Ch. 421..430

Chapter 421: You Finally Fell Into My Hands

Hazel really struggled to hold back her smile. Joshua Denmark may have been too ruthless, but she loved him being authoritative.

Katie’s face became paler when she realized that Joshua was far beyond anything she had to expect, and it was apparent that her scheme was utterly useless.

Katie felt humiliated, but she was still determined. The more a man was unsympathetic toward her, the more she wanted him. She didn’t care if he had a wife, taking someone else’s husband only made it more exciting and challenging.

“Sir, I…” But before she could finish her words, she suddenly felt fearful, there was a cold coming from Joshua that she could not explain.

She wondered who he was and why he could give off such an overwhelming force?

Joshua’s eyes were becoming colder as he took out his mobile phone and calmly dialed a number.

“Come get Number 25 out of my sight!”

Katie looked around in a panic, she was trying to figure out who he had been calling. What authority did he have to remove her?

When she saw security walking in her directions, she froze. The man’s ruthlessness was beyond her imagination. He had actually followed through with his threats. She knew if she was forced to leave, she would be utterly embarrassed.

Hazel smiled and watched the situation folding in front of her. Seeing that Katie was not moving, she leaned over and reminded her kindly, “Miss Shawn, I think you should leave. If you take the initiative to leave, wouldn’t it be more civilized than being removed by security?”

Her words sounded almost confrontational in Katie’s head. She stood up, but she stared at Hazel with resentment and anger.

Suddenly, an idea flashed through Katie’s mind. Without any hesitation, she shouted and then fell into Joshua as if she had lost her balance. However, Joshua was quick to see what she was planning, with a cold glare in his eyes, he stretched out his leg.

Joshua was strong, and the expression on Katie’s face changed as she fell in front of Hazel and not into Joshua’s arms as she had planned. Katie hit the ground with a loud thud, she fell in a compromising pose, and the entire room turned to look.

Everyone was silent as they waited for someone to say something. The people that were near Joshua had noticed the intensity of the conversation, but they had not taken it seriously, nor did they expect that it would evolve any further than heated words.

Through the silence, someone began to giggle and then someone else until soon everyone was laughing. Although they were not purposely malicious, Katie felt even more embarrassed. She stood up, gave Hazel a threatening look, covered her face, and ran out of the room.

“Okay,” Joshua said, looking at his watch. He whispered in Hazel’s ear. “I should really go now.”

It was time that they got back to their original plan. Joshua was supposed to accompany Hazel to the auction and then find an excuse to leave. They planned everything so that Sunny would not be suspicious.

“Okay,” Hazel whispered.

Joshua pretended to answer a phone call and then told Hazel that he had to leave.

“Why did Joshua leave so suddenly?” Sunny, who hadn’t said a word to either Hazel or Joshua, finally opened her mouth to ask.

“Something urgent happened at work, and they need him to deal with it,” Hazel explained.

“You didn’t go with him?” Sunny seemed very curious.

“I want to stay for the rest of the auction,” Hazel smiled lightly. “After all, it is so fun, and I haven’t been to one before.”

When the auction was over, Sunny and Hazel walked out of the room together. Although they were alienated, on the surface, Sunny still seemed to be very concerned about Hazel.

“Are you going directly home?” Sunny asked with a smile.

“Probably, I have nothing else to do.” Hazel smiled lightly. “What about you?”

“I am going to meet a few ladies, and we are going to the spa together.” Sunny explained.

They said goodbye, and Sunny watched as Hazel got into a red sports car. It was guarded by two other cars and headed in the direction of Denmark Residence.

About two blocks away, a car suddenly pulled out and hit Hazel’s car. More cars pulled out from side streets and blocked the three cars. A large group of men walked toward Hazel’s car, they took her out and put a sack over her head.

She was forced into the back seat of one of the cars and drove to an abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of the city.

Fred and Mandy were waiting when they arrived, she watched as they pulled in with Hazel in the backseat. Mandy’s eyes had nothing but hate in them.

“Hazel, you are such a dumb bitch! You finally fell into my hands!” Mandy kicked her a few times.

Mandy didn’t know what else to do, so she kicked her with more force. “Hey, bitch! Hey bitch! You like to take away my things, don’t you?! You take and take and take! I promise you that you will suffer for it today!”

“Mandy, don’t get too excited.” Fred said, “And, we need to remember since we finally have her, we need to make sure we don’t let her get away!”

“Yes!” Mandy said angrily. “Take off the sack!”

The kidnappers quickly untied the rope around Hazel’s neck and took the sack off her head.

Everyone jumped back in shock.

“What happened?! Who is this?” Mandy asked frantically. The person under the sack was not Hazel, it was a man with the same body shape.

Mandy’s face became twisted with anger as she glared at him. She was sure she had planned it all perfectly. She had just wanted to humiliate Hazel and make her suffer as she had. The person they have taken wasn’t Hazel, it was some man. She couldn’t figure out where it had gone wrong.

Fred appeared to be much calmer than Mandy. After staring blankly, he suddenly had a realization. “Mandy, let’s go! This is a trap!” he screamed.

 

Chapter 422: Escaping Away

Since it was not Hazel that they had kidnapped, it meant that Joshua and Hazel were aware of their plan and deliberately set them up. Fred was afraid that Joshua had followed them and would hurt them.

Mandy was not stupid, but she was so angry that she could not think straight. She was thankful that Fred reminded her of the repercussions of the situation.

As they rushed to escape, Fred stopped to start a fire, hoping it would confuse everyone long enough for them to get away. Joshua was quick, though, and they did not get far before he forced them off the road.

“What should we do?” Mandy was flustered. Looking out the car window, she began to tremble visibly.

Fred’s face was pale. He was only a businessman and was definitely not good at plotting kidnappings and murders.

Even though Joshua did not want to bring Hazel, he knew that he would only worry about Simon King trying to take advantage of the situation if he left her. They got out of the car, and Joshua yelled, “Get them out of the car.” Joshua said coldly to his men.

Fred and Mandy were pulled out of the car and dragged in front of Joshua. Hazel was a bit surprised, she didn’t think that Fred and Mandy were the ones behind the kidnappings.

“Hazel! You again!” Mandy was angry, “You set me up!”

“What do you mean by that? I should be cooperative and let you kidnap me?” Hazel looked at her indifferently.

“You…” Mandy was speechless, but she had really wished that Hazel would be naive when it came to her safety.

