Ch. 371..380

Chapter 371: If I Win, I Will Be At Your Disposal

“Oh?” Simon was somewhat surprised. “What do you want to play?”

“Play with the gun.” Hazel’s eyes deepened. She had an idea, but it was very risky. However, she really had no choice but to take a big risk.

“You are a girl. Why do you always think about touching such dangerous things? There is also a gun on my body. It is a fun but not dangerous gun. Do you want to try?”

Listening to his flirting, Hazel resisted the anger building in her heart. Taking a deep breath, she sneered, “Are you afraid?”

“Should I be afraid?” Simon became interested. “You tell me, and I will listen. I want to hear this fun idea you have in your little head.”

“We are going to gamble, who is luckier.” Hazel squinted. “But since it is a gamble, of course, there must be a prize. If I win, you promise not to hurt me, let me go. If I win, I will be at your disposal.”

“Interesting, how do you want to gamble?” Simon handsomely reached out, “You can choose any of these.”

“What do you mean by playing this? Besides, I am not stupid. Who knows if you will cheat?” Hazel looked indifferently across the casino and then said, “If you want to play, we can play something interesting.”

“Then you tell me, what do you want to play?” Simon was completely interested in Hazel’s proposal.

Hazel had her fists tightly by her side, she looked indifferently and said, “Prepare the revolver, only put one bullet inside, then we will take turns shooting at each other. If the bullet hits you, I win. If the bullet hits me, you win.”

Simon was silent for a long while. He admitted to himself that Hazel seemed always to surprise him, it was such a dangerous and exciting game for her to mention.

“You are thin, if you win, you will hurt me and leave. If you lose, I get a dead body?” Simon looked at her, “Sweetheart, your idea is good, but it is unfair that I lose whether I win or lose the game.”

Hazel’s fingers began to relax, she was afraid that when she suggested the idea, Simon would agree immediately. If he did, she would be risking her life, him not agreeing gave her the opportunity to initiate the game.

“It doesn’t have to be a real bullet, we can use an anesthetic bomb.” She proposed coldly.

Simon smiled even more strangely, Hazel would play games with him, so honestly? He always felt that it would not be that simple.

Although he had only met Hazel twice, he was still very confident about his judgment of people. Even though Hazel had a bit of personality, she was actually very simple. People like him who grew up in the dark world were totally different than her, but she was also a smart girl who could play tricks. He knew that since she had offered to play the game, she must have other plans.

“To tell the truth, I don’t want to be with you because we are not the same kind of people at all,” Hazel lifted her head and said firmly. “I can also understand that you won’t let me go before you are tired of me. So, I have to gamble for myself; I hope you don’t pull any tricks. If I really lose this time, then I will give up to escape.”

Looking at her sincere eyes, Simon suddenly found out that her request was really difficult to refuse.

“Well, I will ask someone to prepare our game.” He nodded. While they waited, they played some small games, Simon had it rigged so that Hazel would win almost every time.

He snorted twice. “Look, you are so lucky. If you continue to play like this, I am afraid that I will have to let you go.”

Hazel glanced at him silently, and she sneered. “I hope that for a while, you can make me lucky.”

Simon looked at her with a playful look, the girl really had some abilities, and she could see his little tricks.

After a few games, Simon took her to a luxury room that had a revolver and anesthetic bomb laying on the table.

Hazel reached for the revolver but was stopped by Simon.

“Let’s add some prizes, okay?” Simon smiled like a fox.

Hazel frowned, “What?”

Simon said with awkwardness, “We may not know until the last bullet, which it will hit. Before that, if I get through safely, you will take something off. If you get through a round safely, I will take off something. Okay?”

“Oh, do you think I want to watch you take off your clothes?” Hazel raised her eyebrows coldly. “Is it me who has the disadvantage?”

“That’s it, we don’t play,” Simon whispered, and he acted like a child.

“If I don’t, I play this game with you, isn’t it a loss? As long as I don’t play, you cannot run away. But, there is a 50% chance of losing you, who wants to play this kind of game?”

Hazel frowned. She does not want to agree with Simon’s request, but at this point, she didn’t want to upset the plan.

“I can promise you,” Hazel gritted. “But you have to promise me that I put the bulletin.”

Simon lifted his lips, he knew she clearly had other plans, and chuckled. “Isn’t this the kind of thing that a third person should do? Isn’t that fair?”

“They are your people. I don’t trust you, I have to install the bullet.” Seeing that Simon appeared to be thinking, Hazel suddenly smiled. “Simon, you won’t be afraid, will you? The pistol is yours, the bullet is yours, and the room is yours. What can I do? You still need to think about it?”

Although Hazel’s words were not extremely heavy, they did have a strong hint of ridicule.

“Well, this matter is up to you.” There was a bit of cold shining in Simon’s eyes. “However, for the sake of fairness, the first bullet was shot by me.”

“As you like.” Hazel shrugged indifferently.

Simon squinted. Hazel was deliberately antagonizing him, but he still only found her a little suspicious. He thought she would definitely do something to the bullet, but her attitude made him dismiss his thoughts. However, could she have some other trick?

Hazel has already picked up the revolver. She inserted the anesthetic bomb into the slot, and then she turned the wheel and closed the pistol.

“You are skillful.” Simon folded his arms and smiled.

“I only ever played with a simulated revolver,” Hazel said faintly. “There is no big difference between that and a real gun.”

After that, she calmly put the pistol on the table and pushed toward Simon.

 

Chapter 372: She Didn’t Want To Become His Enemy

The pistol slid across the smooth table, Simon reached out and picked it up.

Hazel took a deep breath and said, “Let’s get started.”

“Don’t be nervous, it is just anesthesia bombs.” Simon lifted his lips evilly. He picked up the pistol and calmly pointed it at Hazel. He snorted and said, “Although it is an anesthetic bomb, the thought of killing a loved one is upsetting.”

Hazel’s lips were twitching, she couldn’t believe that Simon would dare to say something like that. The gun was aimed at her, but he was not pulling the trigger. Hazel was getting more nervous as she sat there looking down the barrel of the gun.

“Sweetheart, you have to think about it,” Simon whispered with a tone of confusion. “If the first shot is an anesthetic bomb, then you will completely belong to me. Then you will not be allowed to think of other men; you will only have me in your life. I will love you very much. No matter your heart or your body, I can’t tolerate other men…”

After listening to his disgusting and nasty words, Hazel wanted to kill him, but she wanted to hurt him, but she couldn’t be impulsive. She didn’t want to become his enemy.

