Chapter 24: [XXIV]
Zac's room's door was still closed. He showed no signs of coming out.
Even though Hazel was sure he would have locked it from inside, she twisted the handle. Surprisingly, it wasn't locked! She then peeped inside, trying to see what Zac was doing.
It was already evening and the sky was dim, making the room extremely dark. Zac was standing in front of the window, motionless, like a lifeless thing. The night wind blew inside through the window, swaying the curtains. However, Zac stood firm on the ground, unperturbed by the wild wind. Nothing could arouse his reaction because his heart was in a much worse condition.
Although his face was hidden from her view, she could imagine the gloom that would be etched on his face. Her presence didn't bring any reaction from him either.
She cut an orange into pieces and sneaked inside.
"Zac, I'm back. Would you like to have some oranges?"
But he turned a deaf ear to her.
"This orange is so sweet and fresh! Yum!" She did her best to squeeze some reaction out of him, but in vain. Zac still didn't respond. His expression remained as tranquil as an ancient well, without the slightest ripple.
"Give it a try, Zac. I know you are quite fond of oranges. I went to the fruit shop to buy it just for you. And let me tell you, it was very expensive." Hazel acted coquettishly and hoped that would placate him. She peeled an orange and tried to put it in his mouth.
When he didn't open his mouth, she tried to forced it in, completely ignoring his dark eyes. "I have checked it carefully. These oranges don't contain either dye or chemicals."
Knowing she wouldn't stop bugging him, he had no choice but to catch her little hands. The orange fell from her hands and he screamed, "Get out from here!" His growl echoed in the room.
His burst of anger inspired no fear in her. Hazel rolled her eyes, picked up the orange from the ground. With a sigh, she put it into her mouth.
Seeing what she was doing, he snatched it from her and said, "It must have gotten dirty! Why do you want to eat it? Didn't you tell me you had a sensitive stomach!"
"I think I deserve to be punished for lying to you. The truth is, I didn't go to the supermarket. Instead, I went to see Hanson." She lowered her head like a child who was guilty for her mistake. Obediently, she stood, ready to face her punishment.
A cold light flashed in Zac's eyes. He said in a mild tone, "How many times have you broken the rules?"
She pouted and said, "I did lie to you, but it was a very small lie, Zac. Things aren't like how it used to be. He is going to get married and I went to see him as a friend, nothing else. I'm never going to be the other woman in his life or anyone else's life for that matter. I will fully give up my right ventricle and open myself to new love!"
"Really?" Zac raised his eyebrows, the dark cloud on his face slowly fading away. His earlier feeling of gloom was changed to hope. "When will your left ventricle be free?"
Her thick eyelashes flickered, revealing a trace of mischief. "That depends on the person who will chase after me. If he has the ability to seize me then it will open before it is too long."
A mischievous smile emerged on the corners of Zac's mouth. 'Okay. Then I'll give it a try,' he thought. Zac was someone who was used to getting what he wanted.
"Dummy, you better plan our second date properly. Don't let me down."
"Okay!" She made a face at him before she left his room. Long after she was gone, the smile still remained on his face.
In the evening, Hazel began to work on her order. She had a lot of pending work. The new clothes she designed had been appreciated by everyone. Its fame was such that all of it got sold in a single day!
Looking at the figure in her bank account, Hazel's heart brimmed with elation. But this happiness did not last long.
Lucy and Bob came, dragging their luggage in. They had planned to go back tomorrow. However, in the last minute, they changed their mind. It turned out they were going to stay here for a few more days. Staying in the hotel would cost them too much money, hence living with Hazel seemed like a plausible solution.
Zac went to pack up in a hurry and made room for them. Seeing that he was about to sleep in Hazel's work room, Lucy caught him and stopped. "Zac, move your things to Hazel's room. A couple should under no circumstance sleep in separate rooms. As for her sleeping posture problem, with time you will get used to it."
As a mother, she thought it was her sole responsibility to make sure things were going well with her daughter and son-in-law. Expensive hotel was just an excuse. In truth, her ulterior motive was to make sure this marriage remained intact.
Hearing her mother's words, Hazel's eyes became wide. Embarrassment coursed through her body.
'How can she talk so openly in front of Zac?' she wondered. Hazel was quite disturbed and didn't know what to say or do.
Zac, on the other hand, opened his arms and put them around her. "Honey, don't worry. I'll let you kick me as hard as possible tonight. Truth be told, I find it hard to fall asleep without your kicks."
There was a cunning smile playing on his face. On closer inspection, Hazel noticed his eyes were shining and there was something animalistic about him. Like a lion, he seemed ready to pounce on her.
She wiped the beads of sweat that had begun to form on her forehead. She knew she wasn't going to sleep well tonight!
After taking a bath, she clad herself in clothes that covered her whole body. There was no way she would wear something revealing. Exposing skin would only compel the big bad wolf to attack her.
Then, she took out the thumping pillow from the closet and put it in the middle of the bed, making a demarcation line. "Let's share the bed fifty-fifty and restrain from crossing the line, okay?"