“Mandy, I have never understood why we couldn’t be friends? Why do you have such hostility toward me?” Hazel said with a puzzled tone in her voice.

“The Denmark Group is mine! I am the daughter of Denmark’s, and you took it all away. Of course, I hate you!” Mandy shouted madly.

Hazel frowned as she listened to what Mandy was saying. She did not think that Mandy was actually still obsessed with all of those thoughts. However, it was now obvious that Mandy still hated her.

“You do know that you are just being used by people?” Hazel asked faintly, “Mandy, you knew that you were just pretending to be Denmark’s daughter. A lot of this shouldn’t even be your business. However, kidnappings and killing are different, they are not actions that should be taken lightly. Why don’t you see that they are just using you to take the blame? Why not tell us who is actually behind all of this?”

“I don’t know what you are talking about!” Mandy shouted with anger. “You took away my things. Of course, I want revenge on you! I want you to suffer…”

Joshua’s eyes deepened. He couldn’t believe that Mandy was actually bold enough to insult Hazel in front of him.

He lifted his hand slightly, and the bodyguards that were holding Mandy swiftly took a step back. Joshua slapped her twice and, because her face is so distorted from all of the plastic surgery, began to swell immediately.

“Don’t! Please don’t hit my face!” Mandy screamed.

“Do you still want to protect your boss now?” Hazel asked.

Mandy would not say anything. She just bit her lip and glared at Hazel with hate in her eyes.

Hazel scowled as she realized it would be nearly impossible to get any information out of Mandy. She couldn’t understand why she would not just give Sunny up.

“Let me deal with this,” Joshua whispered.

“Okay.” Hazel nodded with hesitation.

Joshua asked, “Fred, do you have anything to say?”

“I, I don’t understand what you mean…” Fred managed a smile even though he was terrified. He had never seen Joshua act that way. The man he knew would alienate people, but now Joshua Denmark was acting cold and ruthless. His actions left Fred feeling like an ant that was going to be crushed at any time.

“Take him over there.” Joshua told the guards, “Don’t make too much noise.”

Joshua didn’t want to scare Hazel, but he had no choice if he was going to get the information out of Fred.

Two bodyguards dragged Fred into the backseat of the car. Fred’s expression became

grim as he whispered with fear, “What are you going to do to me? If you torture me, it is against the law….”

Fred was still rambling on when the guards shut the door to the car. Hazel was trying to watch what was happening, but Joshua put his arm around her waist and pulled her close to him.

She asked a little blankly, “Joshua…”

He whispered, “Hey, there is nothing interesting to watch.”

Joshua raised his hands and covered her ears, and looked into her eyes. He didn’t want Hazel to see or hear what was happening. He would stop at nothing to find out who was threatening Hazel’s safety.

Even with her ears covered, Hazel could hear the screams filling the air. She grasped at Joshua’s shirt and buried her face in his chest.

“Don’t be afraid,” Joshua whispered softly. He may have been a cruel man to others, but he made sure he was always gentle with Hazel.

After a few minutes, Fred stopped screaming and begged for them to stop, “I will tell you everything! Absolutely everything…”

“Hazel, get back into our car,” Joshua whispered.

“No, I… I am staying with you.” She said after hesitating for a moment.

She knew that no matter what Joshua did, he did it for her. If she was not by his side, would he think she was afraid? She didn’t want him to misunderstand.

Fred stumbled out of the car.

“Fred, this is your last chance,” Joshua said coldly. “If you lie, I won’t let you go!”

“Okay, okay…” Fred answered with fear.

“Who asked you to do this?” he asked quietly.

“It was Sunny.” Fred clenched his teeth and mumbled quietly. He looked up, expecting to see Joshua and Hazel looking surprised, but they weren’t.

“I assumed that,” said Joshua. “And I also assumed that since you like her so much and would do whatever she requested that you would not give her up so easily, but I guess I was wrong about that.”

“What?” Fred was surprised that Joshua actually knew everything. Did that mean he knew about his past and the time he spent chasing after Sunny?

 

Chapter 423: Exposing The Truth

It was all true, when Fred was young, he had fallen in love with Sunny, and he would do anything that she asked. After so many years, the love between them had become nothing but exchanges out of pure interest on Sunny’s part. Although a small part of him was thinking about her during Joshua’s interrogations, he was too scared not to expose her.

Fred had always lived in a safe environment, so he never experienced pain like that before. He had broken his silence and confirmed everything that Joshua seemed to know already. There was no reason to keep covering for Sunny. He was going to save his own life; he didn’t want to spend his time always looking over his shoulder and running from Joshua.

“Did you conspire to kidnap Hazel?” Joshua asked angrily.

“No, not me! Sunny was the mastermind behind it!” Fred was not going to take responsibility. “She has always been very jealous of your parents. She always wanted your parents to suffer, so she planned to kidnap Hazel. It was Sunny who contacted someone to kidnap her. From the very beginning, she wanted to take Hazel’s life!”

Hazel felt cold and numb. She had already known all of what Fred was saying, but she felt sad for herself and her parents when she actually heard it said out loud.

From what she heard, her parents were such good people and never thought that someone close to them was behind her kidnapping. However, due to Sunny’s irrational thoughts, they suffered over and over. They both died, not knowing that it was their closest and dearest relative that planned the entire thing.

“Was my father’s death also part of the plan?” Joshua’s voice suddenly became full of vengeance.

Fred’s legs felt weak, and he fell to his knees. He could not comprehend how Joshua knew so much. Everyone involved made sure they left no evidence.

“Not me! I am telling you that it was Sunny!” Fred hurriedly argued, “It was her! She heard that your parents wanted to have another child and so she asked someone to kill Marcus. After that, she comes back from overseas and pretends to pity and take care of Cate. I have no idea what she told Cate every day, but it didn’t take long for Cate to become depressed and eventually die! I truly had nothing to do with it!”

Hazel’s face was extremely pale. She thought of Sunny and her disturbing mentality, the life that Marcus and Cate never had the opportunity to live, and the repeated plots to ruin her family. She could not understand the purpose of it all and why they had to suffer.

Standing with her eyes closed, Hazel tried to block out the pain and suffering. She thought she was going to fall, it was as if all her strength was being drained from her body. It was like Joshua knew what was happening before she could say anything, he put his warm arms around her and hugged her close.

“Hazel…” he asked worriedly as she leaned into his chest.