“Are you going to shoot or not?” Hazel interrupted him angrily. “If you don’t shoot, you give up your chance!”

“Sweetheart, it isn’t that I will not start,” Simon still had a careless smile. “I just want to give you some time to miss the past. After all, I am always lucky. You really aren’t worried?”

Hazel was definitely worried. Although she did perform some tricks, the simulation gun was not the same as a real gun, so she was not sure.

The reason Simon wasn’t shooting was to scare her and make her nervous. She didn’t want to be fooled, but she was a little scared that he would succeed if she weren’t lucky.

Hazel forced herself to take a deep breath and forced herself to calm down. She said provokingly, “It depends on whether you are lucky or not. Do you really want to give up?”

Simon laughed, moved his finger, and pulled the trigger. Hazel’s body trembled at the sound of the bang. She was thankful that it was a blank shot.

“That’s a pity,” Simon looked at the gun in his hand. “It isn’t too bad though, take off your clothes.”

Hazel looked stiff, and she bit her lip gently.

“Is it better to take off your underwear, sweetheart?” Simon smiled with anticipation, Hazel did not have much on, and he was looking forward to her taking her clothes off. He wanted her to surrender to him from the bottom of her heart.

Hazel was surprised by him though, she took her bracelet off her wrist.

“Sweetheart, are you really trying to play me?” Simon smiled slightly.

“I remember clearly,” Hazel snorted. “You said before, take off something. Wouldn’t this be considered something?”

Simon’s smile was a bit cold, he shook his head in disbelief. It was no wonder that Hazel promised so quickly, it turned out that she had a plan to fool him over and over again.

“Okay, I will let it go this time.” He put the pistol on the table but had no plans of pushing it toward her.

Hazel waited patiently but finally, she reached over to pick up the pistol, Simon grabbed her wrist.

“Sweetheart, why are you standing so far away?” Simon did not want to let go, “Closer, next time, I will help you take off your clothes.”

“Okay, then turn around so I can have my turn.” Hazel pointed the pistol at him.

“Why?” he was curious.

“Because I don’t want to see your face!” Her voice was suddenly cold.

“You are really a bad girl,” Simon said with a careless smile. He was about to continue, but Hazel suddenly pulled the trigger.

“Empty.” He was a little proud, but before he could take the pistol, his facial expression changed. He was trying to escape, but he was so close to Hazel that the anesthesia needle that was in the muzzle hit his neck.

“You…” Simon looked at her with shock. “You cheated…”

Hazel watched him fall slowly, and her face was full of anger that had been suppressed before. She raised her hand and slapped him forcefully across the face. Simon then fell onto the ground.

“Bastard!” Hazel was annoyed and kicked Simon in the leg. “You were going to force me to belong to you? I will paralyze you first! Tell me about a porn story, what gunplay? Don’t believe that I won’t leave you paralyzed!”

The gun was pointed at Simon’s lower abdomen, Hazel thought of shooting him while he was lying there.

Suddenly, Hazel looked up and looked at the mask Simon was wearing. She didn’t understand why he always wore it; she had never seen him take it off.

Hazel was curious and wanted to know what his face was like under the mask. She couldn’t stop herself from reaching out to take off the mask, but as soon she got close, Hazel pulled her hand back.

She thought about what she was doing, the most important thing was to escape. However, she also thought about what Simon looked like, then realized that what he looked like had nothing to do with her.

Thinking logically, Hazel decided it was best to leave, she stood up, kicked him a few times, and threw some objects from the table at his stomach. She felt a lot less angry as she snuck out of the room.

Before they had gone into the room, Hazel made Simon send his people away. He probably thought that since she was a woman, they may become intimate, so he agreed with her request.

Nobody was waiting outside of the room, but she still cautiously snuck out. She remembered the way to the casino, but it was entirely chaotic when she got there.

Numerous men and women were flustered, and a group of heavily armed soldiers rushed in. She looked around and saw Joshua standing in the middle of the soldiers. Hazel rubbed her eyes, she couldn’t believe that he was there.

Just as she was about to go over to him, a soldier pointed a gun at her and shouted, “Stay still!”

Joshua pushed past the soldier and took Hazel in his arms.

 

 

Chapter 373: Who Was It?

“Hazel…” Joshua looked relieved.

“Joshua,” Hazel was both happy and curious. “How did you find me?”

After all, she got into Simon’s car and then was forcefully taken to the casino.

She knew that it was a difficult situation, so she was curious about how he had figured things out. Hazel had realized that Joshua had told her before, even in Country F, he could protect her.

“The bodyguard said that he saw you were sitting in someone’s car,” Joshua said. “Although I couldn’t find out where the car went, I followed the path of all the gun battles.”

He had found out that the gun battles were related to Simon, he didn’t know if Hazel was there, but he still didn’t give up because he couldn’t take the chance. He didn’t want to miss the opportunity to save Hazel, so he tracked Simon to the casino.

Hazel listened to his story, she felt dizzy, and it all seemed unclear, but one thing she understood was that Joshua was stronger than she thought.

“Mr. Denmark,” a military officer walked over to him. “Since you found your wife, can we leave?”

“General Martin, are you afraid of Simon?” Joshua said.

“This…” General Martin looked somewhat embarrassed.

It was as if Joshua guessed what he was thinking, he said, “General Martin, I understand your concerns. The power behind Simon is strong, you don’t want to provoke him, but he has now expanded his power to Country F. If you don’t kill him before he becomes stronger. If he does get stronger, you won’t be able to touch me!”

General Martin changed his expression and then waved his hand. A group of troops marched toward the casino. The General and Joshua exchanged words in another language, Hazel didn’t understand and was confused. She heard Simon’s name occasionally but could not figure out anything else, she wondered if it was possible that Joshua really knew Simon.

“Hazel, let’s go, I will take you back to the hotel.” Joshua took her by the shoulders. She heard a fight starting behind her, and she understood that Joshua did not want her to see it, so she agreed and walked out.

After she got into Joshua’s car, Hazel gently leaned in his arms, it felt so unreal. It was only moments before that she was fighting with a man who wanted to take her away, then suddenly she was in Joshua’s arms and not afraid of anything.

“Joshua…” Hazel bit his lip gently. “You haven’t asked me what happened?”

“Hazel, if you want to say, I will listen.” Joshua whispered, “If you don’t want to say, I won’t ask.”

