinched her own palm hard, making her eyes red with pain. “Don’t blame me. Every time I see you, I think of our little son. You know, I haven’t seen him since he was so young. I miss him very much! I’ve never been able to do anything for him, so when I see you, I can’t help but think of you as for him…”

Hazel looked at Joshua. Caroline had already talked about the secret. Would her confession help to open Joshua’s heart?

Joshua was a bit sad, he spoke quietly, “Mrs. Flores, I can understand your feelings. However, I am not your son, please do not put the feelings for your son on me.”

Caroline, who was sobbing, stopped crying and looked at him with a face of disbelief. Hazel was also very surprised. She wondered if Joshua was serious or just angry.

“I, I just feel so guilty…” Caroline stammered, “I’m trying to do something for him. So please don’t blame me for causing you trouble…”

Joshua looked calm as she appeared dispirited. “Mrs. Flores, you can’t interfere in your son’s life like that, no matter what.”

Hazel looked at him with a complicated expression. Why was Joshua so patient? If anyone else had done this, he would have punished them.

It appeared to Hazel that the Flores family was a unique situation. He had been helping them for years, giving them unconditional gifts, and now he was indulging Caroline. If she thought there was nothing between them, she would be lying to herself.

She thought so, and it was obvious Caroline thought the same since she looked pleased. It seemed that she had done something wrong this time, so Joshua was unhappy. However, he did not want them out of his life.

“I see. I’ll never do anything like that again!” She hurried to promise.

“Get Mrs. Flores a ride home, please,” said Joshua to one maid.

Caroline did not want to push her luck any further, so out of fear of provoking Joshua anymore, she quickly followed behind the maid.

The group of women was disheartened about leaving, but they all reluctantly left.

Nanny Carter glared angrily at him immediately after Caroline left. “What do you mean, Sir? Don’t you really know what she’s here for?”

“Nanny Carter, don’t be angry,” Joshua said. “Since you don’t like her, you can make sure she is stopped immediately by the bodyguards next time. You are in charge of such a big house. Don’t bother yourself to argue with such a woman.”

“You…” Nanny Carter was angry and powerless. “It’s okay if I’m wronged, but she brought those women to make Miss Crowe unhappy clearly. What do you want her to think of you…”

Nanny Carter suddenly halted because she realized that Hazel was nearby.

“Nanny Carter, I’m fine,” Hazel said with a slight smile, shaking her head. “Joshua didn’t let the women stay, and I’m delighted. You can rest assured that I trust him.”

“That’s great…” Nanny Carter smiled embarrassedly, then she turned to Joshua and scolded him. “Look, how sensible Miss Crowe is. You should cherish such a good girl!”

“I will.” Joshua didn’t know whether to cry or laugh.

After comforting Nanny Carter, Joshua and Hazel left together. He opened the car door and said, “Hazel, let me take you back to school.”

“Don’t bother.” Hazel smiled. “You have work to do. I’ll take a taxi.”

 

Chapter 249: You Must Come

Joshua raised his eyebrows slightly, and he reached out his hand to press against the car and stopped Hazel.

“Hazel, are you upset about what just happened?” He looked at her with deep eyes. He could sense that she wasn’t just refusing to let him take her back to school, but it also seemed that she was secretly distancing herself from him.

Hazel was in her own world and suddenly felt like she was a little unreasonable. She did dislike the Flores family and was unhappy about Caroline’s behavior, but it was nothing to do with Joshua.

Joshua was willing to be nice to the Flores family, which she certainly understood, and it was irrational that he refused to admit they were his family members because he had been abandoned.

Besides, Joshua was the person concerned, so wasn’t he more anxious than she was? She could not continue to make trouble for him at this time. Besides, Joshua could see her displeasure in a simple sentence, which naturally showed that he did care a lot about her.

“No.” She smiled as she shook her head. “I’m afraid you’re busy. I don’t mean anything else by it. Don’t overthink.”

His eyes twinkled. No matter whether Hazel had meant something else or not, she wouldn’t talk about it now.

“Get in,” he spoke quietly, “I’ll take you back.”

“Okay.” She didn’t say no this time.

They arrived at Quantum University’s gate, and Hazel was about to get out of the car when Joshua grabbed her arm.

“Hazel, I’m not very good at relationships, so I don’t know how to guess what a woman is thinking,” he said earnestly, his eyes soft. “If I’m not good enough to make you happy, let me know.”

Her heart softened as he still remembered the incident. She gave him a kiss on the cheek, smiled, and said, “I will.”

The kiss reassured Joshua a lot. The smile on his lips was gentler. “The school bell is still being held tomorrow night, isn’t it?”

“Yes!” She nodded heavily. “You must come!”