“I’m fine.” After a deep breath, she shook her head and realized it was not the time to be vulnerable.

“You haven’t mentioned your role in the plan?” Joshua looked at Fred coldly. Joshua wondered how Sunny could have planned all of it on her own. Although Sunny may have been the one behind all of the plans, she had lived overseas for many years and therefore did not have access to the Denmark’s, so Fred must have been the one helping.

“I, I am telling the truth…” Fred said with pain in his eyes. He said again, “Sunny did all the plotting and scheming! She kidnapped Hazel several times with the intention of killing her. She is a vicious woman….”

During Fred’s interrogation, Mandy passed out due to fear. She started to regain consciousness slowly, but when she heard what Fred was saying, a surge of adrenaline came over her, and she lunged at Fred.

Mandy began to kick and hit Fred while she yelled, “Stop! You need to stop! You are lying! It was all your plan. You know you planned it all!”

Fred was still handcuffed and could not do anything to stop Mandy from beating him. He was angry and started shouting, “Stop! You are a crazy woman, just like your mother! Yeah, did you know that you are Sunny’s daughter? Did she tell you that? Does that make it better for you? You were just a game piece to her. She even sent you to my bed to win me over….”

“No! No! You are lying again! None of this is true!” Mandy looked hurt and stopped hitting Fred.

“Why isn’t it true? Do you really think your identity is so glorious? When Marcus and Cate got married, Sunny disappeared. She drank all of the time, and one night she was raped by a stranger. Nine months later, you come into the world. Maybe your father is nothing but a garbage man, we may never know. However, I can tell you that your mother is Sunny….”

“You shut up! Shut up!”

Watching what had unfolded between Mandy and Fred left Hazel shocked beyond belief. She never thought that Mandy was actually Sunny’s daughter. Furthermore, if it was true, then Sunny sent her own daughter to the bed of a man who was pursuing her. It was unbelievable.

“No…” She whispered.

“This could be true.” Joshua whispered to himself, “In fact, I questioned the relationship between Mandy and Sunny. I was going to test their DNA but never found the right time.”

Joshua wanted to put Hazel at ease, so he did not really push too hard with the investigation but maybe he should have.

“But the way she talks about Sunny…” Hazel asked.

“As I explained before, children who don’t feel loved during their childhood, grow up and they will very much hope to get recognition,” Joshua said. “Mandy may have been willing to let Sunny use her just so that she would be recognized.”

Hazel nodded. She needed to confront Sunny, she needed to tell her everything she was feeling, and how Mandy was like Susan, they were afraid of her and only listened to what she said in hopes of getting approval. She wanted to hurt Sunny while she told her how horrible she was and how she destroyed everyone around her, including her own family.

“We need to go find Sunny!” Hazel mumbled through gritted teeth. As if a light bulb went on, Hazel suddenly said, “Do you think she will run?”

Sunny’s current residence was overseas, so if she left the country, it would be extremely difficult for even Joshua to find her.

“Don’t worry, she won’t run.” Joshua said calmly, “One of my men has been watching her closely.”

 

Chapter 424: You Can’t Just Die

Sunny was at the Joseph Residence when she heard what was happening with Fred and Mandy. She knew that Joshua and Hazel would be on their way to see her.

Before leaving to confront Sunny, Joshua had ordered his men to take Fred and Mandy directly to the police station and have them held. He would make sure to deal with them later. First, he needed to deal with Sunny.

As they got closer to Joseph Residence, they could see smoke and flames over the tops of the house.

“What is going on? What’s happening?” Hazel asked in a panic. She was banging against the car window, and they pulled in front of the house. There was a fire raging that she knew was too big to be put out easily.

Hazel jumped out of the car and saw a shadow in a window on the second floor. She squinted, through the smoke, she could see that it was Sunny standing in the bedroom that belonged to her and Cate.

“Sunny!” The rushing hatred Hazel had felt left, and her emotions took over as she rushed toward the house to save Sunny.

Joshua grabbed her and said, “Hazel, you can’t be impulsive. The fire is too big and too dangerous for you to save her.”

Hazel was not only struggling to break out of Joshua’s arms, but she was struggling with her emotions. Sunny was the woman who had kidnapped and tried to kill her and even killed her parents, but how could she just stand there watching her burn to death.

“You won,” Sunny said while she looked at Hazel. Her eyes were cold as if she was already dead, “Hazel, you are a really good person, but it doesn’t matter anymore. I am going to see my parents and my sister.”

“You can’t just die! Why do you get to die and not be punished?” The anger almost sprang out of Hazel’s eyes. She continued to scream, “You have done so many evil things. You killed my parents! Do you really think that my grandparents and my mother will want to see you?”

Sunny’s body trembled as she screamed. “They will want to see me! They will! My sister was always kind to me!”

“No! They were good people who went to Heaven! But you are destined to go to Hell!”

“It’s not like that, it’s not like that..” Sunny was flustered. Suddenly, she glared at Hazel. “It was all your fault! I blame your father and you! If both of you weren’t born, I would still have a happy family. You were the one who broke it up! And, you Hazel should be dead. Why are you still alive?”

She continued to glare at Hazel, “You even wanted to take away my house. No matter who wants Joseph’s Residence, I will kill them before they get it. It is all mine! It belonged to my parents and my sister. I will die in this house!” Sunny said calmly as she closed the window.

“Sunny! Sunny!” Hazel’s heart was full of conflict. It was obvious that Sunny was an evil enemy of her family, but now there was no way to punish her, and they would have to watch her burn to death.

“Hazel, calm down!” Joshua held her tightly to prevent her from rushing into the burning house.

The fire continued to get bigger, but Sunny made no attempts to escape. Through the window, Hazel could see the flames in the room and hear Sunny’s laughter.

“Hahaha, I am the only one who can save myself!” The laughing turned into painful screams.

Joshua was worried about what the situation would do to Hazel, so he decided to hit her over the head and then held her unconscious body in his arms.

While Hazel was unconscious, the firemen and police had arrived. However, they were having difficulty putting the fire out, so when she woke up in the backseat of the car, she could still see the flames and smoke.

She sat up, looking out the window, and rubbed her neck.

“You are awake?” Joshua whispered.

“Yes…” For a moment, she had forgotten what had happened, but suddenly everything rushed back. She quickly asked, “Has she been rescued?”

“No.” Joshua shook his head slightly. “However, they did rescue Susan.”

