I love you too, Vincent… she said in her mind, her heart tightening with emotions she had buried for far too long.

I always loved you. I just never had the courage to tell you.

She closed her eyes, her thoughts weaving back to the moment it all began.

The first time I met you, I won’t say I fell in love right away. It wasn’t love then—just a crush, like any other girl would have. Who wouldn’t be drawn to you? Handsome, kind, polite… You carried yourself with a quiet confidence that was impossible to ignore. But it wasn’t just your looks or your charm that captured me. It was your dedication, your work ethic, the way you treated everyone around you with genuine respect. I admired you—more than I should have. But that’s all it was at first, admiration. I told myself it would fade, that it was just a passing fancy, that I needed to stay professional. After all, what were the chances that you’d ever look at me the same way?

She exhaled sharply, as if trying to push away the ache that settled deep in her chest.

But everything changed when we started getting closer.

Her fingers clenched into the fabric of her dress as memories flooded her mind.

I knew you admired me too, but only because of my work. That should have been enough, right? Your praise, your encouragement—it meant everything to me. More than I could ever admit. Your admiration became my motivation. Every time you acknowledged my efforts, I felt like I was doing something right. And then, somehow, we became friends. Not just colleagues, not just boss and employee—friends. And God, Vincent, you can’t even imagine how happy that made me. I never dared to dream of being close to you, but suddenly, you were there. Talking to me, laughing with me, sharing little pieces of your life with me. And the more time I spent with you, the harder it became to deny what I was feeling.

Her throat tightened as the truth pressed against her ribs.

My crush… it wasn’t just a crush anymore. It was something deeper. Something dangerous. Something I knew I could never admit. Because how could I? How could I cross that line? It was already more than I ever expected—to be your friend, to have you in my life this way. I kept my feelings locked away, convincing myself that friendship was enough, that I didn’t need more. That I shouldn’t want more.

Her fingers trembled as she recalled the moment it all started slipping away.

And then Chris came into the picture… and everything changed.

A shiver ran down her spine at the thought of him.

At first, I didn’t take him seriously. The gifts, the letters—I thought they were harmless, maybe a little obsessive, but nothing I needed to be truly afraid of. I ignored them, ignored him. But the more I ignored him, the more persistent he became. His words… Vincent, they scared me. The way he wrote about me, the way he convinced himself that I belonged to him—it wasn’t love. It was something twisted, something suffocating. And before I knew it, I was too caught up in resisting him to realize what I was losing.

A hollow laugh escaped her lips, though there was no humor in it.

It was fine when he was just a shadow lurking in the background. But the moment he stepped into my life, everything started to fall apart. His obsession turned into control. He made sure I couldn’t escape him. He watched my every move, made sure I was always aware of his presence. And then, as if that wasn’t enough, he took the one thing I cherished the most—you.

Her eyes burned, but she refused to let the tears fall.

He made sure we wouldn’t be close anymore. He pulled me away from you, transferred me to his office so we wouldn’t see each other as much. And when that wasn’t enough, he made his intentions clear. He told me—over and over again—that I was his. That no one else was allowed to have me. That if I dared to give my attention to anyone else, there would be consequences. And every time I tried to push him away, every time I ignored him, he reminded me just how much power he had over my life.

Her breath hitched as she remembered the night everything truly changed.

That Day…

She swallowed hard.

That was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. You proposed to me, Vincent. You stood there, looking at me with so much love in your eyes, saying the words I had dreamed of hearing for so long. And God, I wanted to say yes. More than anything in this world, I wanted to say yes. But then…

Her hands gripped the bedsheet beneath her.

Then I saw him. Chris. He was there, standing in the crowd, staring at you like he was ready to kill you. His eyes… I’ve never seen that kind of madness before. It terrified me. In that moment, I knew. If I said yes to you, if I even tried to choose my happiness, he would ruin everything. He wouldn’t let me have you. He wouldn’t let us be together.

A tear finally slipped down her cheek.

So I did the only thing I could do. I said no.

Her chest ached as she remembered the pain in Vincent’s eyes that night. The way his smile had slowly faded, the way he tried to understand why she was rejecting him when it was the only thing she had ever wanted.

I broke your heart to protect you. And I hate myself for it., I know Chris would have done something unforgivable. And I was too much of a coward to risk it.

She inhaled shakily, gripping her own arms as if trying to hold herself together.

Even now, I can’t confess to you. Even now, I can’t let myself hope. Because Chris is still here, still watching, still waiting. And I don’t know how long he plans to stay in my life… or if he’ll ever let me go.

