When I woke up my eyes fell on the clock resting on the bedside table, it was 2 am.

Too early.

I can sleep more.

As I turned to my left, to my surprise Rafael was sleeping beside me, he looked peaceful.

When did he come here?

I stared at him for sometime with a light smile spread on my lips. It's been long since we slept together, since he held me close to himself. I touched his forehead to remove the hairs falling on his forehead but as soon as my hand came in contact with his skin... He is burning.

Sitting up on the bed I shook him "Rafael." But no reply. Again I called him "Rafael, open your eyes please." I called him few more times but he was just not showing any movement. Removing the covers, I was about to call Connor for help but as soon as the covers were off, all I saw was red... there was blood on his shirt.

I froze for a moment.

"C-Connor." I muttered in a scared voice but how can he hear me he was sleeping in his room. Picking up Rafael's phone from the table, with shaky hands I called Connor.

"Please tell me pal, he is dead." He answered in a sleepy voice.

"C-Connor, Rafael... R-Rafael."

"Haze? Why are you answering? Where's Vincent?"

"H-He is injured, I don't know what happened, please call the doctor. He's bleeding so much."

"Just a minute Haze, I'm coming."

Hanging up I managed to unbutton his shirt, there was a huge cut on the area just above his waist, it was like he was stabbed. Connor entered my room after sometime when he saw Rafael his eyes widened.

"What the hell!" He sat beside Rafael "What happened?"

"I-I don't know. When I woke up, I found him beside me. Please do something. He's bleeding so much."

"I called the doctor. He's on his way."

I nodded praying for Rafael to be okay.

After few minutes the doctor came to check on Rafael. After treating the wound, he tied a bandage around Rafael's waist also he gave few medicines and asked someone to get all the medicines. When the doctor left, Rafael was moved to his own room. The doctor said that he would be fine and not to worry too much, it wasn't too late for the treatment.

Rafael's mother was continuously glaring at me but I tried to ignore her and put my focus on him.

I hope you wake up soon Rafael. Don't make me wait too long.

"Are you happy now?" I looked beside me to see Rafael's Mom standing.

"What?" I asked in confusion standing up from my seat.

"You are the reason for his condition." She said.

I stared at her in disbelief "Me?"

"Yeah you. He is lying there because of you. Connor found you beside him sleeping but how did he get there and what is the surety that you didn't stab him?"

"Mrs. Salvatore, what are you even saying? Haze would never do that." Connor said taking a step towards us but she stopped him signalling him with her hand.

"Don't Connor. Let me talk to her." She again turned her attention to me "Tell me, did your brother asked you to stab my son, to kill him? I was so right about you."

I am so done with all this. With being blamed of something I didn't even know about.

"Mrs. Salvatore I do respect you for that reason I have been quiet till now. I don't even know if you all are telling the truth about my family, but if it is true then I am sorry for what my brother caused you. I really am. But you can't always blame me for such disgusting things when I didn't even know anything until I was brought here. It wasn't my choice to take birth in that family, it wasn't my choice to choose who my Dad and my brother should be. You are punishing me for the things I haven't even done, forget doing I didn't even know what is my family's business. And about hurting your son, I would kill myself before hurting him because I love him. I don't know about you all but I can't hurt someone I love the most in this world."

"Mrs. Salvatore, Haze didn't do anything. Last night Vincent went for a mission alone I think that's when he got hurt." Connor said.

Mrs. Salvatore didn't say anything but left the room.

When everyone was out, I sat beside Rafael staring at his unconscious face. He was looking breathtakingly handsome. I know this is not the time for admiring his face but I just couldn't help.

"I hate you. I hate you so much. Why are you so careless about yourself? You should've told me you were hurt but no you just came and slept. I swear when you'll wake up I'll scold you a lot. What have you done to yourself!?"

I stopped and stared at him for sometime with a sad look.

"Wake up Rafael, quickly. I have so much to talk to you about. Don't make me wait for too long."

Leaning forward towards him I placed a kiss on his lips.

"I love you."

"What are you doing?" Came a voice from behind me. I looked back to see Olivia and Rafael's mother standing at the door.

Not again. I am really tired of all her dramas again and again.

I turned back to Rafael trying to ignore her but she too is an attention seeker like her assistant.

"Take her out of this room." She ordered Olivia.

What? No way in hell!

Olivia came towards me I stopped her "Don't even think about it. I am not going anywhere."

"You are." Olivia said and dragged me with her.