“Susan?” Hazel was confused. “She was in there too? Sunny was really cruel. She actually wanted her daughter to die with her.”

“She has never been a kind person.” A glimmer of light flashed in Joshua’s eyes. The next moment, he whispered, “Hazel, whether or not she was saved, this is what she deserved.”

“I know…” Hazel sighed helplessly. “I just didn’t want her to die so easily.”

After finding out about her true enemy, Hazel wanted revenge, but with Sunny gone, there was no way.

“Don’t be upset,” Joshua advised. “You have already avenged your parents. In the end, this is really what she deserved.”

“Was she…” Hazel bit her lip slightly. “planning to do this?” She thought that it must have been planned because there was no way for a fire to destroy such a large house that quickly.

“Maybe,” Joshua whispered. “In fact, I think she hasn’t been happy for years. This time I don’t think it matters if she won or lost, she didn’t want to continue living.”

Joshua’s thoughts were exactly what Sunny was thinking. In her last moments, Sunny realized that she never dared to look Hazel in the eyes because they were the same as Cate’s, they made her feel guilty and jealous. Those eyes took over her thoughts, they caused her to act crazy and become obsessed with wanting to kill Hazel.

Sunny also knew that if this attempt on Hazel’s life failed, then Joshua and Hazel would certainly not let her go. On the other hand, if she had succeeded in killing Hazel, the only eyes that reminded her of her loving sister would be gone, she wouldn’t have any motivation to carry on.

“Can we please go home?” Hazel asked and leaned gently on Joshua’s chest. She didn’t want to stay there any longer than she needed to.

“That is a good idea,” Joshua whispered.

 

Chapter 425: You Are Here To See Me?

As they drove back to Denmark Residence, Joshua made a promise to Hazel. He vowed that he would stay by her side until she felt like she was herself again. They both knew it was going to take some time to process everything that had happened.

A few days after the fire, Hazel was still recovering when a visitor stopped by to see her.

Hazel walked down the stairs slowly, in the living room, Susan was waiting for her. For a long time, Susan was not a welcomed guest at Denmark Residence, but after everything that had happened, Joshua realized it was not her fault.

“You are here to see me? What happened?” Hazel saw her and her expression became more complex.

Her relationship with Susan had been very strained, and even though it had been eased with the recent events, it was only because of their common enemy. The situation was definitely complex, Hazel was the reason that Susan’s mother died, and Susan’s mother was the reason why Hazel’s parents were dead.

However, even with the complicated past they shared, when Hazel saw Susan, she didn’t feel as much hate as she had before. She understood that none of it had to do with Susan and that Sunny even tried to kill her; Susan has nothing but an innocent victim.

“I…” Susan looked at Hazel and was speechless. She hadn’t seen Hazel for some time, and she felt she was different.

The Hazel she knew before was smart, beautiful, with the vitality of her age. But now, her temperament was stable. It was like wine that has been cherished for a period of time, even from a distance, you are fascinated.

“Please sit.” Hazel nodded to her and pointed to the chair.

Susan relaxed when she realized Hazel was not angry. She said, “I am only here today to say goodbye. I want to go back to country D.”

Hazel looked up at her. Susan was not as arrogant as before, and it appeared that what happened with Sunny was upsetting her too.

“After settling back in, what do you plan to do?” Hazel asked casually.

As soon as she said the words, Hazel herself was stunned. Her relationship with Susan was not a close one, and there was no need to ask such questions, but she had asked. Hazel would not explain herself, and she hoped Susan would leave, thinking this was just an act of kindness toward her.

Susan seemed to be very surprised as well. She replied, “When I get back, I intend to marry Richard and live with him in peace. After all, the one person who really cared about me was him.”

Hazel nodded in approval, that really did seem to be the best option for Susan.

“Hazel, thank you.” Susan smiled and lowered her head. “I understand that you asked me casually about what I will do, but I really appreciate you. I know that people would only get close to me because of my identity. Actually, I don’t think I have a sincere friend. You… asking that, let me think that I may not have failed so thoroughly.”

Susan stood up and walked out of Denmark’s Residence, not looking back.

Hazel sat on the sofa for a few minutes after Susan left, thinking about everything that had happened. She was glad everything was over, and everyone could move on with their lives.

After daydreaming for a few moments, Hazel snapped back to reality and realized that she had been so busy that her work had been neglected. She picked up her laptop and began looking through emails when she heard a warm voice say, “What are you so busy doing?”

Hazel looked up to see Joshua leaning on the edge of the sofa, smiling at her. She felt her heart beat faster as her cheeks got warmer. She wondered why Joshua felt the need to flirt with her while she was working.

“I……” she started to stammer, but before she could finish, Joshua walked over, bent down, and kissed her. The kiss became deeper and deeper, by the time Hazel tried to push him away, Joshua was already sitting on the sofa, and she was in his arms.

“You never did say, what are you busy working on?” He tucked her hair behind her ear and then whispered into it.

Hazel felt her ear get hotter. She quickly said, “I am busy dealing with Joshua-Hazel Pictures.”

She picked up her notebook off the table and showed it to Joshua. “These are the recent advertising partners of Joshua-Hazel Pictures. There is a new script that the director accepted. After all, how can I be the boss if I don’t manage anything? I won’t be too irresponsible….”

Joshua looked at her with a smile. She was acting shy, and with her flushed face, she was clearly trying to change the topic. However, he was not going to let her.

Joshua leaned toward Hazel and softly kissed her cheek.

“Ah!” Hazel exclaimed. She turned to face him with a frown, not thinking that her position would only make it easier for him. Looking at her face, Joshua kissed her lips without hesitation.

“Oh…” Hazel struggled to push him away, but Joshua’s hand passed through her hair and pulled her head closer. He finally pulled his lips away from hers when he knew she was breathless.

“What has happened to you?” Hazel looked at him with confusion. Joshua has seemed to be particularly enthusiastic.

“You are going to graduate soon,” Joshua said in a deep, serious voice.

“I know.” Hazel blinked, and she asked with anticipation. “Will you come to the graduation ceremony?”

It was only a few days until her graduation ceremony. She had a big surprise planned for Joshua, but she did not know that he also had a surprise for her.

“Of course,” Joshua gently embraced her. “I would not miss one of the most important days of your life.”

“Perfect! You must promise that you will be there, no matter what!” Hazel’s excitement became even stronger.