“Of course.” He smiled. “I’m looking forward to it.”

His phone rang immediately after Hazel left. It was Jaxson. Joshua answered the phone with anticipation.

“Jaxson, have you figured it out?” His fingers tapped on the steering wheel.

“Yes,” Jaxson said. “Mrs. Flores contacted an agency and found those women under the guise of finding a maid for you.”

“Who gave her the idea? Why is the agency so efficient? Is there anyone behind the scene?” Joshua asked, his eyes a little cold.

“This…” Jaxson was a bit embarrassed because he hadn’t really thought about these questions.

However, after Joshua reminded him, he also found it highly questionable. Even if Caroline could come up with an idea of planting people around Joshua, how could she know she should go to an agency? She had no idea how these things happened.

More coincidentally, she found the most suitable agency, and the agency found enough women in three days, which was even more questionable.

“I’ll investigate it now.” Jaxson hastened to say.

“Mm.” Joshua continued asking, frowning, “Have they done anything unusual these days?”

“No,” Jaxson replied. “The Flores couple are still shopping and spending money everywhere as usual. Henry spends his days drinking and going to bars…”

Joshua’s eyes turned a little colder as he listened to Jaxson’s report. He trusted his men. The Flores family’s behavior didn’t seem normal, but his men could not find more details.

Not finding things showed that other parties mean we’re smarter and more cautious. The other party was secretly contacting the Flores family right in front of them.

“Keep an eye on Henry,” Joshua said in a deep voice. “After he goes to the bar, find out who he meets and who he sits with!”

“I see!” Jaxson spoke at once.

When he hung up, Joshua’s eyes were darker. The opponent this time was really not simple because whoever it was, was obviously well-prepared. Furthermore, the person’s reason was difficult to determine, so he had to be more careful.

Quantum University’s anniversary was in the next few days. Hazel’s college prepared a maid’s café, the boys dressed as maids and the girls dressed as waiters. Hazel’s good looks got her a spot as one of the waiters.

Early in the morning, Ariel and Summer waited for Hazel to return to the dorm room. They had not yet seen her waiter outfit, so they were very looking forward to it.

Ariel called her several times urgently, but she didn’t answer the phone.

They were waiting anxiously when there was a knock on the door of their room.

“I’ll get the door.” Ariel ran to the door hurriedly, but as soon as she opened the door, she saw a bunch of red roses held by a handsome boy.

The boy leaned against the doorframe and gave the roses to Ariel with a smile curving his lips. “To you, my beloved fairy.”

Ariel’s face turned red instantly, but the next moment, she looked at the person in front of her in disbelief, “Ele, Hazel?”

Hazel was dressed respectably as a waiter, her long hair was tucked away in a beret, and she looked very handsome. If she hadn’t lived with Hazel for four years and she would have known her so well, she wouldn’t have recognized her so quickly.

“Yeah,” Hazel chuckled and walked in with the bouquet. “Where’s Summer? Hurry up and come with me to the classroom…”

Summer had just come out of the bathroom, and she was shocked to see Hazel. But before she could speak, she heard Ariel’s cry with grief and indignation, “Hazel Crowe!”

Ariel then rushed at Hazel, very annoyed. Hazel was startled and dodged before asking dazedly, “What’s wrong with you, Ariel?”

“Hazel, I hate you!” Ariel looked heart-stricken.

“Why?” Hazel was more confused.

“Why tease me if you can’t marry me?!” Ariel has clenched her teeth. “I, this fairy, have been moved, okay?!”

Hazel didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. She just had done it spur-of-the-moment, but she didn’t expect Ariel would take it seriously.

“Ha ha! You deserve it!” Summer looked at Hazel, gloating. “If you hadn’t come in and grinned cheekily, even I would have been fooled.”

“Does it look that real?” asked Hazel in surprise.

“Yes!” Ariel and Summer said in unison.

Then Summer threw a mirror at her and said, “Hazel, you just don’t know what you look like!”

 

Chapter 250: You Might Regret It

Hazel fussed over the mirror, looking intoxicated. “How can I be so handsome?! I am so mesmerized by myself!”

Summer and Ariel’s faces darkened instantly. They grabbed the mirror in her hand. The three of them laughed and joked for a while before going to the classroom.

When she got to the classroom, Hazel naturally caused a stir. Their gender-inverted maid’s cafe, as it were, attracted plenty of attention.

People were constantly coming and going.

Though many of the girls came to see the maids, most of them came to take photos with Hazel. Finally, the maids got so angry with Hazel that they asked her to work backstage.

Backstage, she just helped make coffee and was more relaxed. She took a break, and when she came back, she heard someone call to her, “Hazel, table eight is here for you!”