Holding the back of his head with his hands, Zac leaned against the head of the bed in a lazy and evil manner. "Honey, mom and dad just told me that we should hurry up and give them a grandchild."
Hazel rolled her eyes and said, "Why are you taking their words so seriously? We are not a real couple. We already made a mistake so it is time to rectify them, rather than make more!"
He lifted the corners of his mouth gracefully, and his eyes began to shine. "Let's make more mistakes together. It is fun to make mistakes with you. I want to be responsible for you.'"
"But guess what? I want to sort things out and live a normal life. And thank you for your offer, but I don't want you to take any kind of responsibility," replied Hazel.
"Okay, how about I have some fun and leave without taking any responsibility?" Zac smiled devilishly with an intention to scare her.
She was speechless. Every time they had a battle of words, she had trouble gaining the upper hand. Zac was well adept at making people speechless. He had a vicious tongue!
She glared at him, turned her back to him, and pretended to be asleep!
With a wolf beside, she had expected an uneasy and sleepless night. But surprisingly, she felt comfortable and inexplicably reassured. In a matter of seconds, she was in a deep slumber.
Hearing her light and steady breathing, a warm smile appeared on his face. He threw away the pillow that was separating her from him and engulfed her within his arms.
Her silky hair let out a mild and pleasant fragrance. Her skin was as smooth as silk. This close proximity with this beauty brought relief to his mind and body. Zac who was repulsed by the idea of being close to a woman was now dying for this woman's closeness.
While he was immersed in the process of admiring her, she seemed to feel his touch. She changed her sleeping position.
He closed his eyes, trying to relish this moment. In fact, it was quite comfortable sleeping with her.
After half an hour, Hazel, who was used to sleeping alone, felt something hard on her back. Worriedly, she looked around for the pillow. 'Why is he hugging me? Where is the pillow?' Her mind was all over the place. Her movements woke him up too. He snorted and grasped her hand. "Honey, relax and sleep!"
His murmur panicked her even further. After a lot of struggle, she jumped from the bed.
'Oh, my God! He snuggled up to me this whole time!' she thought.
She covered her face with her hands. The embarrassment she was feeling was so strong that she wanted to make a hole on the floor and bury herself.
"Zac, get out of here, right now!" she warned, as soon as she was able to speak.
He turned over and lay on his side. He rested his head on one hand and smiled lazily. "Honey, keep your voice down. Our parents are next door. Your screams will only worry them."
His tone sounded casual, but it was a powerful reminder. Like always, he managed to hit her on her weak spot. Presently, she had no choice but to surrender.
The pillow lay sprawled on the sofa. She put it back in the middle of the bed. "If you dare to cross that line again, I will kick you
off the bed!"
"It's okay. I will consider your kick as a massage." Zac smirked. His eyes were full of passion. Nothing she said could annoy him. In fact, in this world, only she could do whatever she liked and get away with it.
After they had breakfast, Hazel stepped into the studio to make orders. Suddenly, her phone rang. It was a call from her landlord, completely spoiling her mood. Her earlier emotion of elation was soon replaced by gloom.
"What? The rent is going to be raised? 4,000 is a huge amount! I can't afford to pay such a ridiculous price!"
"The subway near the apartment is opening soon. The rent around here has risen, madam. The other landlords have raised it to 4,500. Since you are a regular, I was trying to be easy on you. 4,000 dollars isn't a lot. If this is too much for you, why don't you move out next month?"
Hazel was furious and wanted to swear at them. These men who owned the houses were oppressing the ones who had no place to go.
After she hung up the phone, Lucy stood up from the sofa. She had heard the whole conversation. Both mother and daughter decided to discuss the matter with Bob.
"4,000 dollars is not a small amount, especially for a room that you are just renting,"
Bob said, agreeing with Lucy. They had planned to buy a house for the couple after their wedding. But now seeing how things were going, he decided it was time to do it.
"Dad, mom, stop bustling around. Buying a house should never be a decision taken on an impulse. And even if we are going to get one, please opt for something small and less grand," she advised.
"But why? We have got a whole month! We can buy a house with refined decoration and then move in," Lucy argued, unable to understand why Hazel was against the idea of having a beautiful house.
Hazel sighed internally. When her mother was determined to do something, she wouldn't stop until she had achieved it. And buying a grand house for her daughter was at present her biggest desire. She could do nothing to stop her!
Once she thought about it, she realized buying a house was an investment given the heavily weakened currency. Based on her current income, she could afford to buy a sixty-square-meter house with two rooms. But there was another big problem she had to consider before she made any rash decision. And that was her fake husband.
After registration, she patiently studied the marriage law. The house she buys after marriage would fall under marital property. In short, it would belong to both of them. After divorce, she would have to split half of the property with her husband.
Hazel didn't know what Zac was like. 'What if he fights against me for property when we get divorced?' She couldn't help but worry.
It would mean her parents' hard-earned money would be snatched away by this fake son-in-law! She couldn't let that happen at any cost.
After contemplating the matter for what felt like ages, an idea popped into her mind.
Gifts
-- Gift
received Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone