Chris stood at the doorway, his hands clenched into fists, eyes locked onto Hazel. She had fallen asleep beside Vincent, her head resting on her arms. The soft rise and fall of her breathing, the way she unconsciously leaned closer to Vincent—it made Chris's blood boil.

Vincent was awake. Not weak, not helpless—just awake, watching her with a soft smile. His fingers brushed against her hair, tucking stray strands away from her face with a touch so gentle it made Chris want to rip him away from her.

His jaw tightened. She should be mine.

Days were slipping by, and Hazel hadn’t left Vincent’s side. She skipped work, ignored her own well-being—all for him. And the worst part? She refused to believe Chris. No matter how many times he told her Vincent was faking, she dismissed it. Her blind devotion was only feeding Chris’s fury.

He had tried everything. Even confronting the doctors.

---

Flashback

Chris stormed into the doctor’s office, his patience long gone. "Why are you lying about him being injured?" he demanded, voice sharp.

The doctor looked up, startled. "Excuse me?"

"Did he pay you?" Chris accused, stepping forward. "Is that why you’re keeping quiet?"

The doctor sighed. "Mr. Chris , lower your voice—"

"This won’t end well if you’re covering for him," Chris cut him off. "Tell Hazel the truth. Right now."

The doctor leaned back, folding his arms. "And why should I?"

Chris’s nostrils flared. "Because she deserves to know!"

The doctor let out a slow breath. "It’s not hurting anyone."

Chris froze.

"He just wants her love," the doctor continued. "And honestly? I think she loves him back. Look at her—staying by his side, worrying over him. You think someone who doesn’t love  would do all that?"

Chris clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.

"If she finds out the truth, she’s going to hate him," he growled.

The doctor shrugged. "Not if no one tells her. Unless, of course,  want to be the villain in their love story."

Chris’s breath hitched.

"Relax, it’s not a big deal," the doctor added, waving him off.

Not a big deal?

Chris’s vision blurred with fury. It was a big deal to him.

End of flashback

...

Her name echoed in his own mind, like a chant.

Hazel. Hazel. Hazel.

His grip on the doorknob tightened. His blood roared in his ears as he watched them.

If she kept looking at Vincent like that—if she kept staying by his side, falling deeper into his web— he would end up doing something both of them will regret

...........

The next morning, Hazel woke up beside Vincent.

"Good morning," he said, smiling.

"Good morning… Sorry, I slept here," she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Why are you apologizing? I should have woken you up. You slept in such an uncomfortable position," he said, concern lacing his voice.

She shook her head. "Nah, it’s okay." Stretching her arms, she added, "I should go home, change, and come back with food for you."

Vincent just looked at her, his eyes soft, a quiet admiration lingering in them.

She smiled, turning to leave, but before she could take a step, he gently held her hand.

She turned back, eyebrows slightly raised.

"Thank you," he said.

She blinked in confusion. "For what?"

"For coming into my life," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that made her heart ache.

Her lips parted, but before she could respond, he spoke again.

"I love you so much, Hazel."

Her breath hitched. "Vincent, I—"

"I know," he cut her off, his smile turning bittersweet. "I know you don’t love me back. I just… I just needed you to know how I feel."

"Vincent, you deserve someone who loves you back," she said gently.

"I don’t want someone better . I want you," he whispered.

Hazel's chest tightened. She pulled her hand away, stepping back slightly. "Vincent, please don’t do this… Don’t put me in this situation. I care about you, I really do, but as a friend. I never thought about you like that."

His smile wavered for a moment, but he nodded. "I know… I just had to say it."

Hazel exhaled slowly. "I don’t want to hurt you."

"You’re not," he reassured her, even though they both knew it wasn’t entirely true.

She hesitated  . " I need to go "

Vincent just watched her, his eyes lingering on her as she turned to leave.

"Please… try," he said.

Hazel stopped in her tracks.

"Try to love me back," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

She turned around slowly, meeting his gaze.

"I promise you won’t regret it," he whispered, his eyes filled with an earnest desperation.