As I was dragged by Olivia, Mrs. Salvatore said "My son hates you. I know him more than anyone he hates you because your brother caused us a lot of pain for which neither he nor I can forgive you all."

I tried struggling to take my hand out of her hold but who am kidding she has been in the mafia for 12 years of course she works out and I am far from working out.

She dragged me back to my room and pushed me inside "Stay here bitch!" I was about to get out but she locked the door from outside.

I banged on the door "Olivia! Olivia! Open the fucking door!"

Tired of trying to open the door I kicked the door "Fuck you bitch."

I went and sat on the bed. The whole day I kept looking out of the window, in the evening it seemed like it was about to rain. I don't even know if Rafael came back to his senses or not.

A maid came to my room to serve my dinner and of course Olivia followed her just to make sure I don't get out of the room.

I asked her impatiently "Is Rafael awake?"

She rolled her eyes "You don't have to know about that."

"Please just tell me if he is awake or not?" I asked again.

"Yes, he is awake and now he is having his dinner. I think you too should have your dinner."

"Is he okay?"

She sighed and asked the maid to leave then came closer to me "Listen Hazel, stop with the love thing already. He doesn't love you and forget love he didn't even ask about you after he woke up."

Saying that she left again locking the door.

I sat on the couch eating my food slowly, all alone again.

At least he is fine.

After I was done, switching off the lights of the room I laid on the bed lost in my thoughts.

Of course he didn't ask about me, he hates me.

Maybe he asked for Olivia, afterall they have been working together for 12 years, and are so close to each other.

Thud!!

I flinched on hearing that sound of the thunder.

Not now. Please. Not now. I don't even have the sleeping pills.

Thud!

Again.

Thud!

Each time making me jump in fear. I covered myself with the duvet hiding inside it with my eyes shut. I hate this noise, I hate it.

Thud!

Thud!

I closed my ears with my hands tightly shaking my head "Stop please."

"Just stop."

But as if it was going to stop.

While I was struggling to stay calm, I heard the door unlocked. I didn't get out of the duvet instead I clutched on it tightly. Within seconds the duvet was being removed from me, I looked up still with my hands covering my ears to find Rafael, I stared at him but didn't make any move. Tears were already in eyes ready to fall any moment. He sighed shaking his head and sat beside me, removing my hands from my ears he pulled me closer to himself, I climbed onto his lap wrapping my around his neck hiding my face in the crook of his neck.

"I did expect this." He said.

With my eyes shut I asked "A-Are you okay?"

"You are the one scared now."

Thud!

Again I closed my ears with my hands.

"Once this mess gets over, I swear I'll scold you so much."

He chuckled "Why?"

"Why are you so careless about yourself? What if something would've happened, I would've lost you forever."

He chuckled again then said "Hazel, my wound hasn't healed yet and it's hurting to stay seated for this long so can we lie down?"

I nodded my head but didn't lose my hold on him. He laid down still holding me in his arms, once he was comfortable, he pulled me closer by my waist.

Thud!

"Why was the door locked? And you didn't even come to see me when I was awake. Should I take it as you don't care about me anymore?" He asked.

"Olivia locked me up here so I wasn't able to leave the room. I wanted to stay with you but couldn't."

"Olivia locked you up?"

"It's fine Rafael." Suddenly I realised something. I shouldn't call him Rafael after all I am a Cameron, his enemy's sister. "I-I mean V-Vincent."

Rafael's hand that was caressing my back it stopped he called me "Hazel."

"Yeah."

"Stop calling me that please."

I bit my lips opening my eyes "I shouldn't call you Rafael, it's not for me."

"I am telling you to call me Rafael. I don't care what Mom says you won't call me by that name. You can't even say Vincent without stuttering."

He was right I was trying so hard to say the name Vincent without stuttering but I failed to do so every time.

Thud!

Came a loud sound again making me clutch onto him tightly.

"Can I tell you something?" he said.

I nodded.

"Look up."

I did.

He turned his body towards me "I don't know about others but about Mom, I know she might have told you that I hate you because of your brother."

Nobody has to tell me, I know it you do. You hate me as much as you hate my brother.

"I did hate you before we met, I did a lot because yes, you were his sister. But it's so hard to hate you Hazel. I can't. I have tried a lot to hate you, to tell myself that you're just like him but I was wrong, you are nothing like him and I am not able to hate you."

"You're lying."

"After what happened to our family Mom went in a shock then mental depression it was really hard for me at that time I don't want her to go back to what she was before that's the reason I can't hurt her. Just know one thing I can never hate you Hazel."