“I promise!” Joshua said with a small smile on his lips.

 

Chapter 426: For You

On the day of her graduation ceremony, Hazel left Denmark Residence and traveled to University Q without Joshua. He told her that he had work to do but assured her that he would be there as soon as he was done.

As soon as she arrived at University Q, Hazel went to her dorm room to meet Ariel and Summer. The first thing she said with a mysterious smile, “Did you prepare what I asked you to?”

“Of course!” Ariel said with a huge grin, “Do not worry, we will help you do what you need to so that you will be happy!”

“Thank you so much!” Hazel was relieved even though her heart was pounding faster than it ever had.

Hazel’s phone rang, and she disappointingly took it out of her purse. She assumed it was Joshua calling to say he wouldn’t be able to make it to her graduation, but it was a number she didn’t recognize. She hesitated for a moment but then decided she should answer, after all, it could be something important.

“Sweetheart?” It was Simon King’s voice she heard. Hazel could see his face, even with his mask on, his evil smile was always exposed. She wanted to throw away her phone, but instead, she gritted her teeth and angrily asked, “What do you want?”

“It’s your graduation today, and I am invited to your graduation ceremony, right? I am more considerate than Joshua, right?” Simon King evilly lifted his lips.

“No need!” Hazel said with annoyance.

“What should I do?” he snorted. “But I have already arrived at the school dorms. If I don’t see you, I don’t know what I will do.”

Hazel was annoyed and bit her lip.

Simon King was threatening her again, but she clearly knew that if she did not see him, these were not just threats. She still had so many plans before the graduation ceremony, and she could not let Simon ruin them.

After thinking about it for a moment, Hazel hung up and walked out of her dorm to meet Simon.

“For you.” Simon King embraced a large bouquet of flowers and handed them to Hazel.

Hazel looked at him coldly and put her hand up to push them away, “No.”

“If you refuse me like this, I will be very sad.” Simon blinked. “And, if I become sad, I may end up doing something terrible.”

Crystal, Hazel’s bodyguard, had been behind a pillar and stepped forward when she heard the threat.

Simon looked at Hazel. He smiled and said, “You have bodyguards, so I can’t touch you, but what about other people?”

Hazel clenched her teeth. She really didn’t want to touch the flowers, but Simon was a madman. She did not know what he would do, and she did not want to involve innocent people. She hesitantly reached out to take the flowers from Simon, but before she had them in her grasp, someone stepped out to stop her.

“Mr. King, no one should force a person to accept gifts,” James said coldly.

Simon squinted slightly, and his eyes were full of dangerous light. “James?”

“I am surprised that you remember me, Simon.” James’s voice was cold as if there was no emotion at all.

“Sweetheart,” Simon looked at her unexpectedly. “You are really full of surprises. There seem to be so many people that care about you.”

“I am sure there are even more surprises in store.” An authoritative female voice said out of nowhere. “I am very curious as to how far Mr. King will actually go?”

Hazel lit up when she turned around and saw Katherine Sanchez approaching them.

General Sanchez was a soldier who commanded attention whenever she spoke and always had a presence of justice surrounding her. Dressed in military uniform, she not only made others feel safe, but she also looked very attractive.

Simon suddenly froze and glared at her, he clearly knew who she was. “General Sanchez, you misunderstood,” he said with a faint smile. “I was just joking. I didn’t mean any of it.”

“Joking?” Katherine snorted. “I really hope you know what you are doing, Mr. King. If you fall into my hands….”

“I’m just a businessman, General Sanchez. Even if I did fall into your hands, you would be open-minded, wouldn’t you?” He said, laughing. Despite Katherine’s confrontational energy, he did not appear to be the least bit scared.

“Just make sure you remember what you said,” she stated with a harsh tone.

He smiled playfully and humbly said, “Since everyone is here to see Hazel, it seems that I may have come at a bad time.” He winked at Hazel, leaning toward her, he whispered, “Pumpkin, congratulations on your graduation. We will see each other another day.”

Hazel’s face darkened with anger. “No, we will not! Get out of here!”

She was thankful that Simon didn’t have time to say much and that she had enough bodyguards to stop him from attempting anything too severe.

She felt a sense of relief as she watched him quietly walk away. She had worried that Simon would try to harm her or that if he found out what she had planned, he would do something to undermine her. But, she knew she didn’t have time to worry, and since he was gone, she had to put the encounter behind her and proceed as planned.

“General Sanchez…” She looked at Katherine with adoring eyes. “Why are you here?”

Katherine smiled kindly. “Please call me Aunt Katherine, Hazel.”

“Aunt Katherine,” Hazel cheerfully said.

“Well, that’s better,” Katherine said in a deep voice. She had a serious look on her face, “I heard that Simon King was coming to see you and that Joshua wasn’t going to be with you. I was a little worried, so I came with James as a backup. And, of course, for your graduation.”

“Oh really?” Hazel looked at her surprisingly. She wondered if Katherine was sitting in the audience, would she be too embarrassed to follow through with her plan.

“You don’t want me there?” Katherine asked Hazel. Katherine’s instincts were spot on, she could see that deep down, Hazel’s heart was reluctant about her being there.

“It’s just that…” Hazel hesitated as she tried to find the right words. She was trying to find a way to change the topic when she had an epiphany. What she had planned to do was going to happen in front of the whole school, it wouldn’t make any difference if someone she admired were there as well.

 

Chapter 427: I Want To Surprise You

“Aunt Katherine,” Hazel’s eyes sparkled with joy and excitement. “Are you really coming to my graduation?”

“Yeah…yes?” Katherine looked at her with confusion, not understanding why she changed her mind so quickly.

“Thank you so much.” Hazel was happier than she had thought she would be. “With you as a witness, I think I may actually be able to convince my parents.”

“Witness to what?” Katherine was more confused. “Are you going to involve me in some scheme, Hazel?”

“I’ve always been such a good child. Do you think I would do that?” said Hazel with a chuckle. “Rest assured, it’s nothing bad, and you will find out soon enough.”

Katherine was still puzzled and wondered what Hazel was up to, but she trusted her, so she smiled with encouragement.

***

The graduation ceremony was taking place at the university gymnasium. Hazel began to feel nervous when she realized that Joshua still hadn’t arrived. Also, the fact that James was pacing back and forth while waiting with her made her even more nervous.

“Why isn’t Joshua here yet?” He mumbled under his breath.

