AUTHOR'S POV

Idlewild Airport,
11:04 am

Xaden was sitting at an airport seat waiting for his flight. He was wearing brown beanies that was covering his hair except for his bangs. He had his headphones encircled on his neck.

His hands were holding his passport and his heart was nothing but heaviness.

He's leaving the country as he got a huge offer after pulling the biggest crowd at the venue. He has been working at small shows like college festivals but this time an entertainment company wants to hire him and going to make a contract for five years.

If he agrees he'd be working under their label and have to work as per however they'll schedule him.

There are many fewer chances that he'll get to visit his country in years.

He was deep in his thoughts yet he noticed Sen coming to him with his luggage.

She glanced at him as he was resting his elbows on his thighs looking down at the floor.

Sen has been with him since the day he left his family. She is one of the reasons behind his massive success in such a short period as she has been managing everything for him and they have got quite attached.

He asked her multiple times to go back but she declined. She had caught feelings for him decades ago but never got enough courage to speak out about it.

She sat next to him sensing his behaviour since last night. He looks lost instead of looking excited for getting the huge opportunity but she also knows the reason behind his shivering heart. She knows he loves Hazel.

"I thought that if I act like it doesn't matter, then it wouldn't," Xaden mumbled. "I was wrong. It hurts. It hurts so damn much to hide. But I'll keep it to myself so it doesn't hurt anyone else." He added lifting his gaze from the white marble floor to meet with Sen's soft ones. " Sen, I'm feeling guilty, my heart thumping, why? Am I doing something wrong? Is chasing our dreams wrong?" He asked the girl whom he hardly used to spare a glance at but now she's the only one he goes back to at the end of the day knowing she'll be there. The mere girl is now the only partner of his lonely times, a friend he shared everything with without any hesitation. " I'm losing my focus. Tell me what to do?" He asked trying to sound stable.

Sen sat on her ankle in front of him and started to tie his shoelaces. He's still a careless person but she has taken good care of him.

She raised her head and looked into his eyes with a small smile. " You aren't doing anything wrong to feel guilty about. You are doing amazing and I'm so proud of you. But I don't want you to miss out on the most important people in your life as well." She said hesitantly holding his hand. He stayed sitting at his spot listening to her carefully. " You are lucky that an entire family is waiting for you. Your mother, your father, your brothers. Not everyone has this. You don't know what it feels like to be alone. You want to be alone because you know there are people who love you, you feel this way because you are wanted by many but there will be a time not now but ten, twenty, or maybe thirty years later when you'll start to lose your place in these people's heart, there will be another star they'd be after. They will forget about you but your family will never. No matter how bad you were they'll care. I do care about you too. And I'll be there till the end with you no matter whatever decision you make. But I want you to go meet your mother. I heard she's ill. I don't want you to regret it." She politely tried to make him understand.

'' I can't go back. Dad would be mad at me." He shook his head.

" He would be surely mad but happy too. Tell me who else has the right on you to be mad at you? No one besides your family. No one's gonna lecture you for being reckless except for them. They just want to protect you just like you wanted to protect Miss. Hazel. They didn't realize they were caging you just like you didn't. She slipped out of your hands because you held her too tightly same as you slipped out of their hand because of the same reason. You don't understand until you go through the same situations. You learned your lessons and I'm sure they also won't force you into anything after all this mess. Believe me. Everyone gonna welcome you with open arms. They gonna accept you." She squeezed his hand a bit between her palms trying to search for a little change in his eyes.

Xaden stared into her eyes thinking how well she understands him.

" You mean I should give up on this career." He asked in a low voice.

" No, I'm telling you to not give up on your family." She responded making him think deeply.

" Excuse me, sir." An air hostess interrupted and told him to get into his flight. Xaden stood up but Sen didn't release his hand causing him to look down at her with a tilted head.

" Sen-"

" You know why I'm pleading with you so much?" Sen glanced up holding her tears back. " It's because I don't have a family. No one cares if I'm alive or dead. But you have it. Go back. Please go back." The last words came out above a whisper and her hand dropped.

Xaden sighed heavily. " Stand up," Xaden said making her wipe her tears with the back of her hand and obey his words. She stood up but didn't meet his gaze.

Xaden grabbed her hand and handed her his passport along with the torn flight ticket. Sen's head snapped up only to see him grinning which she hasn't done in the last six months.

" Xaden?" Her lips parted in disbelief.

Xaden wrapped his arms around her tiny figure and gave her a tight hug. " Thank you, Sen." He held her like she was some giant man causing her to tiptoe a bit.

As soon as he pulled out she breathed. " Cancel the tickets, call the agency and one more thing contact me as soon as you'll be in my town. I'll always be needing you. I'm not letting you go this easily. If not family you have my back remember this." He said caressing her hair.

Sen nodded smiling with tear-filled eyes as he rushed to the exit. Getting outside he loaded his luggage into a cab and sat it.