Even though he hadn’t had any contact with Simon, he knew a little about him. Simon was a very heart-wrenching man who would not save a strange woman for no reason. Since he found Hazel at the casino, it was evident that Simon was the person she had met. The only reason Simon would save her was that he had a purpose for her.

Given the details of the situation, he understood that there might be things that Hazel wouldn’t be able to talk about, and if he rushed to ask questions, it could hurt her more.

Hazel’s heartfelt warmth, Joshua was kind and gentle with a delicate heart, even if he looked distant most of the time.

“I was being chased, so I jumped into a car. Simon was the one driving…” Hazel quietly told Joshua what happened. She didn’t really want to tell him, but it was obvious that it would become a deep fear in her heart if she didn’t tell him. She slowly told Joshua everything except the details about Simon flirting with her.

“Hazel, sorry, this time, I was really careless,” Joshua whispered. His original thought was that bringing Hazel with him was the safest thing. He did not expect that the people wanting to kill Hazel would follow them.

“Who is trying to kill me?” Hazel muttered. “They are really persistent.”

“I don’t know who they are,” Joshua explained. “It’s a small local gang that someone hired through anonymous emails and untraceable bank accounts to kill you.”

“Who was it?” Hazel frowned.

“I haven’t found it out yet,” Joshua whispered. “Just checked, the IP was domestic, and I have to check it again.”

Hazel smiled bitterly. Even if she went to another country, the people trying to kill her would not give up.

Hazel looked out the window, filled with sorrow. “This is not the way back to the hotel.”

“No, it isn’t,” Joshua said. “The hotel is not safe. Since they are prepared to attack you, we need to move to a safer place.”

Hazel snorted, she didn’t really care where she saved, but when they arrived, she was shocked.

They were stopped in front of a beautiful European-style castle. She was shocked that they were at a castle but more shocked at the number of security guards. She hadn’t even stepped out of the car, but she felt the overwhelming sense of security.

“This is too much…” Hazel’s lips were twitching.

“This is all related to your safety. I want to do more.” Joshua sighed.

Hazel was completely speechless. Suddenly, she seemed to think of something, and she asked, “Is it because of Simon? Is he very powerful?”

As soon as she spoke, Hazel bites her lip with some annoyance. She should have thought before she said it, Joshua must not like him, and she just blurted it out.

Joshua squinted and touched Hazel’s hair. “He is indeed quite powerful. However, his power in this country has just taken root, and he is not yet as powerful as me in all aspects.”

Hazel wondered what aspects Joshua was talking about. It was obvious that he was jealous.

“What about him now?” Hazel then asked. After asking, her face became pale. She suddenly felt that she was not making wise decisions, how could she make such a low-level mistake? Asking Joshua all kinds of questions would only lead to his misunderstanding and becoming jealous.

“I don’t have any other reason to ask, other than being curious…not really curious, I just want to know…Oh, I don’t know how to say it.” Hazel was upset. She was obviously trying to explain, but her explanation only made the misunderstanding worse.

 

Chapter 374: Our Plans Will Not Change At All

“Simon was taken away by his men,” Joshua said. He was trying to use General Martin and his team to kill Simon, but the latest update was that they did not catch him.

Joshua was very aware of the situation, it was clear that General Martin did not want to anger him. After all, catching him or killing him would only make things worse.

Once the two sides became engaged in combat, they would be complete enemies. Soon, Simon’s army should be defeated by the local forces, and even if Simon were that powerful, it would not be easy against a national force.

There was also a selfish motive, Joshua wanted to teach him a lesson because he wanted to do something to Hazel. She was the person he treasured more than anyone, and if someone wanted to approach her, she must go through him first.

“What else do you want to ask?” Joshua asked

“Nothing…” Hazel hurried to say. She dared not ask anything further because she didn’t want to seem like she was looking for trouble. She quickly promised, “I will not leave this castle until we return to our own country!”

Joshua looked at her with some helplessness, then he whispered, “You will be with me for the rest of the trip. Our plans will not change at all. I don’t want our trip to be uninteresting.”

Hazel tried not to frown, but she really didn’t feel that the trip to Country F was boring. She would be happier and would prefer to stay at the castle all day.

“Hazel, I am relieved when you are with me,” Joshua said softly.

“Well…” Hazel felt warm and agreed.

After Hazel had dinner, she went to take a shower and get ready for bed. She had an eventful day and just wanted to go to bed, but just as she started to fall asleep, she saw Joshua walk in.

“What are you doing?” Hazel looked at him with awkwardness.

“I think you might need another pillow.” He smiled. “So I came to give you one.”

“Where is it?” Hazel asked awkwardly. Suddenly, she looked at Joshua standing in front of her and said silently, “Would it happen to be you?”

“Don’t like it?” Joshua was a little disappointed.

As soon as he saw his expression, Hazel felt uneasy as if she had done something evil. So, she didn’t refuse him.

“I like it,” she said quickly, but she regretted it when she finished her words.

Joshua had already walked in. Hazel’s cheeks were red, and she hid under her quilt shyly.

It wasn’t the first time she slept with Joshua. Although they haven’t had intercourse yet, they sometimes go a little too far. She thought to herself, there is no way Joshua would want me to do something tonight, would he?

The bed sank around him as he laid down by Hazel’s side. She was afraid and stared at the ceiling, his hand gently wrapped around her waist.

“Hazel, sleep.” He whispered.

Hazel looked up and then looked at him with awkwardness. If it were before, Joshua would never be so obedient.

“What do you want me to do to you?” He chuckled.

“Nothing!” Hazel’s cheeks were red. She quickly turned over and put her back to him. Joshua smiled a little and leaned so close to her that Hazel could feel his heart beating against her. Her heart began beating faster.

“Don’t be afraid.” He whispered in her ear.

Hazel trembled. It turned out that Joshua was staying with her just because he was worried that she would be afraid during the night? It was true, what had happened would probably give her nightmares but having Joshua with her made her feel better.

She rolled over, and she gently kissed Joshua’s lips. Hazel was tempting Joshua and rarely ever took the initiative, but her lips twirled gently on his. He was trying to kiss her back, but Hazel suddenly crawled on top of him and started kissing down lower on his body.

“Hazel, don’t play.” Joshua grabbed her waist and swiftly flipped her over so that she was under him. His eyes flashed with dark and complex light. “You always leave me feeling that your graduation is so far away.”

“It is far away,” Hazel’s cheek blushed, “only less than a month left!”

“But it feels like a year or more to me!” Joshua sighed. The day Hazel graduated was going to be his day of relief, so he counted down every day, hoping that she would graduate sooner.

