"Hey, darling!" Axel squeals and wraps his arms around my shoulders, pulling me into his embrace.

"Axel." I chuckle and returned his hug.

"How was the break?" He asks, taking a step back. He walks over to the couch and sits down, taking his phone from his back pocket.

"Good...I suppose. How about you?"

"It was fantastic. It was nice to spend time with my family. I went to my boss's house for dinner and a charity gala on Friday. You should make your presence known." I laugh while he rambles.

"I would rather not." I'm laughing. Is he for real?

"You ought to. We can also discuss your job with my supervisor." He states.

*

It's finally Friday, and I'm preparing for the charity ball. Yes, I agreed to accompany Axel to meet his boss.

I put on a knee-length black dress. I curled the ends of my hair before attempting a successful hairstyle. I applied some light makeup. Before heading downstairs, I put on my gold heels and one more check in the mirror.

"Aria! Jayden! Could you please come downstairs?" I call the kids, and I hear footsteps rushing downstairs within seconds.

"Wow, Mommy. You look good." Jayden exclaims, and Aria nods in agreement.

"Thank you, guys," I say.

"Let's go right now. "I'm running late." I continue, and they put on their shoes. Obedient. My parents will watch my children while I attend the ball. And all four of them are ecstatic.

The three of us walk to my car, where I buckle them into their seats and take the wheel. I press the gas pedal, start the motor, and drive into the traffic. Looking in the mirror, I see them both doing something with their hands. My children, unlike other children, get along well.

The first of the twins, Aria Baker. Like her father, she has brown wavy hair, light skin, and gorgeous ocean-blue eyes. She's stunning, sweet, and compassionate. Even though she is just four years old, she greatly assists others. But when she gets angry, it's a different story.

Jayden Baker, the twins' younger brother. I'm not even going to try to describe him. He looks just like his father, except with brown eyes. He's frighteningly similar to his father. He's only four, but girls are already swooning over him. He appears more sophisticated than his sister and says things a typical four-year-old would not say. But he's a real sweetie.

After bringing the kids off at my parent's house, I drove to the address Axel gave me to attend the charity ball.

The ballroom is packed, and only a few people are dancing while loud music plays in the background. I attempt and fail to spot Axel amid the crowd. I feel a hand on my shoulder and turn to see a man with curly hair. He's pretty tall and handsome. He gives me a toothy grin, revealing his dimples. I return the smile.

"Hello. My name is Brooks Colton." He says this while holding out his hand. I hesitated before shaking his hand.

"Hazel Baker," I say. I turn away from him and come across Axel. I approach Axel without saying anything to the man behind me. He stands up and greets me as soon as he notices me.

"What the hell happened to your phone? I've been calling." I step back from him.

"Hello to you as well." I roll my eyes as he says this cynically. "You know what I mean?" Your eyeballs will fall out if you do that again." He says, and I roll my eyes once more.

"Well, no, they didn't." After an extended period, we both busted out laughing.

The following half-hour flies by as I meet Axel's friends and coworkers. They're all pleasant, and having them around is enjoyable. I recognize one of them as the man I met when I arrived here. Brooks was his name. Right? Everyone is talking except Brooks, staring at me, or simply staring.

"You look beautiful." He states.

"Thank you so much. You, too." I smile and move away from Axel. I could improve at chatting with males if they're close friends or family.

"Hazel-" Brooks's voice is cut off.

"Ladies and gentlemen, please allow me to introduce Mr. Hudson Davis, our special guest tonight." And my heart stops, says the man with the microphone.

Hudson Davis. Hudson Davis. Hudson Davis

"Hazel? Are you all right?" Brooks inquires, his hand resting on my shoulder. I was unable to respond to him. I'm too stunned to speak or even move.

I return my gaze to the man who broke my heart five years ago. I adored him without reservation—the man who betrayed me. I still have feelings for him.

He's dressed formally in a white button-up shirt and black dress pants. He's wearing a tie and looks much better than I remember him. He's laughing and waving to the cheering crowd.

"Hazel?" Brooks calls again, this time shaking me.

"I need to leave," I say something, but it just comes out as a whisper.

"But it's only just started." He states.

I start running out of the crowded ball. As I run into them, some people curse at me. I'm not even sorry. All I want to do is get out of here. I hear Brooks calling my name, but I ignore him and exit.