Hazel swallowed hard. "Vincent…"

"Just give me a chance," he pleaded. "Let me prove it to you."

Her heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice. "I don’t want to hurt you," she said softly.

"Then don’t," he said. "Just try."

She hesitated, struggling to find the right words, before finally shaking her head. "I can't force my heart, Vincent."

His smile faltered for a second, but he nodded. "I understand…"

Hazel exhaled, turning away once more. "I’ll be back soon."

As she walked out, she could still feel his words echoing in her mind, leaving an uneasy weight in her chest.

........

Vincent had just changed his clothes and was now sitting on his bed, waiting for Hazel. He had grown addicted to her attention over the past few weeks. She was always by his side, taking care of him. At the office, he got to talk to her, but their time alone was limited due to work. Now, with her constantly around, giving him her undivided attention, he had become obsessed.

The thought of her leaving made his chest tighten. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was desperate for more.

His eyes kept flickering toward the window, searching for any sign of her approaching. But instead of Hazel, he saw Chris.

The moment Chris stepped into the room, Vincent’s expression darkened.

"You’re here again," Vincent muttered.

Chris didn’t respond. He simply walked in and dropped himself onto the sofa, his posture tense.

"Tell her," he finally said.

Vincent frowned. "Tell her what?"

Chris met his eyes, unwavering. "Tell her this is all a drama."

Vincent parted his lips to speak, confusion flashing across his face, but before he could say a word, Chris cut him off.

"Tell her and end this. I can’t tolerate it anymore," Chris said, his voice edged with frustration.

"And why can't you tolerate it?" Vincent asked.

"Because she is mine, and I can't stand her being close to anyone else but me," Chris said.

........

Hazel sat in her room, staring blankly at the wall.

I love you, Hazel.

His voice ran through her mind again.

She swallowed, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress.

Try to love me back.

Her lips parted slightly, a whisper escaping before she could stop it.

"I love you too, Vincent."

To be continued...

Chris stood at the doorway, his hands clenched into fists, eyes locked onto Hazel. She had fallen asleep beside Vincent, her head resting on her arms. The soft rise and fall of her breathing, the way she unconsciously leaned closer to Vincent—it made Chris's blood boil.

Vincent was awake. Not weak, not helpless—just awake, watching her with a soft smile. His fingers brushed against her hair, tucking stray strands away from her face with a touch so gentle it made Chris want to rip him away from her.

His jaw tightened. She should be mine.

Days were slipping by, and Hazel hadn’t left Vincent’s side. She skipped work, ignored her own well-being—all for him. And the worst part? She refused to believe Chris. No matter how many times he told her Vincent was faking, she dismissed it. Her blind devotion was only feeding Chris’s fury.

He had tried everything. Even confronting the doctors.

---

Flashback

Chris stormed into the doctor’s office, his patience long gone. "Why are you lying about him being injured?" he demanded, voice sharp.

The doctor looked up, startled. "Excuse me?"

"Did he pay you?" Chris accused, stepping forward. "Is that why you’re keeping quiet?"

The doctor sighed. "Mr. Chris , lower your voice—"

"This won’t end well if you’re covering for him," Chris cut him off. "Tell Hazel the truth. Right now."

The doctor leaned back, folding his arms. "And why should I?"

Chris’s nostrils flared. "Because she deserves to know!"

The doctor let out a slow breath. "It’s not hurting anyone."

Chris froze.

"He just wants her love," the doctor continued. "And honestly? I think she loves him back. Look at her—staying by his side, worrying over him. You think someone who doesn’t love  would do all that?"

Chris clenched his fists so hard his nails dug into his palms.

"If she finds out the truth, she’s going to hate him," he growled.

The doctor shrugged. "Not if no one tells her. Unless, of course,  want to be the villain in their love story."

Chris’s breath hitched.

"Relax, it’s not a big deal," the doctor added, waving him off.

Not a big deal?

Chris’s vision blurred with fury. It was a big deal to him.

End of flashback

...

Her name echoed in his own mind, like a chant.

Hazel. Hazel. Hazel.

His grip on the doorknob tightened. His blood roared in his ears as he watched them.

If she kept looking at Vincent like that—if she kept staying by his side, falling deeper into his web— he would end up doing something both of them will regret

...........

The next morning, Hazel woke up beside Vincent.

"Good morning," he said, smiling.

"Good morning… Sorry, I slept here," she mumbled, sitting up and rubbing her eyes.

"Why are you apologizing? I should have woken you up. You slept in such an uncomfortable position," he said, concern lacing his voice.

She shook her head. "Nah, it’s okay." Stretching her arms, she added, "I should go home, change, and come back with food for you."

Vincent just looked at her, his eyes soft, a quiet admiration lingering in them.

She smiled, turning to leave, but before she could take a step, he gently held her hand.

She turned back, eyebrows slightly raised.

"Thank you," he said.

She blinked in confusion. "For what?"

"For coming into my life," he said, his voice carrying a warmth that made her heart ache.

Her lips parted, but before she could respond, he spoke again.

"I love you so much, Hazel."

Her breath hitched. "Vincent, I—"

"I know," he cut her off, his smile turning bittersweet. "I know you don’t love me back. I just… I just needed you to know how I feel."

"Vincent, you deserve someone who loves you back," she said gently.

"I don’t want someone better . I want you," he whispered.

Hazel's chest tightened. She pulled her hand away, stepping back slightly. "Vincent, please don’t do this… Don’t put me in this situation. I care about you, I really do, but as a friend. I never thought about you like that."

His smile wavered for a moment, but he nodded. "I know… I just had to say it."

Hazel exhaled slowly. "I don’t want to hurt you."

"You’re not," he reassured her, even though they both knew it wasn’t entirely true.

She hesitated  . " I need to go "

Vincent just watched her, his eyes lingering on her as she turned to leave.

"Please… try," he said.

Hazel stopped in her tracks.

"Try to love me back," he said, his voice quiet but firm.

She turned around slowly, meeting his gaze.

"I promise you won’t regret it," he whispered, his eyes filled with an earnest desperation.

Hazel swallowed hard. "Vincent…"

"Just give me a chance," he pleaded. "Let me prove it to you."

Her heart ached at the vulnerability in his voice. "I don’t want to hurt you," she said softly.

"Then don’t," he said. "Just try."

She hesitated, struggling to find the right words, before finally shaking her head. "I can't force my heart, Vincent."

His smile faltered for a second, but he nodded. "I understand…"

Hazel exhaled, turning away once more. "I’ll be back soon."

As she walked out, she could still feel his words echoing in her mind, leaving an uneasy weight in her chest.

........

Vincent had just changed his clothes and was now sitting on his bed, waiting for Hazel. He had grown addicted to her attention over the past few weeks. She was always by his side, taking care of him. At the office, he got to talk to her, but their time alone was limited due to work. Now, with her constantly around, giving him her undivided attention, he had become obsessed.

The thought of her leaving made his chest tighten. He didn’t want to admit it, but he was desperate for more.

His eyes kept flickering toward the window, searching for any sign of her approaching. But instead of Hazel, he saw Chris.

The moment Chris stepped into the room, Vincent’s expression darkened.

"You’re here again," Vincent muttered.

Chris didn’t respond. He simply walked in and dropped himself onto the sofa, his posture tense.

"Tell her," he finally said.

Vincent frowned. "Tell her what?"

Chris met his eyes, unwavering. "Tell her this is all a drama."

Vincent parted his lips to speak, confusion flashing across his face, but before he could say a word, Chris cut him off.

"Tell her and end this. I can’t tolerate it anymore," Chris said, his voice edged with frustration.

"And why can't you tolerate it?" Vincent asked.

"Because she is mine, and I can't stand her being close to anyone else but me," Chris said.

........

Hazel sat in her room, staring blankly at the wall.

I love you, Hazel.

His voice ran through her mind again.

She swallowed, her fingers tightening around the fabric of her dress.

Try to love me back.

Her lips parted slightly, a whisper escaping before she could stop it.

"I love you too, Vincent."

To be continued...