She was a little surprised. Who was looking for her?

When she went to Table 8, she was speechless. Derek was sitting at the table waiting for her.

Derek had not been around she began dating Joshua, so why did he want to see her now?

She spun around and was ready to leave as she didn’t want to speak to him. Before she could leave, though, Derek tugged on her sleeve, “Ele, Hazel?”

She was stuck and had to ask, “What do you need, guest?”

His eyes flashed with a touch of desire. “I need you…”

She moved her fingers a little and looked at him with a vague smile. “What did you say?”

“Uh…” Derek suddenly became a wuss as he was guilty. “I need you to sit down and talk with me for a while.”

She frowned. Derek was a guest now. She didn’t want to make a scene.

“About what?” She sat opposite him.

“That…” Derek’s eyes sparkled with surprise. “You look very handsome in the outfit.”

“I know that. You don’t have to remind me,” she said quietly.

He was helpless. He was complimenting Hazel. Why did Hazel consider it as a reminder? He didn’t expect Hazel would be so… narcissistic.

“Hazel Crowe,” he took a deep breath and said with some trepidation, “I’m single now…”

“I see,” she said indifferently, “but we don’t offer emotional chatting here. If you want to talk about it, go somewhere else.”

“I would like to invite you to be my partner!” He hastened to say as he reached out his hand a little anxiously to grasp her wrist.

Her eyes became cold, and she dodged quickly before she pressed his hand on the table with a backhand. “What gave you the courage to invite me to be your dancing partner? Did you think I would agree to it?”

He withdrew his hand in pain. He had been so anxious that he forgot that Hazel wasn’t easy-going at all.

His face became red instantly, and he said with shame and anger, “You would not be invited anyway! So, I am reluctant even to invite you; you are so pathetic. After all, you will be graduating soon, and I was just offering you a chance to show off.”

She was taken aback. She was really desperate to beat this guy, but this occasion wasn’t suitable for that. She took a deep breath and said, half grinning, “Alright, but I have a condition.”

“What is it?” He looked pleased immediately.

A smile curved her lips. “I’m going to wear this tonight, and I lack a female partner. You may wear a dress.”

“You…!” He was furious that Hazel asked him to wear a dress. She disagreed with his invitation, but she was obviously deceiving him.

He was flared up. “What are you so proud of, Hazel?! Do you think there’s someone wanting to invite you to dance since you had an affair with Joshua… that man? I don’t want you to be a laughing stock, that’s why I want to help you out! Don’t be so ungrateful!”

She understood suddenly. The gossip about her and Joshua had been talked about around school, but Joshua stated that there was no relationship at the press conference.

After that, although Vanessa had a fierce quarrel with her, she did not reveal her identity. Besides, Joshua acted quickly to delete all the news related to her online. In the eyes of her classmates, she just had an affair with Joshua and was “dumped.”

Considering her past “fame,” those who wanted to invite her, of course, had to wonder if they were going to be criticized or worshiped.

“Who says I can’t get a dancing partner?” Hazel’s mouth tilted slightly upward mockingly. Then she stood up suddenly and reached out her hand to a girl next to her like a gentleman. “Would you like to be my dancing partner for the evening, my pretty lady?”

“I would, I would!”

“Me, me!”

The cheeks of a few girls turned red as they scrambled to reply.

Mockingly, Hazel looked at Derek, whose face turned purple with anger. He let out a snort and left.

After he left, Hazel consoled the girls. Seeing that she was trying to hook up with others, a few boys consulted and kicked her out, not allowing her to stay even backstage.

Hazel wasn’t too worried about it; she went back to her dorm room to change her clothes, planning to walk around in the school.

But hardly had she walked out of the dorm room when a figure stopped her. “Hazel Crowe.”

Hazel couldn’t help but frown.

Was it a special day except for the school anniversary today? How did two men find her and bother her within an hour? It was Henry Flores standing in front of her. How did he find her at school?

“What do you want?” asked Hazel indifferently.

Henry said with an attitude that he thought was very handsome. “I hear it’s the anniversary of your school today. Show me around.”

Hazel’s lips twitched as she calmly walked past him. “I’m busy. Go yourself.”

“You’d better not say no. You might regret it.” He sneered. “I’ll show you something before you decide.”

She stopped in surprise. Did Henry mean to threaten her?

“Okay, let me see what you’re going to threaten me with.” She looked at him with a faint smile, her arms folded.

“You’re a smart, sensible woman.” He chuckled. He took out his phone and showed a few photos in front of her. “I was just walking around your school, and I found this very interesting scene. If I showed them to Joshua Denmark, do you think he would be angry?”

When her eyes fell on the photos, they turned a little darker.