“He must have been delayed with work.” Hazel said firmly, “But he’ll definitely be here before the ceremony starts.”

The frown that James had on his face seemed to be getting bigger. After everything happened with Sunny, the truth about Jughead finally came to light, and James realized that he had misunderstood Joshua and his intentions. He did feel a bit guilty about the whole situation, but that didn’t matter, he still didn’t like Joshua very much.

Suddenly, an expensive black sports car stopped in front of them. When the door opened, Joshua stepped out and smiled.

“Sorry, Hazel, something came up while I was on the way here. Sorry that I’m late,” he explained in a low voice as he strode towards Hazel and kissed her on the cheek.

“Oh, you are really good at coming up with excuses for yourself, aren’t you?” James scowled at Joshua, “Maybe if you had left earlier, you wouldn’t be late?”

“I believe what Joshua said!” Hazel quickly snapped, her head began to pound. She understood that because of her parents, James regarded her as his benefactors’ daughter and his sister, so she liked him. Nonetheless, that did not stop him and Joshua from bickering every time they were near each other.

“It seems that Simon wanted to stop me from attending Hazel’s graduation,” Joshua explained calmly. Joshua really disliked the fact that he needed to justify his actions to James, but it also gave him the opportunity to clarify what happened, so Hazel was aware.

James looked a bit embarrassed because he knew what Joshua was saying was the truth.

Hazel took Joshua by the arm, “Let’s go in!”

Joshua knew that Hazel was trying to ease the embarrassment, but as he walked past James, he whispered, “It doesn’t matter.”

“What doesn’t matter?” James was confused.

“I accept your apology for judging me.” A smile appeared on Joshua’s face.

“Who said I was going to apologize?” James was angry.

Joshua’s eyes twinkled slightly. “Oh? You mean you didn’t judge me?”

“I…” James glared at him. Even though Joshua was telling the truth, he wasn’t going to admit to anything.

“Come on! You’ll be late if you don’t get in there!” Hazel was trying her best to cut the tension between the two men.

Joshua grabbed Hazel’s tiny waist and walked into the gym with her. He knew that James and Hazel had completely different personalities. She liked everyone and never thought of anyone as a possible threat, James; on the other hand, he was just the opposite, he was suspicious of everyone.

Hazel was also very naïve when a man was showing affection toward her. However,

Joshua was not clueless, he saw how James looked at her, and if it weren’t stopped, it would develop like a wildfire. He knew what he had to do before it went any further.

***

As Joshua and Hazel walked into the gym, they looked around and found two seats together. As they sat down, Joshua noticed there was only a small area for graduates to walk across the stage. There seemed to be something hidden under red silk taking up most of the stage.

He was really curious but didn’t want to ask too many questions since the ceremony had already begun. Joshua had different scenarios running through his mind during the long ceremony, he wasn’t there to see anyone else but the beautiful woman next to him graduated. He was happy to be there with Hazel, even if she seemed a little preoccupied.

“Hazel, are you nervous?” he asked quietly.

“Hmm…” She turned to him but didn’t really acknowledge him, she snapped out of the daze she was in and said, “I am going to be giving a speech at the student representative.”

“Hazel, that is amazing!” Joshua raised his eyebrows in surprise. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I wanted to surprise you?” she said, giggling.

He touched her cheek and smiled. Her heart started beating a little faster, she also had a surprise for him.

Hazel waited patiently until her name was called to walk to the stage for her speech. When it was time, she took a deep breath and got up from her seat.

“Good luck, Hazel.” Joshua grabbed her hand and gently squeezed it. She looked down at him and smiled shyly, she knew he had no idea about what would happen.

Quickly, she pulled her hand away and ran to the stage. Her sudden rush made Joshua question her actions, she was not really shy after what she had experienced, seeing her nervous and scared worried about him. He wondered if something had happened that he didn’t know about.

As she walked across the stage, Hazel felt like she was walking on clouds. She stood at the podium, took a deep breath, and smiled. The people in the audience watched her, but they all seemed to blur into the background. All she could see was Joshua.

With a happy smile on her lips, she slowly opened her mouth, “I know I am supposed to speak as the student representative, but I am unable to do that. Teachers and classmates, please forgive, I need to take this opportunity to do something personal.”

 

Chapter 428: A Public Proposal

“What?” There was an uproar from the audience. Everyone started looking around and whispering in disbelief. They thought she had lost her mind and could not understand how she could be so selfish as to use this occasion to do something personal.

“What’s happening?” Katherine whispered to James. Because of Katherine’s high-ranking status, they were in the front row as distinguished guests, they were close enough to see the sweat forming on Hazel’s forehead.

“I have no idea.” James frowned mysteriously.

With the crowd whispering amongst themselves, Hazel spoke again as if she didn’t hear them. “Last year, I unexpectedly met a man. At first, I thought the timing was really bad, but since then, my whole world has become a mess!”

The crowd hushed suddenly, and they stared at Hazel, waiting for her to continue.

Joshua never took his eyes off her; he had an idea of what she was planning, and his heart filled with warmth.

“I really didn’t like him; I pushed him away on multiple occasions. However, he convinced me to give him a chance,” Hazel continued to say with a shy smile. “I realized after a while that he wasn’t as annoying as I had originally thought. He always seemed to be Prince Charming and helped to solve all of my problems when I needed him most.”

“Not only that, he has been patient with me, without a complaint or showing any frustration. When I am happy, he encourages me. When I am sad, he encourages me to find the positive in the situation. Even when I am determined, he encourages my sometimes unreasonable requests.”

“He values my life more than his own. He wants to give me the world. There was a point that I doubted his feelings for me, that was my own issue, and I really should have trusted him, but he never let me go. So today, I want to take this time to make a public apology to him. Joshua Denmark, I am sorry.”

Joshua looked down in shame, he hadn’t realized that all of that was still troubling Hazel. He never wanted her to apologize, especially in front of her entire graduating class and their guests.

As if she knew what he was thinking, Hazel continued, “Joshua Denmark, can you please come up here?”

In a complete daze, Joshua stood up and walked toward the stage. Suddenly, the red silk that was covering the center stage was removed. There was a table entirely covered with roses underneath it.

Joshua could hear the commotion behind him, he stopped and looked at Hazel, she was standing at the other side of the stage smiling at him. When he started walking toward her, rose petals started falling from the ceiling.