Maybe he doesn't hate me but he doesn't love me either.

He pulled me closer, slowly I closed my eyes.

As I opened my eyes, beside me was Hazel, her arms were wrapped around me with her head resting on my one arm. She sleeps like a baby. I smiled to myself.

Finally I feel a bit relieved, most importantly finally I got a good sleep. Placing her head gently on the pillow I got up from the bed making my way back to my room. As I entered my room Mom was sitting on the bed sipping tea from the cup.

Fuck! I am so dead.

"Morning Mom." I greeted.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

I nodded "Yeah. Thanks to you for taking care of me."

"You should thank your slut." She said bitterly. "Last night you were with her."

I rolled my eyes "Mom she's not a slut. Stop saying that all the time." I argued getting irritated.

She took a step towards me "You love her, don't you?"

I remained quiet.

"Last night you went to her room, you slept with her. Everyday you visit the mansion to see her, not me. That night too you didn't have dinner with us instead you went to that slut. Stop denying the fact that you love that slut."

"That's enough Mom! I am so done with you calling her things she isn't. You know her for weeks but I know her for months now and she is different from Simon, really different from him. She's fucking innocent Mom and that's the reason I can't hate her. Yeah you are right, I am in love with her. I love her so much."

She stared at me in disbelief.

"But in the end, I have to leave her even if I don't want to, I have to. After killing Simon of course she'll hate me but for now please let me be happy. Once she leaves, I don't think I can ever be happy again."

"This is not you Rafael. You were not the one to fall for someone so easily, especially your enemy."

I rolled my eyes "Now I am in love with her. You can't do anything so please just stop making her life miserable."

"I am making her life miserable? This is what she deserves."

I shook my head "She doesn't. Not even a bit of pain we are causing her does she deserve. We are punishing her for things she hasn't done, and I'll hate myself for it forever."

She went to the bedside table and picked up some medicines then said "Go freshen up then you have to have your breakfast then the medicines."

With that she left the room. I went inside the washroom to take a shower. After taking a long shower carefully not touching the wound I wrapped a towel around my waist and got out of the washroom. When I came out, I found Hazel in my room. She was sitting with my phone I guess trying to crack the password. Sighing I went towards her.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

Hearing my voice, she looked up and gave me a light smile.

A smile I can die for.

"You weren't there when I woke up so I just came here to check on you."

I nodded she was looking at something very carefully. I don't think it's my body because it's not the first time she's seeing me shirtless. Following her gaze, I finally realised that she was staring at the cut.

Turning back, I made my way towards the closet "It's fine Hazel, the cut is not that bad. I've been through worst." Taking out my sweats I changed into them, the insides of the closet wasn't visible from where Hazel was sitting. Holding a t-shirt in my hand I walked out of the closet.

"Can you help me with the bandage?" I asked.

She nodded and got up making her way towards the washroom to get the first-aid kit while I sat on the couch waiting for her.

She tied the bandage around my waist throwing daggers at me with her eyes time to time for my carelessness but was looking so damn cute.

I had my breakfast in my room with Hazel, she kept talking all the time happily while I was as usual listening to her with a light smile plastered on my lips.

After the breakfast I made my way towards the study, Connor was already waiting for me.

"Did you go through his phone?"

He chuckled "Simon is an idiot for sure, I found his location in Alberto's phone."

"Great. The next thing I have to do now is to let him know everything I am about to do."

"Are you sure he would come for Haze?"

I nodded "He will, he loves her more than anything in this world. Just make sure he isn't able to track our location during the call."

He nodded "He won't."

"Good."

After that I went to the penthouse, I had few things to work on about Kennedy. I can't leave a single clue behind. Everything has to be perfect. My one mistake and it will be Connor to get in trouble.

The whole day I spent working when it was 6 finally with a smile on my lips, I stared at my phone waiting for a notification to appear.

😐

?

I am sick.

What's wrong?

My head hurts😭

Go to sleep

Nah not a good optn

For at least 3 minutes I waited for her text but she didn't.

Suddenly my phone started ringing, it was her. Picking up the call I was about to answer but instead heard "You'll pay for what your brother did." My heart almost stopped that moment.

It was Mom.

"Raf-" But before she could complete her sentence, the call got disconnected.

I called her again, it rang few times but she didn't pick up.

Why isn't she picking up the call?

Something doesn't feel right. I don't know what's happening but it's making me really impatient.

I have to reach her before Mom hurts her.

Sliding my phone inside my sweats pocket, I grabbed my car keys and left for the mansion.