Lana said, “Fay, being loyal to Miss Hart is our mission. Don’t ever forget who gave you your life. She can grant it, and she can take it away just as easily.”

“Yes, I understand. From now on, 11l only mind my own business,” Fay replied.

Fay’s eyes bdimmed /bwith disappointment. Just being able to stay by her side and serve her is balready /bbthe /bgreatest blessing I could hope for he thought to himself.

‘I shouldn’t yearn for things that were never bmeant /bto be mine, he reminded himself.

Meanwhile, rk bhad /balready slipped away, but not before making sure Thorn got the antidote. ‘Boss, we almost got busted, he thought.

Good thing he was a master of disguise. Nobody could see through his act

“bHazel/b, you’re here. Have you gotten all bthe /bbpoison /bout of your systemb?/b” Thorn asked anxiously

But what Thorn really wanted to know was whether she had been with someone else bthat /bnight.

I’m fine now. I’ll be bheading /bback in a few days. Thorn, byou /bshould spend more time with your parents,” Hazel said.

Thorn’s face went pale at her words. He tumbled off the bed and threw his barms /bbaround /bbher/b.

“If you dare leave me, I’ll just die right in front of you,” he blurted out, bhalf/b–threatening, half–pleading.

Sienna let bout /ba helpless sigh, bclosed /bher eyes, and pushed him away.

Thorn, we both have our own lives to live,” she said.

“No! I’m bnot /bletting you go. Wherever you go, I’m going too,” Thorn insisted stubbornly.

Hazel caught a whiff of a scent on herself bthat /bdidn’t belong to her. Her eyes widenedb, /band her trembling hand instinctively gripped her

bown /bbarm/bb. /b

Thorn demanded, “You! You were with bhim/b, weren’t youb?/b”

His bvoice /bwas trembling, teetering on the edge of breaking down. He was asking, but deep down, he already knew bthe /banswer.

He knew that if she didn’t want to, bno /bone could ever force her.

Sienna looked into his eyes, seeing the hope there about to break, and hit him with the truth he couldn’t bear.

“Yes, L. I already have…” she started.

“Not Don’t say it. Just don’t. Thorn shouted, cutting her off, his eyes burning with anger and desperation as he red at her.

He shook his head in disbelief. “No! That’s not true! Nothing happened. Can’t we just go back to how things were before?”

Thorn simply couldn’t ept it. He would never ept

cept that there bwas /bsomen

bwas /bsomeone else by her side.

No way. Not ever.

Sienna pped him bhard /bacross the face.

Thorn’s head snapped to bthe /bside, his beyes /bhollow band /bcrazed

“Thom, go live your own life, Sienna said.

With that, the turned to leave, but Thom, ignoring everything else, brushed /bforward and grabbed her again, locking her tightly in his

His voice was pitiful and desperate as he pleaded, “Hazel, please, you can’t just leave me all alone. I love you. I love you so bmuch/b. I can’t Live without you”

12

Sienna had reached the end of her patience. She was just about to act when she spotted Thorn’s parents approaching,

“Let go! Someone’sing,” she hissed.

It was only bwhen /bbhe /bsaw his bown /bparents that Thorn bfinally /blet

go of Sienna.

“Hazel, we heard bthis /bbrat ended up in the hospital. How is he doing now?” Thom’s father asked.

“It’s all good now. You don’t bhave /bto worry, Sienna replied.

As night fell, Sienna handed thest document to Lana and let out a byawn/b. She was just about to head into her broom /bto sleep when she suddenly sensed someone inside.

She whipped out her gun in a sh. Who could possibly sneak into my room without making a bsound/b? she thought, instantly on alert.

There, sitting at the table, bwas /ba figure pouring bwine/b.

It was Thorn.

Sienna jammed the gun against his head, her tone icy.

Who said you coulde in!”

Thorn raised his ss, swirling the wine, fixing her with a deep, unreadable gaze..

“Hazel, hey, rx. I just wanted to have a drink with you. Come on, just sit down and have one with me.

Sienna cocked the gun, her eyes icy cold. “Get out.”

Thorn drained the wine in one gulp, stood up, and a dark, almost deranged smile twisted across his gloomy face.

“Go on, shoot me right between the eyes. One shot, send me straight to hell.

E