Joshua was shocked by the entire scenario, he never imagined that Hazel could find the time to create such a beautiful moment. The walk across the stage felt like an eternity, but he finally reached Hazel, the woman he loved.

“Thank you for coming up here. I have one more important thing to say.” She winked as she stepped closer to him, she looked extremely serious and said, “Joshua, I love you very much. Will you marry me?”

The gymnasium exploded with whistles, clapping, and whispering. Hazel’s relationship with Joshua had been ongoing for almost a year, it was common knowledge. However, nobody attending the graduation thought that she would be so bold as to propose.

Hazel stood quietly and wondered if she had made a mistake. She could hear some of the comments, “Isn’t this a bit crazy?” one student said, but then another replied, “Yes, a bit crazy but also really cool.”

Someone took the lead and started shouting, “Say yes! Say yes!” Others began to join in, and soon everyone was shouting.

Some of the older attendees had a hard time understanding how a woman would dare propose to the man at all, never mind at something so public as a graduation ceremony. Nevertheless, they came around and started cheering as well.

Hazel was young, she wanted to be crazy and do something to shock everyone. Nothing like that had ever been seen in the history of Quantum University, it would definitely be recorded in their history.

Joshua was still in a daze. Hazel’s public confession had left him elated, not to mention the fact that she wanted to marry him. He felt as if he was dreaming.

A soft, sweet voice brought Joshua back to his senses. He looked at Hazel, who was standing in front of him trembling, and he understood why she was nervous.

“Will, will you say yes?” She tried to sound calm and patient as she waited, but her voice quivered as she asked him again.

Hazel began to get more nervous when Joshua didn’t say anything. She didn’t think that he wouldn’t refuse her, or would he? Would this be the one time he said no to her? She started to feel ashamed just thinking about if he said no.

Suddenly, she realized that wasn’t what she was really worried about, maybe he didn’t want to marry her, and she was pressuring him. She started trembling even more, and then Joshua sighed quietly. Hazel thought she was going to throw up.

“Hazel, how could you….” Joshua started to say. Her heart sank, she dreaded his next words. “Something a man dreams about is the day he proposes to the woman he loves. I wanted to be the one to propose to you.”

Joshua smiled and looked at Hazel, he knew she was trying to hold back her tears. He continued to watch her as he got down on one knee. She had caught him off guard, but fortunately, he was prepared.

Everyone gasped in shock, they didn’t say a word and watched quietly as they thought this only happens in the movies. Joshua took a velvet box out of his pocket, opened it, and presented it to Hazel.

Hazel thought her heart was going to beat out of her chest. Not only did she have a surprise for Joshua, but he also had one for her. She felt like she was dreaming.

 

Chapter 429: Marry Me

“Hazel, marry me?” He said in a soft, charming tone. Hazel felt a little lightheaded, she thought she might faint. There was absolutely no reason to say no to his proposal.

“Mmm…” Her face was flushed as she nodded yes. Even if Joshua had asked her to marry him privately, she would have been too excited to answer with words.

Joshua smiled and put the ring on her finger. He got up and leaned in to kiss her. He would finally get to marry the woman he loved, and he hoped she wouldn’t refuse what he wanted to do next.

There were cheers and applause throughout the gym. However, Katherine was staring at the stage in disbelief.

“Is that man Joshua?” she asked, looking seriously at James. Joshua had always kept a low profile, so Katherine never had any contact with him. She never expected that he would look like a face she had seen before.

“Yes,” James asked in the puzzle. “What’s the matter, General Sanchez?”

“No, nothing…” She looked frightened, as though she had seen a ghost. Then she suddenly got up and said, “James, I have something I need to do. I have to leave.”

James was even more shocked that Katherine walked out than by the scene that was playing out on the stage.

Joshua and Hazel waved to the crowd as they snuck off the stage, they had decided it would be best to leave immediately so that they would not be surrounded by people wanting to congratulate them.

As they got closer to their car, Joshua pulled Hazel close to him, he had his arms around her holding her tight. She tried to pull away from him, not realizing that her hand was rubbing against his thigh.

He moaned and whispered with a smile, “Move a little more to the left!”

Hazel’s body stiffened when she noticed something hard against her hand. Instantly her cheeks became flushed, and she managed to free her arms. She smacked him on the chest and quietly said, “How did you….”

She was too stunned and embarrassed even to finish her sentence, but she watched Joshua standing in front of her smiling.

He had been waiting for the day he could propose to her for too long. She had planned such a wonderful surprise for him, but she still acted uneasy when she was in his arms.

“You made a pass at me first,” he stated with dignity.

“When did I do that?” She looked at him innocently.

Joshua couldn’t hold back his emotions any longer, he leaned down and kissed her passionately. When he pulled his lips away from hers, Hazel leaned against his chest and gasped quietly.

“Hazel, did you prepare all of this ahead of time?” he asked in a low voice.

“Mmm…” she said, nodding her head. “I wanted you to be surprised, so I kept it from you.”

“Did the school administrators give you permission to stir up trouble?” He chuckled.

“I consulted with them on behalf of Denmark Group,” she said with a giggle.

Joshua felt his heart warm, and he couldn’t hold back. He gave Hazel another kiss, he could not believe that she carefully planned every detail just for him.

“Hazel, I’m very happy….” He held her tight, resting his head against hers.

“So am I, Joshua…” said Hazel filled with emotion.

**

Hazel assumed that they were going back to Denmark Residence, but Joshua stopped in front of a large brick building and walked over to open Hazel’s door. She looked at him in confusion, “Why are we here?”

“To get our marriage certificate,” Joshua said quietly.

He had made a promise to the Crowe family that he would not marry Hazel before she graduated. However, she just graduated, and so his first thought was to marry her. After they had a marriage certificate, anything physical that happened between them would not be considered premarital sex.

“Huh?” Hazel looked at him in surprise, with a confused look. “Isn’t this a bit sudden?”

“We proposed to each other, so should not we obtain our marriage certificate?” he asked with a chuckle as he took her hand.

“No… No.” Hazel tried her best to suppress all of her confused thoughts.

She had proposed to Joshua, but she didn’t expect that he would take her to get a marriage license within an hour. She was completely caught off guard and didn’t know what to say to him.

“Hazel,” he said with a bit of hidden bitterness, “Are you saying that your proposal was just to make me happy, and now you want to back out of it?”

“No, no, no, I meant all of it!” She shook her head quickly.