Besides, at this point, how could he not worry when there is another man who wanted to touch Hazel?

“Okay, okay, I am sleeping.” Hazel smiled lightly. The initiative to kiss Joshua was because of love. He took the initiative to accompany her when she was most afraid, but he did nothing because he knew what she needed.

It’s wasn’t just that she couldn’t have sex with him until she graduated. It was a little regret, but it was a commitment that they had made. Hazel cuddled into Joshua’s chest and closed her eyes. He gently kissed her forehead and closed his eyes.

They lay in bed, happy and in love, but what they didn’t know was that outside of the castle, there was a Ferrari on a dark corner.

Simon sat in his car with a telescope and watched the castle.

“My sweetheart’s room is there?” Simon pointed at a window.

“Yes, Master.” The person beside him said in a hurry.

“Security is quite strict,” said Simon, “It seems that Joshua really loves my sweetheart.”

“Young Master, let’s go quickly,” the people with him seemed to be a little anxious.

“Joshua is tough to deal with. It would be okay if we were in our country, but in Country F, we are not his opponent! She is just a woman, young master, there are other women around you…”

“Chester, what do you know?” Simon said with dissatisfaction, “How can those women be sweethearts? After all, she is the first woman who has repeatedly made me suffer!” He muttered through clenched teeth.

He had, in fact, guarded himself against Hazel, but she still missed him. When he saw her taking the initiative to insert the bullets, he thought that Hazel was doing something with the bullets. However, he didn’t expect that the girl would not follow through with common courtesy and completely ignored the rules to cheat.

Hazel’s way of thinking was not the same as most people’s. It even seemed that her escape was completely outside of the rules, Simon didn’t give her enough credit.

When he woke up, his people had a video that was taken of the room, and seeing that Hazel had beaten him, made him love her and hate her at the same time.

He had never been so embarrassed. He must make her complete surrender to him!

 

Chapter 375: An Email

“However, no matter how different she may be, she is with Joshua Denmark.” Chester Hill advised, “Young master, because of Joshua, both the illegal and legal forces in Country F are encircling us. Let’s just leave Country F soon, or we will really get caught.”

“You are saying that I can’t compare it to Joshua?” Simon’s smile was frozen.

“I, I…” There was sweat trickling down Chester’s forehead, and he hurried to say, “I just said that it would be very difficult to take his woman.”

“You are quite right.” Simon said, “It is tough to rescue my sweetheart out of this protection. But… we can persuade her.”

“Persuade?” Chester was a little worried. It was the first time he saw Simon paying so much attention to a woman.

Simon picked up the telescope and looked at Hazel’s window again. When he saw that the light in her room was off, his face became ugly. He impatiently slammed the telescope across Chester’s stomach and yelled, “Let’s go! Now!”

Hearing his impatience, Chester stepped on the gas and sped away.

***

Most of the time, whenever Joshua left the castle, he took Hazel with him. They were thankful that nothing further happened, and as the trip was coming to an end, Hazel felt she could relax more.

Joshua’s business was almost done, so he had more free time. He took Hazel to dinner at a fancy restaurant with a view of the entire city.

Hazel was looking out the window when Joshua suddenly said, “Hazel, where do you want to go?”

“Huh?” she replied. He caught her completely off guard.

“My business here is done.” Joshua said faintly, “I can take you out to do whatever you like.”

She didn’t have any interest in Country F, she was eager to return home. At least, after returning home, there would be no need to worry about encountering something or a creepy somebody.”

Hazel said directly, “There is nothing fun here. If the things on your side are completed, then let’s go back home early.”

Joshua frowned when he realized that Hazel really didn’t seem to care for Country F. However, he smiled when he was about going home sooner than they had planned, it would be much easier to guarantee Hazel’s safety.

“Okay.” Joshua nodded. “I will arrange it. We will go back tomorrow.”

“Alright.” Hazel breathed a sigh of relief.

After dinner, they sat and enjoyed the scenery. Hazel took out her phone to take some pictures of the beautiful landscape when she saw an email notification.

She opened the email, shook her head, and frowned.

“What’s wrong?” Joshua asked softly.

“Look at this email.” Hazel handed the phone to him.

The email sent to Hazel was from a woman who claimed to be a friend of her biological mother. The woman attached a group photo that was taken at Cate’s high school graduation.

The woman said in the email that she was currently living in Country F, that she had seen Hazel there and felt a sense of familiarity. She had contacted Sunny, who told her that she might have encountered the daughter of Marcus and Cate Denmark.

She also found out about Hazel’s current situation, so she wanted to see her and tell her some old memories that might help to ease her mind. She received Hazel’s email and phone number from Sunny but felt that calling might be too abrupt, so she sent an email first. She was hoping to spend some time with Hazel before she left.

“Do you think this is true?” Hazel looked at Joshua with anticipation.

“I can’t see anything abnormal.” Joshua frowned slightly. “There is nothing wrong with the content of the mail. However, she managed to get your email without much effort, which doesn’t seem right.”

Hazel was still confused about the entire matter with the Denmark family. Although Joshua had repeatedly told her that she was Marcus and Cate’s daughter, she was still not confident since Mandy had the same birthmark.

If there was someone who could give her information about the past, Hazel did not want to miss out on the opportunity to meet with her. However, Joshua did have a point, it was indeed a strange situation.

“Shall we confirm her identity?” Hazel asked.

“Hazel, do you really want to see her?” Joshua looked at her strangely.

“… Yes.” Taking a deep breath, Hazel finally said truthfully.

Joshua’s eyes went dark, his fingers tapped gently on the table.

Hazel recognized his little quirks, she knew that he was hesitant. So, she thought for a moment and said, “The email clearly said that she got my email address from Aunt Sunny. Could we call her to confirm this lady is authentic?”

Joshua looked at Hazel quietly and asked, “You want to see her just because you want to confirm what happened in the past, right?”

“Yeah!” Hazel nodded hard.

“Alright.” Joshua said, “After confirming her identity, I will go see her for you.”

“Ah?” Hazel looked at him in confusion.

“Hazel, in this case, we should be cautious.” Joshua said calmly, “We don’t know whether or not it is a trap, right? I am going to get the information for you. You can stay at the castle and wait for me. When I get back, we will leave, okay?”

“Okay…” Hazel finally nodded. She knew Joshua was only worried about her safety.

Joshua contacted Sunny knowing that Cate did have a friend who settled in Country F, and she did confirm that the woman had contacted her.