A sigh of relief escaped his lips as the cab started to move forward. He rested his head on the seat looking outside the cab. He glanced down at his mobile screen as lit up with a notification.

He clicked on it to see a blurry picture with a location under it. His eyebrows crashed. The picture got clearer and his already racing heart started to thump as he recognised Hazel. It was her tied and thrown on some dusty floor with blood all over her face.

New York,
03:06 pm

Hazel hissed opening her eyes slowly. Her hair was covering her face. She tried to bring her hand to her forehead but her other hand moved up as well as her wrists were tied with a rope. She touched her forehead to feel sharp pain causing her to curl up.

She didn't feel any wetness as the blood was dried all over her face and hands.

She moved her head a bit to see the weird surrounding. That looked like an old house. There were spider webs all around. She could hear the chirping sounds of birds from outside, sensing she was somewhere in a jungle.

She stayed lied on the floor hearing noises of two persons arguing. Both of the voices were similar.

" She was not part of our plan. You scammed me." One of them said.

She blinked multiple times as the dried blood was making it difficult to see things properly. As her vision got clear she saw Ian back facing her and the other person was Maxwell.

FLASHBACK

Maxwell was gulping the alcohol nonstop at the Williams'mansion on the night when they celebrated the succession of their collaboration. His eyes turned red and his mind was numb because of overdrinking. He couldn't help but continuously think about Jane and her words.

" Two more please." He heard a familiar voice of a man. He turned to face who it belongs to and found Ian taking place next to him on the tool.

The waiter handed Ian his shorts who offered one of them to Maxwell.

" She's a gold digger," Ian said gazing at the little glass in his hand. " First you, now Williams." He added.

Maxwell glared. " Mind your words when you speak about her." He was about to stand up but Ian's words stopped him.

" I can get you her if you favor me with one thing," Ian smirked as Maxwell sat back. " Accept it or not but she's always chasing rich men. Become richer and get her." He added.

" Thank you so much but I didn't need this f*cking advice of yours. I thought you had something useful to say." Maxwell gritted his teeth.

" Ain't just advising you. I have a whole plane. Was just looking for a partner...well..." He sighed. " It's not that hard to find William's enemies"

" What is the plan?" Maxwell asked.

Ian chuckled. " Williams' downfall."

"Why? Aren't you engaged with their heir?" He asked with crashed eyebrows.

" Exactly... engaged with their heir, not someone I love."

"You are the real gold digger here." Maxwell gave him loath full look.

Ian laughed. " Maybe you don't want your Janny." He mocked making him angrier and drunken.

Maxwell lifted his gaze to see Jane dancing with Edwin.

" What would I have to do?" He asked Ian.

" Nothing but a signature. I'll take care of the rest." Ian answered.

" What you gonna do?" He asked facing Ian.

" Bankrupt them all. Their downfall will automatically bring Jane to you because she will leave them once she'll get nothing from them. As I said earlier b*tches are  chasers of richer m*therf*ckers."

Sober Maxwell would have never trusted Ian but he was drunk plus angry to take any good decision.

" I'm in. I don't want a single penny. I just want her." Maxwell gulped the whole drink in one go and signed the papers without even reading them only to get betrayed later...as all, the blames gonna be on Maxwell and he'd be found dead according to his plans.

PRESENT

A loud voice interrupted their argument. There were many men outside to guard the place yet no one came in to speak about the thug they heard.

" Go check," Ian commanded Maxwell who grabbed a metal rod and unwantedly went out of Hazel's sight.

Hazel looked around to see a screwdriver. She crawled quietly and somehow grabbed that.

Sensing the movement behind him, Ian turned his gaze to Hazel who hid the weapon behind her back.

" Our baby William woke up," Ian smirked walking to her. He sat on his ankle in front of her as Hazel managed to sit up.

He brought his hand near her face and removed her hair back from her face still some of it stayed stuck because of the blood all over her face.

She tightened her grip on the screwdriver and tried to attach but he caught his wrist and twisted it.

She winced dropping the weapon from her hand.

" Tsk...tsk...tsk..." He faked sympathy.

She cried finding herself all helpless in front of someone she was seeing her future with. Her heart was ripping watching him being so heartless.

" Was it all a lie? Those promises." She asked looking up at his emotionless eyes.

" Promises are made to be broken, Darling," Ian said wiping the side of her lips.

" So are your bones."

Hazel's head snapped towards the door where she saw Xaden standing with a clenched jaw. Ian also turned to find the rod in his hand but now blood-stained.

" X-Xaden?" Hazel gasped as her eyes caught his other hand holding Maxwell by his ankle. He dragged him further and dropped his leg. His eyes turned from Hazel to Ian and they turned darker than the darkest night.

• Before getting attached to someone, be prepared if they leave.

Chapter Published On: 28 May 2023.

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Sorry if there are errors. I wrote this chapter in hurry. Please don't hesitate to point the mistakes out. I'll be glad to correct them.

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