“Let’s go in then!” A smile curved his lips.

“No…” she was overwhelmed, but she was definitely not gullible. Even though she took Joshua’s hand, she refused to budge any further. “But I don’t have my passport or identification…”

“I have everything prepared,” Joshua said quietly.

Deep down, Hazel knew that even if she didn’t have identification, it would not be a problem for Joshua. The truth was that even if she hadn’t gone to get the license with him, he still could have obtained it as long as she agreed. However, Joshua hoped that they would have the opportunity to go through the same process as every other couple.

“Prepared?” Hazel looked at him in surprise. She believed that Joshua had got her paperwork from her family, and so she wondered if that meant that the Crowe family had no objections to her marrying Joshua.

“Yes, everything has been prepared.” Joshua nodded. He realized that Hazel misunderstood how he got her identification, but nothing would stop him from obtaining their marriage certificate.

“But…” Though Hazel’s heart was filled with love, she was a bit hesitant.

“Hazel, you don’t trust me?” He asked in a deep tone, he tried to look Hazel in the eyes, but she continued to look at the ground.

“I… No,” she said hastily. “But…”

She wasn’t prepared to rush into getting married. After she proposed, she thought that they would wait until they spoke to her family and then picked a date.

 

Chapter 430: Who Says I’m Afraid

Instead, Joshua immediately brought her to get a marriage license.

“You are the one who proposed at your graduation ceremony, but now you are afraid to get a marriage license?” He chuckled.

“Who says I’m afraid?” She blushed with embarrassment as she looked at him angrily.

A smile curved his lips, and he couldn’t wait any longer. Joshua put his arm around Hazel’s waist and scooped her up into his arms.

She exclaimed, looking shyly at Joshua. “Put me down! Everyone is looking at us!”

“Then let them watch.” He chuckled. Hazel buried her face in his chest as Joshua carried her into the building.

***

It is like a dream come true, Hazel thought as she continued to stare at the marriage license in her hand.

After an insanely crazy afternoon, they obtained a marriage license, went to a nearby church, and found a priest to marry them. It all felt so unreal, but she had the proof in her hand, they were married.

Walking out of the bureau, Hazel smiled at Joshua, she was beaming with happiness. “Joshua, pinch me, so I know this is real!”

Joshua thought it was adorable that Hazel was still in disbelief about their marriage. He smiled and slid his hand down from her waist to her bottom. He gave it a quick pinch and said, “Does this feel real?”

He pulled her close and kissed her lips. The passion flowing from his lips to hers left Hazel feeling hot all over. His grasp became stronger and stronger as if he was going to melt into her arms.

“Hm…” He gave her another deep kiss until she was out of breath.

“I asked you, does it feel real?” He chuckled.

“Yes! It does!” She blushed.

Their public display of affection attracted a lot of attention, and Hazel hoped Joshua would calm down, but instead, he picked her up again.

“I, I can walk by myself….” Hazel said shyly. She tried to figure out why Joshua had to carry her out, he had carried her in, that was more than enough for her.

“I know,” he said with a faint smile. “I just like to hold you close.”

“Where are we going now?” Hazel asked as he sat her on the car seat, “Home?”

“Mmm, home.” he smiled mysteriously.

“Oh.” Her expression was a bit disheartened. She realized that since they were married, they would have a wedding night. Even though they hadn’t had an actual wedding, they eloped, so there was no special celebration with friends and family, but there would still be the wedding night.

“What’s the matter?” Joshua noticed that something was bothering her.

“Nothing.” Hazel smiled and shook her head. Joshua had proposed to her, and she had her marriage license in her hand, so it was going to be hard for her to continue acting virtuously.

Joshua smiled. He knew Hazel had no idea where he was taking her, which was good because he wanted to show her that he had more planned.

Hazel looked out the window and realized they were not going toward Denmark Residence, she trusted Joshua, so she didn’t question him. She had no idea where they were going, but she smiled as she closed her eyes.

Watching Hazel sleep was one of Joshua’s favorite things to do. He knew she had been worn out because of the excitement recently. He just looked at her and smiled.

As she woke up and stretched, Hazel looked around. She didn’t recognize anything and wondered where they were going.

“Where are we? Why are we still driving?” she asked expressionlessly.

“Just stay calm, we’re almost there,” Joshua whispered as he put his hand on her leg.

She was puzzled, but the car soon slowed to a stop. She opened the door and saw a beautiful villa in front of her. She was astounded by the scenery; there were mountains, a lake, and numerous flowers and trees all around.

A breeze blew, and the fragrance from the flowers left Hazel feeling safe and secure.

“Here, here…” She was too shocked to speak fluently.

“Shh…” He raised his finger and made a silent gesture. “Don’t try to speak. Let’s just go inside and have a look around.”

She nodded her head and followed him toward the villa.

Once inside, Hazel was even more amazed. She admired the beautiful fireplace in the living room when she saw something moving out of the corner of her eye. Suddenly, a large golden retriever was licking her hand and wagging his tail.

Hazel saw something else move from the other side of the room. It was a fluffy orange cat balled up on the sofa. The cat squinted at them when she heard the dog but then put her head down and went back to sleep.

The villa was identical to the home she told Joshua she dreamt about, he made it happen.

“Joshua, do you seriously know how to read my mind?” She gazed at him with sparkling eyes. “How could you know I wanted all of this?”

She was trying to hold back her tears; the entire thing was so touching. It turned out that he actually remembered everything she had ever told him. He really cared more about her than she could ever imagine.

“Because we know each other.” He smiled. Then he took her by the hand. “Let’s go upstairs for a look.”

She nodded slowly and smiled. After walking up the spiral staircase, Joshua led her to the bedroom. There was a large bed surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows so that the lake and mountains were visible. Sparkling white lights lit up the balcony.

“It’s really beautiful here!” Hazel walked out onto the balcony and said happily.

“Do you like it?” Joshua asked softly, looking at her with loving tenderness.

“Yes, I like it very much!” She sighed.

“I’m glad that you do.” He kissed her on the forehead.

Hazel began to explore more, she continued to wander around the villa like a child.

They took a walk outside by the lake and found a bench nearby where they stopped to relax. Hazel leaned into Joshua as he put his arm around her.

After a while, it began to get dark, and Joshua whispered, “It’s time to leave.”

“But, can’t we stay here a little longer?” Hazel’s pleading.