After Joshua and Hazel discussed everything, they decided to follow the original plan and leave Country F the next day. But before leaving, Joshua would go to see the woman who claimed to be a friend of Cate’s. Since her identity was confirmed, Hazel called the woman at the number she left in the email and arranged the meeting.

When the appointed time arrived, Joshua left Hazel at the castle and met Cate’s friend. He took very few bodyguards with him, leaving most behind to protect Hazel. She was upset but could not argue with Joshua because he would not listen no matter what.

 

Chapter 376: You Can’t Run Away From Me

Hazel began to get worried when Joshua was gone for a long period of time. She took out her phone, debating on if she should call him or not, when a bodyguard rushed in and yelled, “Miss Crowe, it’s not good!”

She suddenly dropped her phone and quickly asked, “What’s wrong?”

“It was a trap!” the bodyguard said anxiously, “The president was ambushed on the road!”

“What?” Hazel asked in a panic. “What about Joshua? How is he?”

“The president only sent back a message for us to get you out of Country F, as according to the original plan. After that, we lost contact with them.” He said and lowered his head.

Hazel looked annoyed. “Do you mean I am supposed to leave while he is in danger?”

“You, you can rest assured that the president will be fine. He will be able to return home to meet you.” The bodyguard said.

Hazel felt even more annoyed. How could she leave when Joshua was in a dangerous situation?

She picked up her phone off the floor and quickly dialed Joshua’s number. There was no way she was going to agree with him, but no one answered his phone.

Her heart felt even heavier. The situation that Joshua was in was so bad that he didn’t even have time to answer the phone.

Hazel sighed, “Since Joshua is not here, you all need to listen to me! You need to gather everyone right now and go to save Joshua immediately.”

“But we were told to stay and protect you…” The bodyguard said in shame, “The president will be angry if he finds out.”

“Don’t worry, I will take the blame for everything!” Hazel said.

“What about you?” asked the bodyguard.

After pondering for a while, Hazel said, “You can leave a few people behind to protect me. I want to stay here and wait for Joshua to come back.”

Before the bodyguard had a chance to object, Hazel continued, “Since they can push Joshua to the point of losing contact, they must have sent a lot of people. So, they will likely not have enough people left to come after me. Therefore, I should be safe. Just do what I said!”

The bodyguard had no choice but to agree. He gathered more guards and left the castle.

Hazel saw them leaving, but she was still flustered. She never expected it to be a trap, so she was blaming herself. If she hadn’t insisted on going to see Cate’s friend, then she and Joshua would be on their way home. Instead, he was in danger because of her.

She tried numerous times to reach Joshua again, but no one ever answered. Her heart was full of guilt and blame. Hoping to clear her mind some, she went to the garden.

It was a beautiful garden, but Hazel was not in the mood to appreciate it. She sat down on a bench and looked around. The bushes beside her started moving, she assumed it was a rabbit or something, but a familiar figure appeared.

She saw him from behind, but he was tall, had perfect posture, and gave the aura of natural extravagance, just like Joshua. Hazel almost shouted to him, but she stopped when she realized that it was not Joshua.

There was no way that Joshua could be there, and if it was not him, then there was only one possibility. Hazel jumped up and began to run without any hesitation. The man heard her and turned around, and he was wearing a demonic mask. The sun gave it an even more evil appearance.

“Sweetheart, you can’t run away from me,” Simon said mockingly. He started to chase her like a cat chasing its prey.

Several people jumped out of the bushes in front of her. She was forced to stop, and there was no way to escape. She was surrounded from every side.

Hazel glared. It was indeed a trap. However, it was a trap for her, not Joshua.

Looking around again for a means of escape, she did not see any other option, so she pulled out the gun she had in her pocket. She took the gun and pointed at Simon.

“Nobody moves!” Hazel gritted. She shot at the ground by Simon’s feet, “Otherwise, I will start killing!”

Inside the castle, she didn’t carry the gun, but when she decided to go outside, her anxiety got her best, so she took it with her. She was glad that she did take it and hoped that Simon’s men would step back when they heard the gunfire.

“Sweetheart, why are you carrying such a dangerous thing again?” Simon’s face was smiling with carelessness. It seemed that he was not afraid of the gun in her hand at all. “You are a girl, and you should take something more girly with you.”

Hazel’s eyes narrowed. “Do you think I won’t shoot you?”

“Sweetheart, being a murderer is not that fun,” Simon said, still smiling with a playful smile. “And, you better kill me with one shot. If I am just injured, I promise you I will kill everyone here! You know I will do it!”

Hazel’s fingers trembled. She had seen Simon killing people without hesitation.

“Sweetheart, I will give you two choices.” Simon said, “First, drop the gun and go with me. I promise not to hurt anyone here. Second, you kill or injure me, and I will kill the people here and take you away. Which one do you choose?”

Hazel had never thought someone would force her to make this kind of decision. She didn’t want to go with Simon, but at the same time, her conscience would not allow others to be hurt because of her.

“Can I trust you?” Hazel bit her lip and whispered.

“Of course, I am a serious person. Besides,” Simon looked at her and continued, “You have other choices except to believe me?”

She knew he was right, she sent most of Joshua’s bodyguards to save him, and those that were still at the castle would not be able to stop Simon and his gang on their own.

 

Chapter 377: I Will Make You Learn To Obey

Simon approached Hazel slowly, and he took the gun from Hazel’s hand. She tried to hold on to it, but there was nothing she could do. She let go of it and put her head down.

“Let’s go, sweetheart.” Simon reached out to touch her, but Hazel pushed him away in disgust.

“I can walk by myself,” Hazel said coldly.

Simon snorted, and without hesitation, he grabbed her arm, then picked her up in his arms.

“You…!” Hazel glared at him, “Let me down!”

“Hey, be smart. If you struggle like this, you may cause my body to react involuntarily.” Simon’s eyes looked like they were burning with desire.

Hazel stopped struggling. She saw that he could not hide his desire for her and even suspected that Simon would do worse if she fought him anymore.

Out of nowhere, Hazel pushed him, and he was caught off guard. His grip on Hazel loosened, and she fell to the ground. When she hit the ground, she rolled to the flowerbed near them. The gardener had watered them earlier in the day, but the soil was still wet, so she was covered in mud.

“What are you doing?” Simon’s face was dark, his eyes were full of hatred.

“You didn’t hold me tight, and I fell. Now you are blaming me?” Hazel stood up and looked at the mud on her clothes and hands with satisfaction. In any case, she would not admit she deliberately fell.