I take a deep breath as I lean against the brick wall in the parking lot. Unwanted tears begin to flow from my eyes and down my cheek. I cup my hands about my face and start to son. Why am I crying at all? Why am I squandering my tears on him?

I can't believe I just witnessed him. After all these years, I see him while attempting to move on from him and his memories. What if he noticed me? Oh no! That is not possible. He shouldn't be able to see me. He shouldn't do that.

"Hazel!" Someone shakes me and pulls me out of my thoughts. I raise my head to see Brooks. Why can't he leave me alone!?

"Are you all right? What happened?" He inquires, his hand still resting on my shoulder. Angrily, I pushed it away.

"None of your business," I yelled at him and walked towards my car.

"Hazel?" I hear it again, and my heart sinks into my stomach as I turn around to holler at him. It's not Brooks, but it's the only man I've been afraid to meet.

Hudson.

---

Hudson's Point of View

I put on my white shirt and black dress pants that I had packed for this charity ball to which I had been invited. I tied a tie around my neck and buttoned my shirt, leaving the top button open. I love my hair in a quiff as I leave my room in New York City's most costly hotel.

Roman Enterprises, owned by one of my pals, is hosting the charity gala. After much deliberation about whether or not to go, I chose to go. After all, I paid a lot of money for it.

The black R8 is waiting for me at the hotel's entrance, and I walk out the hotel's doors. My driver, Carson, opened the door for me, and I slid in. As Carson began to drive, I took out my phone. I noticed a text message from my mother.

Mother: Please call me back, honey. Please.

I disregard the text message and check my email. A new email from my assistant states she has scheduled a meeting with Jace, my friend, for this Friday afternoon. Jace is both a friend and the COO of my company. He handles business with Asian countries. I respond to her, then turn off my phone and gaze out the window at the lights of New York City.

"Sir, we are here." After a few minutes of the car ride, Carson says, and I nod. He exited the car, walked around, and unlocked my door. Cameras flash as I get out of the car, blinding me for a split second.

"Mr.Horan!" I can hear folks yelling my name. I come to a halt and wave at them before going inside.

Mr. Carter greets me and gives me a half-hug. His wife also hugged me, and I nodded.

"Welcome, Mr. Horan." They both say the same thing.

"Am I running late?" I inquire, even though I don't mind being late.

"No, no. It's only just begun." Mr. Carter claims. I give a quiet nod.

"Let's go?" He directs the procession to the stage.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I'd like to introduce you all. Mr. Hudson Davis, our special guest tonight," a man exclaimed. People cheer for me, and I wave back.

I look around at the various types of people in the crowd. A few couples are kissing and dancing while others are conducting business. My gaze is drawn to a man with curly hair jogging behind a woman in a short black dress. I hear him calling her by name, but I'm unsure what it is. As a good human, I exit the stage, apologize, and walk behind the curly man. Going behind them is just an excuse to get out of here as soon as possible.

"Are you all right? What happened?" I hear something on the other side of the wall and go that way.

"None of your business." The young lady snaps at him. Feisty. The voice looks familiar, and my heart skips when I see who it is.

"Hazel?" Unsure, I say.

She looks around, her expression filled with rage. But her beautiful brown eyes widen when they meet my blue orbs. Her lips open as though to utter something, but nothing comes out.

I discovered her, the love of my life. I found the person whose heart I had broken. I finally found her.

Hazel's Point of View

I'm unsure what made me do it, but I rushed away. I raced away from him, away from the circumstances I dreaded. I fled.

I'm unsure how long I ran, but I'm seated on a park bench. Why did he have to return? Why did he have to re-enter my life? Why? I burst into tears. You're a weeping wreck! My subconscious lashes out at me. My phone rings, and when I glance at the caller ID, I see it's Axel. I ignore it and stare into space, but my phone rings. After a few moments, it stops, and I receive a message.

Where are you, Hazel? Please get in touch with me.

I started walking back to my car, ignoring the text once more. I have to go to my parents' house to pick up Aria and Jayden.

Oh my God!

What if Hudson discovers them? Will he deprive me of them? Fear grips my throat as the thought alone sends shivers up my spine. He wouldn't do something like that, would he? Will he take my children away if he discovers he is the father?