Her lips trembled as she whispered one last thought in her mind—one she would never have the courage to say out loud.

I love you, Vincent. I always have. But I don’t think I’ll ever be brave enough to tell you, Not after what happened to you because of me a sob escaped .

***

Vincent sat on the bed, his mind replaying Chris's words over and over again. His jaw tightened, his fingers curling into fists as frustration boiled inside him.

Just then, the door creaked open, and Hazel stepped inside, a bright smile on her face.

"Good afternoon," she greeted cheerfully, walking toward him.

Vincent didn’t respond. His eyes simply followed her movements, his expression unreadable.

Hazel frowned slightly but didn’t comment on his silence. Instead, she placed the food box on the side table. "I brought lunch for you," she said, opening the container and carefully serving the food onto a plate.

He continued staring at her, his gaze intense, almost hesitant.

She finally noticed his unwavering stare and turned toward him, eyebrows furrowing in concern. "What’s wrong?" she asked softly.

Still, he didn’t answer.

Her frown deepened. She finished preparing his plate and moved closer, extending it toward him.

"Here," she said gently, offering him the plate.

But instead of taking it, Vincent looked up and spoke, his voice low but firm.

"I'm not injured."

Hazel stilled, her breath catching in her throat. She blinked at him, confused.

"I lied to you," he admitted, his voice unwavering. "I was never in an accident."

Her grip tightened around the plate, her mind racing to process his words.

"I know I did wrong," he continued, his voice laced with guilt. "But I only did it because I wanted you to realize your feel—"

Before he could finish, Hazel abruptly placed the plate on the table and threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"Ha—Hazel?" he stammered, stunned by her reaction.

And then she broke down. Her body trembled against his as she sobbed, her cries muffled against his shoulder.

Alarmed, Vincent wrapped his arms around her, rubbing her back in soothing circles. "Hazel, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked, his voice filled with concern.

She didn’t respond, only held onto him tighter, as if afraid to let go.

"Calm down, Hazel," he murmured, his hand moving up to cradle the back of her head. "Talk to me, sweetheart. What happened?"

Through shaky breaths, she finally whispered, "Thank you."

Vincent froze. "Thank you?" he repeated, confused.

She nodded against his chest, her grip on his shirt tightening. "Thank you for being fine," she choked out.

His heart clenched. He had expected anger, disappointment—anything but this.

"You're not mad at me?" he asked hesitantly.

Hazel shook her head without hesitation. "How could I be?" she whispered, pulling back just enough to look at him. Her teary eyes shimmered with raw emotion. "I don’t care about the lie, Vincent. I’m just so relieved you're okay."

His throat tightened at her words.

Slowly, he reached out and cupped her face, his thumb gently wiping away her tears. "Don’t cry," he murmured. "I hate seeing you like this."

Hazel sniffled, managing a small, wobbly smile.

Vincent exhaled, pulling her to sit beside him. He laced their fingers together, his grip firm yet gentle.

"I never wanted to hurt you," he admitted. "I just… I wanted to be close to you."

She squeezed his hand, her voice barely above a whisper. "You already are."

Sit," Vincent said, his voice quieter this time.

Hazel hesitated for a second before obeying, settling beside him on the bed. The weight of unspoken words hung between them like an invisible thread.

Vincent exhaled deeply, his gaze fixed ahead. "Chris told me he loves you."

Hazel's brows furrowed, her heart clenching at the mention of his name. "He doesn’t," she said firmly, shaking her head. "That’s not love."

"I know," Vincent agreed, his voice laced with quiet certainty. He turned to face her, his jaw tightening. "He’s not in love with you, Hazel. He’s obsessed with you."

She swallowed hard, dread creeping into her chest.

"I saw it," he continued. "In every single word he said yesterday. The way he spoke about you—it wasn’t love, Hazel. It was possession. Control."

Hazel’s breath hitched. "What… what exactly did he say?" she asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Vincent rubbed a hand over his face, recalling the conversation. "First, he told me to confront you about my lie," he admitted. "He wanted me to tell you the truth, thinking that once you found out, you’d hate me."

Hazel's eyes widened in shock. "Hate you?" she repeated. "I would never, Vincent! Instead, I feel… relieved. You don’t know how much weight has been lifted off my heart knowing you’re safe."

Vincent's eyes softened for a moment, but his expression turned serious again. "Chris doesn’t see it that way," he murmured. "He thought my lie would push you away from me. That I’d lose you."

Hazel’s hands clenched into fists. "And what else did he say?" she pressed, needing to hear it all.

Vincent hesitated, debating whether to shield her from the worst of it. But she deserved the truth.

To be continued...