“Sweetheart, I like girls who are more obedient.” Simon’s smile was a little cold.

“I understand that. So, why don’t you buy a sex doll?” Hazel snorted back without fear. “This is who I am. If you don’t like me, then don’t prance around me.”

Simon’s smile became even colder as he stepped closer to Hazel. His presence had a demonic feel to it, Hazel unconsciously stepped back.

“Sweetheart, rest assured.” Simon took out a handkerchief and wrapped his fingers, and then lifted Hazel’s chin, “I will make you learn to obey.”

Looking at the coldness in his eyes, Hazel was horrified. The next moment, Simon threw away his handkerchief and said to his men, “Take her away!”

Hazel was taken to the car by Simon’s men. He wouldn’t even get in the same car as Hazel, which made her feel a little at ease and led her to believe that his germaphobia was more severe than she had thought.

They had blindfolded Hazel as soon as they got in the car, so she had no idea where she was taken. After what seemed like hours of driving, the car stopped, and she was pulled out of it. Once they removed the blindfold, Hazel saw that she was at the hotel and standing in a luxurious bedroom.

She looked out the window for a landmark or something she could recognize, but all she could see were tall buildings that all looked alike.

“Where are we?” Hazel asked blankly.

Simon was sitting on the big bed in the center of the bedroom. He just glared at the dirty clothes Hazel had on with disgust.

“You, go help her wash!” Simon told one of the servants.

“No, I have to do it myself!” Hazel moved back one step.

“Sweetheart, do you think you have a choice?” Simon stood up from the bed. He looked at Hazel with a bit of anticipation. “When you are clean, I will come back. At that time, we can have an in-depth exchange!”

Then he left, slamming the door behind him.

Hazel looked at the door and clenched her teeth as she was pulled into the bathroom. There was more than one servant in the bathroom with her, and it was apparent that they knew what Simon liked and disliked. They stripped her down and washed every inch of her body.

After they dried her off, they forced her to put on a pair of sheer, sexy pajamas and did her make-up. Her heart was full of sadness and frustration when she thought that she might actually lose her virginity to Simon. She knew she could not blame it on herself, but she was really hoping that she would have her first time with Joshua.

She hated the fact that she would be forced by a man she didn’t like but didn’t see any other option. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the maid unscrewing the mascara, an idea came to Hazel.

Hazel quickly grabbed the mascara and rubbed it all over her face. The servants were in shock and couldn’t move for a moment when they finally tried to stop her and wash her face, it was too late. She had already smeared eyeliner all over her body.

“What happened?” Simon, who had heard all of the commotions from another room, walked in with a poker face.

A trembling servant stepped forward and explained what had happened.

Simon looked at Hazel and shook his head. She was nothing but a little girl who was nothing but a jinx to him, he thought. Her face was covered with make-up, and her body was dirty again. It looked as if she had body paint all over her. She didn’t even appeal to him while she was wearing the sexy pajamas he had chosen just for her.

“Sweetheart, help me by cleaning up that mess on your body. Otherwise,” Simon suddenly took out a gun and pointed it at the servant standing close to him. He sneered, “It appears that she did not serve you well. So, her purpose in the world has run out!”

“Young Master, please forgive me!” The maid was stunned and begging for her life.

Hazel’s pupils suddenly shrank. “You threaten me?!”

“It’s good you notice that.” Simon slyly laughed, “Sweetheart, you will be well educated in my hands.”

Hazel took a deep breath and suppressed her anger. She turned her head and looked out the window. The sun was still high in the sky, just like when they arrived. It gave her hope that she might be able to do something.

“Suit yourself,” Hazel said indifferently. “You can do whatever you want to the people you have hired. However, you should stop dreaming if you think you can use her to threaten me!”

“You are not afraid that I will kill her?” Simon looked uncomfortable.

“Simon, do you think I am a goddess of some kind?” Hazel sneered, “I was coerced by you before just because there were some people in the castle who are with Joshua. I have feelings for them, so I care about their lives. But your servants…”

Hazel looked around and glanced at the servants around her. She smiled and said, “These are your people. Do you think I care about their lives? If any of them is dead, that’s because they have been serving a tyrant! And you will be the villain to take the blame! I hate you so much. Do you think I will blame myself for your crime?”

Chapter 378: I Think I Will Never Let You Go Now

Simon looked at Hazel strangely. She sat there looking indifferently, but he could see the sarcasm. No matter how much he planned, she was always able to surprise him.

Even though he was severely germaphobic, and when he saw her messily painted face, he still thought that she was inexplicably beautiful.

“Okay, you won.” Simon raised his lips again. “But sweetheart, I seem to be loving you more and more. I think I will never let you go now!”

Hazel pursed her lips to keep herself from saying anything more. In the face of Simon’s repeated threats, compromise would not work to solve the problem. From her experiences with Simon, she believed it would only encourage him more. If she really wanted to save the servants’ lives, she had to convince Simon that she did not care about them at all.

Hazel snorted and turned to look out the window again. Suddenly, she frowned slightly as she had a feeling that there was something wrong outside of the window, but she could not figure out what it was.

Seeing that she still did not react, Simon put away the gun. He said coldly to the maid, “This time, I will spare your life, but there is another punishment waiting for you.”

Simon’s action really made Hazel feel sick.

“Simon, let’s talk.” Hazel was disappointed and turned to look at him. “I want to figure out something.”

“If you wash your body, I will talk to you.” Simon twitched his lips.

“Get lost!” Hazel said impatiently.

“Sweetheart, you are so beautiful when you get angry.” Simon teased.

Hazel was really disgusted by him. She put the eyeliner down and said coldly, “Why don’t you just get lost?!”

“If I get lost, how can I talk to you?” Simon waved, and the servants left the room one by one. Then Simon asked, “Sweetheart, why don’t we talk in bed?”

Hazel ignored Simon’s teasing and asked, “Where are we?”

“Country F,” Simon said with a smile.

“A Hotel in Country F?” Hazel glanced at the tall buildings outside the window. Suddenly, her face changed, and she hurried to the window and reached out to touch it.

“No! This window is fake!” Hazel suddenly realized why she had a feeling that something was wrong.

Since she had entered the room, the scenery outside of the windows had not changed even slightly. She was only a little surprised when she found out that it was a projection.

“Sweetheart, you are really smart.” Simon was amazed by Hazel’s intelligence, which was far beyond his expectations, “We are on board of a ship now.”

