“Sir, you’re still bleeding. Here, let me wrap it with my scarf, rk said, not waiting for a response as he tied the silk scarf around Thorn’s head. The drug kicked in within a minute.

“I said I don’t need it! Are you deaf? Open the damn door. I’m leaving.” Thorn snapped.

Thorn despised these do–gooder types. They were aplete waste of his time. This was just a scratch; he didn’t need a hospital.

As he argued, a bwave /bof drowsiness washed over him. His vision blurred, and he rubbed his temples. “I think I’m.”

“Sir, your injury is worse than you think! You can’t fall asleep,” rk said, his voiceced with fake panic. “I’m getting you to the hospital right now. Just hang on, sir. Please, hang on! I can’t go to jail for this.

“Sir, don’t sleep. We’re almost there”

Thom grew sleepier and sleepier until his eyes finally closed and he slumped over, unconscious.

rk slowed the car, beginning a long, pointless drive through the city.

Meanwhile, Hazel soaked in an ice bath, but the fire coursing through her veins refused to be quenched.

Lana paced nervouslyb, /bbsnapping /bat the person on the other end of her phone.

“Do you have the antidote or not? Move it! I need it now!”

Lana ended the call and nced anxiously at Hazel, whose exquisite form was submerged in the icy water.

The sight was starkly beautiful, and Lana reflexively swallowed before shooting a re at Reno, who was staring intently.

“What are you blooking /bat? Did you finish the btasks /bI gave you?” Lana urged.

Lana shifted, blocking bReno’s /bbview /bas Reno tried to step around her.

“Get out of my way. I need to talk to the boss.” Reno insisted,

“You can tell me.” Lana shot back

Reno nted her hands on her hips, her frustration boiling over. “Lana, I’m her assistant, too.”

Lana just gave her a t, unimpressed look that said, ‘And?‘

Fuming, Reno turned to bleave /band nearly collided with a guard rushing toward them.

“What’s the rush? Reno snapped.

“Someone’s here to see the boss” The guard replied.

Reno frowned. “Who is it bthis /bte?”

“He said hisst name is Ford. A friend of the boss”

Julian Ford” Reno’s mind raced. “No way. He should be in bSra/b. The timing is too perfect. The boss gets poisoned, and he just shows up? There’s no fucking way that’s ba /bcoincidence!

bShe /bwas bsuspicious /bof anyone who bappeared /bout of nowhereb, /ba lesson learned after years at Hazel’s side. Still, she knew Hazel and Julian

were close.

“Let him i

in bfor /bnow,” Reno told the guard. Tl inform the boss”

b“/bbYes/bb, /bma’am”

Reno hurried back to bHazel’s /bside. Hazel was leaning against the edge of the tubs, her eyes closed, her longshes trembling slightly. She

heard Reno approach and spoke without opening her eyes. “What is it?”

“Boss, Mr. Ford is here.”

Hazel’s eyes snapped open. “You mean Julian? How bcould /bhe be here? Then it hit her the vase at the auction. That was him. Tell him to

leave.

“What?” Reno was stunned. “Boss, byou /bwant me to send him away?”

‘Doesn’t she like him? Julian Ford is ridiculously handsome. Reno thought

“Yes,” Hazel said, her gaze fixed on the nts across the room. “I’m not bseeing /banyone.”

“Understood,” Reno saidb, /bsuppressing her questions. She ryed the message to Lana, who frowned in confusion.

“We shouldn’t try to guess the boss’s motives, bLana /bbsaid /bwith a sigh. “I’ll send him baway/b.

“Okay.”

When bLana /btold Julian that Hazel wouldn’t see him, he wasn’t surprised, but the bitter ache of disappointment was still sharp. He had Expected this oue, yet it still hurt.

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