Once Vincent assigned the three bodyguards, the hospital became much quieter. Hazel could finally rest and focus on recovering. She thought she could safely spend the next few days healing. But she hadn’t counted on Milena demanding her to be her personal cook.

“Everyone knows Hazel’s an amazing cook. I don’t want the chef’s food—I only want the meals she makes herself!”

Vincent couldn’t argue with her and nodded lovingly. “Fine. Let Hazel cook for you, then.”

Hazel arrived at the VIP ward just in time to see the scene. Her chest tightened.

Three years ago, Vincent had nearly died from a sudden stomach attack. Back then, Hazel swore she’d learn how to cook, so she could take care of the man she loved. She had always been smart, but cooking was the one thing she had no talent for. She had cut herself so many times that her fingers were covered in tiny scars. But she persisted. And eventually, she succeeded.

Vincent moved in tears, holding her in his arms and whispering, “From now on, you’ll only ever cook for me.”

Now, that same man had just handed her over like a servant, all because another woman pouted.

Hazel came to her senses and forced herself to calm down. Her sister was still in surgery; she had to endure it.

“What would you like me to make?” she asked.

Milena named a dish casually, then watched Hazel leave with a sneer. She had long since plotted revenge for the earlier confrontation.

Half an hour later, a bowl of lamb soup sat in front of Milena. After a few sips, she began convulsing. Her skin flushed violently.

“Vincent… help me!”

By the time Vincent rushed in, Milena was on the floor, foaming at the mouth, barely breathing.

She refused to let the doctors operate until he arrived. “Vincent,” she gasped, clutching his sleeve weakly, “Hazel knows I’m allergic to lamb. She did it on purpose… you have to—”

Before she could finish her words, Milena collapsed.

Vincent’s face twisted with fury. His fist slammed into the wall beside Hazel’s head.

“Why, Hazel?” he shouted. “Why can’t you stop? I told you—I only see her as a sister! Why are you still trying to hurt her?”

Hazel’s eyes were ice. “She asked for the dish herself. She planned this. If you don’t believe me, you can—”

Her words cut off as Vincent’s hand cracked across her face.

He looked at her with disgust, as though she’d committed an unforgivable sin. “Go kneel in the hallway and atone for your scene,” he ordered coldly. “You don’t get up until Milena wakes.”

Hearing this, Hazel almost lost her balance. So many patients and staff were walking past—he wanted her to kneel in front of everyone? 

Before she could resist, Vincent’s bodyguards forced her to the cold floor. A nurse whispered and pointed.

“Isn’t that Mr. Clarke’s wife? I heard she’s cruel and jealous — always picking on Milena, his little sister.”

“Is she mentally ill? Anyone can see how much Mr. Clarke loves his sister. She must be crazy to keep pushing her.”

Hazel lowered her head as her tears hit the floor. Even strangers could see it — Vincent really doted on Milena. She shouldn’t have been standing in the way.

She didn’t know how long she’d been kneeling when Vincent suddenly came running toward her.

“Get up!” he barked in a panic tone. “Milena needs blood. Come with me!”

Still dazed, Hazel was dragged into the blood extraction room.

The sight of the thick needles made her stomach drop. Her lips turned pale with fear. “No. I can’t donate. Find someone else.”

She had just undergone an abortion and had lost so much blood. Donating blood to Milena now would be too much for her body

But Vincent ignored her protests, thinking she was just pretending. He commanded the doctors to proceed, using the largest possible needle.

“Milena’s very weak. Draw triple the amount for backup,” he said coldly.

By the time it was over, she lost all strength and collapsed in the blood draw room like a rag. Her arms were covered in bruises.

No one came to help her.

She didn’t know how long she sat there before she finally gathered enough strength to stand. Holding onto the wall for balance, she stumbled step by step back to her ward.

But when she pushed open the door, her heart froze. Her father was gone. Every single thing in the room had been thrown to the floor.

Hazel’s chest tightened. Ignoring her weak body, she sought Vincent.

“Where did you take my father?!” she demanded.

Vincent was sitting by Milena’s bed, carefully helping her drink water. His brows furrowed at Hazel’s outburst.

“Do you know Milena almost die because of you? You need to learn a lesson.”

“The research project your dad and I worked on had problems. I’ve already contacted the university. If nothing unexpected happens, he should be reviewing it now.”

At this point, he snorted coldly, “I’ve already been soft enough to you, Hazel. If something like this happens again, I won’t let it off easy.”

But Hazel simply ignored it and she took a step back sadly instead.

“My dad devoted everything to you! Every opportunity, every resource—he gave it to you first!” And now you repay him by reporting him? You’re monster!”

She rushed out of the ward without looking back and took a taxi straight to the university.

When she arrived there, the sight before her made her knees give way. Her father—an upright man who had lived honorably his whole life—was standing on stage, bowing his head, confessing mistake to the entire school.

He was bowing and apologizing for things he hadn't done

Tears blurred Hazel’s vision. Her emotions boiling over. She rushed forward, grabbed the microphone from his hands and shouted through her tears, “My father did nothing wrong! He’s innocent! Please, you have to believe him!”

But the crowd had already recognized her—the infamous manipulative Mrs. Clarke, the "green tea girl" who had been making a lot of noise online lately

They surrounded her and threw their weapons at her. Chaos erupted.

Her father, trying to shield her, fell to his knees as the mob’s fists and kicks rained down on him. Then, suddenly, his body stiffened. He fell backward.

Hazel's heart felt like a bucket of cold water had been poured over her. With trembling hands, she reached out to check her father's breath.

But he was completely dead.

She was heartbroken, cradling her father's body, sobbing heartbreakingly on the stage

The crowd, realizing what they’d done, scattered in terror. But her father’s colleague eventually arrived, helping Hazel carry the body away. Together, they took him to the crematorium.

By the end, Hazel’s eyes were swollen red. She hugged the urn tightly, whispering a broken thank-you to them before heading back to the hospital.

Now, her sister was all she had left. She had to protect her at any cost!

When she pushed open the hospital room door, her blood ran cold. Milena was standing by the bed, stabbing his sister straight in the chest with a knife.

Without thinking, Hazel charged forward. She grabbed the knife with her bare hand. Blood poured down her wrist, but she didn’t even flinch. She planted herself between Milena and the bed.

“I want you to pay for my father’s death!”

Hazel wanted to grab the knife and die with Milena, but her body was too weak. In the struggle, Milena’s hand slipped—and the knife plunged into Hazel’s shoulder.

Horrified at what she had done, Milena screamed.

Hearing the noise, Vincent rushed in. His eyes widened at the sight of Hazel covered in blood. Panic gripped him.

“Hazel, don’t be scared,” he said, reaching for her. “Milena didn’t mean to hurt you.”

But before he could touch her, Hazel pulled the knife from her shoulder and without hesitation, plunged it into his chest. The horror froze Vincent in place.

Milena shrieked at the same time, furious.

“How dare you try to hurt Vincent?! I’ll kill you!” she shouted, lunging at her.

But Vincent stopped her.

He scooped the collapsing Hazel into his arms and strode out the door.

“Doctor! I need doctor! Somebody save her!” he shouted.

Feeling her warm, sticky blood coating his hands, Vincent’s heart was in turmoil.

When Hazel opened her eyes, Vincent was sitting beside her. He was injured, too, yet insisted on staying by her side. But Hazel felt nothing. She turned her head coldly, unmoved by his presence or his concern.

Vincent didn’t get angry; he leaned closer, trying to please her. “The doctor says your injuries aren’t serious. The grand cruise gala is in two days. I want to invite you for a dance.”

It was their old agreement. But before Hazel could answer, Milena walked in carrying a cake.

She pouted, “Vincent, didn’t you promise you’ll dance with me?”

The atmosphere in the ward instantly became awkward.