“Onboard?!” Hazel suddenly panicked. “But you said we are in Country F?”

“The ship has not yet reached the high seas. Of course, we are still in Country F.” Simon explained to her with a good temper.

Hazel was a little crazy, “Why am I on a ship?!”

“Joshua has limited all traffic on land and in the air. What can I do besides take to the sea?” Simon shrugged.

Hazel was stunned. Country F was a nation surrounded by the sea, but she did not expect to travel by ship. She hung her head in despair and wondered that if she hadn’t thought of it, would Joshua?

She always had the impression that even if she were taken away by Simon, Joshua would find her and save her. However, her confidence was shaken.

Looking at Hazel’s sorrowful look, Simon was rather displeased. “Sweetheart, don’t think of other men in front of me!” Simon stepped forward and put his hand on the table beside Hazel.

“Go away!” Hazel grabbed the foundation that was on the desk, her face was full of anger. Seeing that she was about splashing him with it, Simon stepped back.

“You, dirty little kitten!” he said through his teeth. He knew that she was angry and could almost feel her panic and despair. He glared at her wickedly.

“Let me guess? You want to ask me if the email you received has anything to do with me?” Simon said smugly. He relaxed his face, “Of course, it was me behind it. You are so cute, and Joshua is so…Hey, so I thoroughly investigated you, and I learned the backgrounds of both you and Joshua. It is like a soap opera. After that, I planned the email plot.”

Hazel’s expression changed. Even though she had assumed it all along, it still pained her to hear Simon say it. If she hadn’t been determined to reveal the truth of her birth, then maybe all of this wouldn’t have happened.

“You really don’t have to blame yourself. Your mother’s friend really does exist. We forced her to contact you. If not, how would I have got you to take the bait?” Simon continued, “And I guess that as long you wanted to go, Joshua couldn’t stop you. I originally wanted to lure you out and then kidnap you, but when Joshua showed up at the meeting instead of you, I needed to come up with a new plan. Fortunately, Joshua did not have many people with him, and he didn’t know that I had an undercover man with him…”

“Undercover?” Hazel looked at him in shock. It all began to make sense. It was probably his undercover man that was blocking contact with Joshua.

“What’s new here?” Simon snorted. “After all, not everyone in Country F is working for Joshua. My men snuck into the castle so easily also because I bought the castle’s maid. Sweetheart, in this world, everyone has a price.”

“Since you disrupted my original plan, I had to think quickly. I left a lot of people fighting with Joshua, then I went to the castle personally. I assumed you would send everyone to help Joshua. I wished that you would do that, but at the same time, I didn’t want you to. Do you understand why?”

Hazel bit her lip tightly, and she stared at him with red eyes. “How do I know what you think?”

Simon smiled slightly, his eyes darkened. “If you sent your men out, I would have a chance to take you away. However, if you really did send them out, it would mean that Joshua is significant to you. I am very upset about that.”

 

Chapter 379: Did Joshua Really Have No Way To Save Her?

When Hazel heard what Simon said, she bit her lip. She thought that the attackers were looking for Joshua and never suspected that their target was her. She wished she would have thought of it soon, and then things would have been different.

Simon approached her and reached out to lift her chin. However, when he looked at Hazel’s painted face, he frowned and pulled his hand back.

“Sweetheart, I tell you all this because I want you to understand, I am better than Joshua. If you have been expecting him to save you, you can forget it.”

Simon looked at her in a condescending manner. “I don’t mind the past between you and Joshua. However, since you are with me now, please forget him. You have two choices now, be with me happily, or be with me reluctantly. You are smart. I believe you know the best choice.”

Hazel glared at him, Simon looked at her again and said, “You have half an hour to clean yourself, then I will come back to you. Rest assured, I will show you a great night.”

After telling Hazel her options, Simon immediately left. Looking at the empty room, Hazel gradually calmed down.

Simon was holding her captive, and self-blame would not help her in any way. She had to figure out how she could turn the situation around. Simon had captured her because he was interested in her and presumably because he also wanted to take revenge on Joshua for the encounter between them.

Did Joshua really have no way to save her?

Hazel took a deep breath and began to think about everything thoroughly. After Simon kidnapped her, he took her directly to the ship, and according to him, they were leaving Country F by way of ship. It only made sense that if he took her to the ship immediately and they did not hesitate to leave that he really was afraid of Joshua.

If that were the case, Joshua would definitely find a way to come after them when he found out she was missing. Of course, that was only based on the premise that Joshua knew where she was, so she had to find a way to contact Joshua and protect herself.

But what could she do? Hazel looked all around and suddenly had an idea.

***

Simon was not in a good mood after his undercover man was discovered and Joshua found out where he was. Joshua had a lot of people searching the water for them. Even though he hadn’t confronted Joshua personally, he knew that he was a bad-ass opponent.

He may have kidnapped Hazel, but Joshua was coming after them, and he could not even guess what was lying ahead. He smiled as he thought of Hazel, he decided it was time to go back to her.

The door of her room has cracked opened. When Simon saw that she left her door open for him, he smirked and twitched his lips. Joshua may have been resourceful, but he had won in regards to Hazel, she presumably left it open because she was ready to accept him.

A warm feeling swept over him when he thought of the fact that he had taken away Joshua’s love. Simon stepped forward and pushed open the door without hesitation.

“Sweetheart…”

Before he could finish his words, something fell on his head. Simon quickly jumped out of the way, but it was too late. There was some kind of liquid all over his body.

“What is this?” Simon demanded through his clenched teeth. He was totally caught off guard.

How could he forget that Hazel was not an ordinary woman?

“It’s nothing.” Hazel’s face put on a naughty smile. She explained it very kindly, “I just put all the cosmetics in the water and made a bucket of some strange solution.”

Simon looked down at his clothes, which were dyed with the colorful cosmetics, and became angrier. He knew that Hazel had pulled the prank to avoid him approaching her.

He sneered and strode in. “Sweetheart, do you think that this will stop me?”

“Oh, I forgot to tell you…” Hazel said as she watched Simon walking toward her with lust in his eyes. Hazel blinked and, with no fear at all in her voice, said, “The water that the cosmetics were mixed in was taken out of the toilet.”

Simon froze and went pale. Hazel was a bad-ass opponent. She found a way to disgust him and used his germaphobia against him again.

“Just you wait!” Simon snarled his teeth and then rushed out like he was being chased.