No!

I hurriedly return to my car, and relief sweeps over me when I notice Hudson and Brooks aren't there. I hurriedly got in my car and drove to my folks' place.

I park the car in front of the home and hurry inside. When I get to the door, I knock until my mother opens it.

"Hello, honey. How-" she begins, but I cut her off and walk past her into the home in pursuit of my children.

Jayden and Aria are seated close to my father on the couch, watching a cartoon. When I walk in, they notice me and rush over to me. I kneel to their level and firmly put my arms around them as if they were going to be taken away from me. No!

"Mommy? Are you all right?" Jayden asks as he moves away from me. I suddenly notice tears streaming down my cheeks, and he wipes them out.

"I'm okay. Shall we go back home?" I inquired, and they nodded.

"Honey? Is everything okay?" Dad inquires.

"I'll tell you later, father. All I want to do is go home and rest." I sigh. He nods, clearly interested in what's going on with me. Mum doesn't say anything either, which makes me quite happy.

When I returned to my house, I put both kids to bed. I keep staring at them even after they've fallen asleep. I'm frightened they won't be there when I wake up if I close my eyes and go to sleep. Is it going to happen, or am I overreacting? I sigh.

"I love both of you. I can't imagine living without it. You're my only chance at happiness." I murmur to them, knowing they're not listening. I leave the room after kissing their foreheads.

Back in my room, I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, remembering him. Why did I notice him? Why did I attend the ball? Why did I allow Axel to drive me there? What caused all of this to occur?

I tossed and turned all night. Even though I was restless, I couldn't sleep. I just stared at the wall or the ceiling, imagining all the different scenarios that might bring us together. I finally fall asleep after a lot of tossing and turning.

Morning comes quickly, and I awake with a headache. It's Saturday, and you have the day off. Thank you, God. I turn to look at the alarm clock on the nightstand, and my eyes widen as they settle on the clock. Nobody awakened me at noon—neither my children nor my maid. I rush out of bed, complete my morning routine, and proceed downstairs.

Aria and Jayden sit on the couch, watching TV and eating cookies my maid cooked.

I say, "Hey, guys." They both put down their forks and glance up at me. They're both quiet and for a short moment, I'm concerned.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" I inquire as I make myself at ease close to them.

"Look at who's up." I turn around when I hear a voice and see Axel. What on earth is he doing here?

"I came here to see if you were still alive!" He yells at me. Did I say that out loud?

"Yes. You did it." He states. Uh-oh.

"I'm sorry, Axel. I couldn't stand him." I sigh.

"You could have answered the phone or responded to the text." He sighs again and sits on the couch's armrest. "I was so worried." He says this while wrapping his arms around my shoulders.

"I'm okay." I smiled at him.

"Did you try to talk to him?" He inquired.

"No."

Silence enveloped the room.

"Okay. I have to go now. I'm relieved now that I know you're okay. However, I have plans with Violet. So I'm going to leave." He does a lot of rambling.

"Okay, okay. Now go. Have fun while staying safe." I say the last bit quietly because my children are around. He chuckles carelessly and gets off the couch. He kisses the children's heads, then mine.

"Bye. Be cautious." He says this as he walks out of the house.

The afternoon is spent watching television with the kids and working on my computer. Oh, and I work as an interior designer. I only assist my boss with his business and design a few residences. It's entertaining, plus it helps me pay my bills.

I bake cookies with the kids in the evening. I chuckle as they both have flour on their faces.

"Mommy! You're making fun of your prince." Jayden says to me, furrowing his brows to appear angry, but he's so cute!

"Jayden, you are not a prince. Ryder is a king." Aria says in a 'duh' tone, and I laugh.

"Am I not a prince, mommy?" Jayden sighs.

"Of course, you are a prince, my baby," I say, and he smiles from ear to ear before sticking his tongue out at his sister. I make fun of both of them. They both come with me.

The doorbell interrupts our laughter, and I wash my hands before going to the door. The doorbell continues to ring. Who in the world is that?

"I'm coming!" I yell and accelerate my pace. I see the last person I expected to know when the door opens. I don't want to see this individual. My heartbeat quickens, and the morning's tension returns.

"Didn't expect to see me here, did you?" He grins.