Hazel didn’t care. She ordered both of them out, cold and firm. Right now, all she wanted was a good sleep.

But Milena wouldn’t leave. She opened the elegant cake box and held it out to Hazel.

“Hazel,” she said sweetly, “I’m sorry for what I did. I made this cake myself to apologize. Try it.”

Hazel hesitated. But she was weak and starving, she needed food to regain her strength. She scooped up a spoonful and put it in her mouth.

Then her face twisted. A strange, metallic sweetness exploded on her tongue. She turned and spat it out.

When she looked back at the cake, she froze. Inside the cream was a layer of unmixed gray powder.

“Milena! What did you put in this?” she pressed.

For a moment, a flicker of satisfaction flashed in Milena’s eyes—but it vanished just as quickly, replaced by an innocent smile. “Oh, that one? It was in the tin on your desk. I thought it was flour. How is it? Do you like it?”

Hazel’s heart stopped. That tin… it held her father’s ashes.

Her hand trembled as fury surged through her veins. She swung, striking Milena hard across the face.

“Milena, you bitch! Why don’t you just die?!”

Vincent rushed to intervene. “Enough! Why do you always have to lose control?”

Hazel didn’t want to see either of them. She drove them both out and, staring at the cake, broke down completely. She had failed to protect even her father’s remains.

After a brief moment of grief, Hazel headed straight for her sister’s ward. Insisted she’d only stayed there. No matter how much Vincent tried to persuade her, she wouldn’t leave her sister’s side. Her sister was all she had left. Even if it meant dying, she would protect her.

Vincent sighed helplessly and left her, letting her calm down.

That evening, the power went out.

Every life-support system connected to Sadie stopped. Hazel panicked. She ran into the hallway, searching for help, but every corridor was empty. There wasn’t a single doctor in sight. She called Vincent—ninety-nine times—but got no answer.

She could only watch helplessly as Sadie grew cold in her arms. Using her last strength, Sadie squeezed Hazel’s hand.

“Don’t cry… Hazel…”

Then she closed her eyes forever.

Hazel held her sister’s lifeless body, crying until she nearly fainted.

The next morning, she carried her sister to the crematorium. This time, she had her sister’s ashes made into a necklace and wore it around her neck. No one would ever separate them again.

When Vincent arrived, he explained that he had been in meetings and had his phone off. He asked what had happened.

Hazel said nothing of the tragedy. Instead, she spoke calmly, “I’ve got my eye on a haute couture gown. It’s thirty million. I want you to buy it for me for tonight’s gala.”

Vincent didn’t even blink before agreeing.

That evening, Hazel showed up at the cruise gala wearing the stunning gown, her beauty stealing every spotlight. For the first time, she didn’t fade into the background—she owned the room. She danced the first dance with Vincent, earning cheers from everyone, outperforming Milena.

Enraged and jealous, Milena dragged Hazel to the back of the yacht. “So, you still haven’t given up on him? You think you can compete with me?”

Hazel’s eyes flicked briefly toward the hidden security camera behind them. She smiled faintly.

“Vincent’s my husband. Why should I give him up?”

Milena’s face twisted. “But he loves me! Who do you think you are?”.

“If you weren’t around,” Milena snapped, “Vincent would be mine.”

"You're the one forcing me to do this!"

The next second, Milena shoved Hazel hard.

Hazel, who was leaning against the railing, fell backward, hitting the metal guard before plunging into the sea.

Milena regained his composure, reacting immediately and running back to the yacht, trying to cover up what she had done.

***

Meanwhile, David who was waiting nearby, grabbed Hazel as soon as she fell and hauled her onto the lifeboat.

They sped away in the opposite direction of the yacht, disappearing quickly into the night.

Watching the yacht vanish into the darkness, Hazel pulled out her phone SIM card and tossed it into the sea.

From that moment on, Hazel Wright ceased to exist.

As their boat sailed across the sea surrounded by mountains, she was finally, completely free...