Hazel let out a deep sigh of relief. She had bought herself some more time. Simon would need to take at least one shower and spend a long time cleaning himself. She was temporarily safe but still didn’t stay in the room.

No matter how many fairy tales she heard as a child, Hazel never understands why the princess would wait to be rescued. She was not going to wait for the prince to save her. She was going to find a way to save herself.

Her reflection in the mirror showed that her body was dirty, but she refused to clean the cosmetics off. She opened the closet and put on a white dress before she left the room.

Chester and his men were blocking the door. As he saw Hazel coming out, he hurriedly stopped her, “Miss Crowe, please go back to the room.”

“I just want to look around and get something to eat.” Hazel looked at him with amazement, “Isn’t that okay? Or have I been imprisoned?”

Chester looked a bit embarrassed. Hazel went on, “I won’t run. If you don’t believe me, you can arrange for someone to follow me.”

Chester thought about it and finally agreed.

Someone took Hazel to the restaurant, and the chef immediately prepared a lot of food for her.

“Your name is Chester, right?” Hazel looked up at him. “Do you know where we are now?”

“At sea,” Chester replied.

Hazel was speechless, she was hoping that Chester would have given her more information, but he was very cautious. She was afraid that she wouldn’t get anything useful from him. She quietly asked, “Can I go out to the deck for a while?”

“You are unable to do that.” Chester immediately refused.

 

Chapter 380: Why Not?

If something happened to Hazel on the deck, he didn’t want to deal with the consequences. After all, he worked for Simon for many years, and Hazel was the first woman he paid so much attention to.

“Do you think I will jump into the sea?” Hazel looked at him with a hostile expression. She picked up the knife she had to cut her streak and swung it around, “If I really wanted to kill myself, I could use this knife right now. Why would I jump into the sea?”

Chester’s eyes widened as he finally understood why Simon was so concerned about Hazel. The women who were usually around Simon were always obedient, and Hazel was not only rebellious, but she was also very calculating. Chester had no idea how to deal with her.

“Without permission from the young master, I can’t let you go to the deck anyway,” Chester said firmly.

“Well,” Hazel continued to cut her steak, “Please send someone to see if Simon has finished showering and tell him to come here and eat together.”

Chester looked at Hazel suspiciously. What was she plotting? However, he still sent someone to get Simon. He didn’t arrive in the dining room until Hazel was eating her dessert.

“Sweetheart, I heard you asked for me?” Simon apparently just got out of the shower, his hair was still wet, and he sat down close to Hazel with a quizzical smile.

“Yeah, they are not willing to tell me anything. The only request they will grant is to speak to you.” Hazel looked up at Chester and said, “Can you get him something to eat, don’t let him go hungry.”

Since she couldn’t get any information from Chester, she decided she might as well try to get some from Simon.

The maid put cutlery and food down in front of Simon. Hazel glanced at the bright, clean cutlery. It seemed that his germaphobia really tormented the people around him.

“Sweetheart,” Simon looked at her with a smile, “Do you think I will tell you?”

“Why not?” A provocative light flashed in Hazel’s eyes, and she leaned her back against the chair. “Are you implying that you have no confidence in yourself? Do you think I will be saved, and by telling me anything is the same as telling Joshua?”

Simon’s expression changed. He knew that Hazel was deliberately trying to irritate him, but she did make sense. If he were defensive in front of her, he would give her the impression that he had no confidence in himself.

“If you want to know, then feed me some fruit.” He twitched his lips.

“Okay.” Hazel grinned, picked up a grape, and put it to Simon’s mouth, “But I just came back from the toilet and didn’t wash my hands.”

Simon closed his mouth tightly and refused to eat the grape. “You eat without washing your hands. Why are you so dirty?” He asked with a grim look.

“I eat with tableware, and I don’t grab food with my hands.” She saw that Simon didn’t plan to eat the grape, so she threw it into the trash can.

Simon looked at her with a complaining eye. Her illogic really defeated him. He asked, “What do you want to know?”

“Where are we going now?” Hazel picked up the spoon and took a spoonful of fruit. However, before she could put it in her mouth, Simon grabbed her wrist and forced her to feed him. He ate the fruit without any hesitation.

“… I used that spoon.” Hazel glanced over at him.

“I don’t mind,” Simon said with a smile. He let go of her, picked up the cutlery in front of him, and cut the steak gracefully.

Hazel continued asking, “Are you going to tell me or not?”

“You will know when we get there.” Simon whispered, “You just need to know, that’s my place.”

It was an extremely vague answer. Hazel went on to ask, “What do you do for a living?”

Simon’s eyes went a bit deeper.

“You have brought me here, and you still want to hide your identity from me?” Hazel folded her arms across her chest and looked at him like a smile.

Simon put down the cutlery and smiled with a bit of seriousness, “Since you really want to know me, then I will fulfill your wish. I am the king of the dark world.”

Hazel was drinking water. Hearing what Simon said, she started choking and spit it all over Simon’s food. Chester’s face changed, he quickly removed the food and replaced it with fresh food.

Simon’s face is red with anger. Hazel smiled and said, “Sorry, I just didn’t see that coming.”

“You don’t believe me?” Simon was annoyed.

“I believe you. Of course, I believe you.” Hazel said with a smile, even though she did not believe a word of what he was saying, “Then what happened to your men in Country F?”

Simon’s face got a bit darker. Hazel really knew how to attack him with simple words. She continued to remind him about Joshua and his losses to him.

“The influence of my organization has not extended to Country F.” Simon said with a poker face, “But just give me three months… No, two months, the underground forces of the entire Country F will be under my control!”

He was proud of his accomplishment, and Hazel was trying to sound believable, so she curiously asked, “Organization? Is it composed of undercover men and nasty gangsters?”

Simon was hoping to see Hazel’s adoring eyes, but she was acting condescending. He was getting very aggravated.

“Hazel!” He said with a harsh tone.

Chester secretly began to worry about Hazel. Simon smiled at everyone so that nobody could tell what he was actually thinking. His smile was hidden more than the mask on his face. Each time that Hazel broke down his defenses, his expression became more and more irritated. Chester wondered how much Simon would take, he was only made of flesh and blood.

Hazel blinked. It was the first time he called her by her name, instead of calling her some disgusting pet name.

“Sorry, after all, I’ve been in Country Z for so many years. I have never heard of the existence of such an organization, nor have I heard about it from Joshua. Do you have a business in … Country Z?”

Simon’s look once again became ugly.

“None?” Hazel looked at him with a surprise. “So, how do you dare to call yourself the king of the dark world?”