Francisco, amused by the assumption, raised his brows and let out a hearty laugh.
"Me? No, not at all," he responded, adding a hint of mystery to his words.
"You could say I'm a criminal, and her job is to catch me."
Hazel's expression turned stern, a silent warning to Francisco not to play along with her mother's inquiry.
Doris laughed at Francisco's response, finding his reaction amusing.
"What?"
"This is not a bad joke," she chuckled.
Francisco, ever composed, tilted his head and, with a playful smile, he clarified, "Yes, Mom."
Doris couldn't help but laugh at the unexpected revelation.
"This is not—" she began, but Francisco interrupted, "I am a business executive. I think your husband will know me."
Hazel, sensing the conversation taking an unexpected turn, interjected, "Anyway, Mom, I will hang up the call. I am so tired, so I need to rest."
Without waiting for her mother's response, Hazel swiftly ended the call, leaving a perplexed Doris at the other end. Hazel got up from the tool, looking at Francisco with an angry face.
"I think you are happy now," she remarked.
Francisco rose to his knees with a heavy sigh, his gaze fixed on Hazel as she stood before him, her expression guarded.
"You wanted to hear it, right?"
Hazel's eyes narrowed slightly, a hint of defiance in her stance.
"Oh, you're right, actually," Francisco admitted as he moved closer, wrapping his arms around her from behind.
Hazel attempted to loosen his grip, but his hold was firm. Francisco rested his chin on her shoulder, his voice low and steady. "Didn't you say I love you?" he asked.
"It was just a lie," Hazel declared, her voice tinged with bitterness as she struggled against his embrace.
"Was it?"
With a gentle but insistent gesture, he made her turn to face him.
Hazel's words cut through the air like a knife, her voice sharp with accusation as she confronted Francisco's gaze head-on.
"You are taking revenge against me," she accused, her jaw tight with pent-up emotion.
"You're tired of your old girl, so you replaced her and took me as your new one."
Her words hung in the air, heavy with accusation and bitterness.
"A bastard like you only loves a girl's body," she spat, her tone dripping with contempt.
Francisco exhaled a heavy breath, his lips twitching into a slight smirk as he absorbed her words. With deliberate slowness, he reached out and lightly touched her neck, his touch firm yet gentle as he pulled her closer to his face. His gaze bore into hers with intensity, a silent challenge in his eyes.
"If it is, then it is, my dear Hazel," he responded in a husky tone, his voice laced with an undercurrent of raw emotion.
"If you think I am a bastard, then I am."
His words echoed in the air, the tension between them palpable. But then, with a sudden shift in demeanor, Francisco tenderly touched her cheek, his touch soft and tender against her skin.
"You are my favorite," he murmured, his voice filled with sincerity and longing.
"My most favorite one."
Hazel's breath caught in her throat at his unexpected confession, her heart fluttering with a mixture of confusion and longing.
"No one was my favorite before," he continued, his words a revelation of the depth of his feelings.
With unwavering determination, Francisco addressed her accusations head-on.
"If you tag this feeling as revenge, then yes, I love to take revenge," he admitted, his voice filled with a quiet resolve.
"I will burn you in it, then I... Myself... Will burn with you."
His ominous words hung in the air, a declaration of passion and intensity that left Hazel reeling.
Hazel's words hung in the air, heavy with accusation and disbelief as she pushed Francisco away, her brows furrowed in anger and confusion.
"I have never seen a cold-blooded criminal like you," she accused, her voice laced with venom.
"You are not a human. You are a devil."
Francisco tilted his head, his expression unreadable as he chose not to respond to her accusations. Instead, he simply said, "Take a rest. I will join you later."
With that, he left Hazel alone, the weight of his words and actions hanging heavily in the air. Hazel watched him go, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions as she grappled with the reality of her situation.
Two days later, Hazel, still processing the tumultuous exchange, woke up with sleepy eyes. As she descended the stairs, her gaze widened in shock at the scene that greeted her.
"What is happening here?" she thought, surveying the unexpected changes. The mansion seemed different, unfamiliar in some inexplicable way. Francisco had left the mansion so early, a stark contrast to their usual routine. Though they had shared a bed, Francisco had kept his promise not to initiate any intimacy without her permission.
Hazel slowly descended the stairs, her gaze darting around the well-decorated surroundings. The atmosphere seemed charged with anticipation, but her sense of unease only grew as she spotted Lily instructing the maids.
Approaching Lily from behind, Hazel questioned, "What is happening here?"
Lily turned to greet her, her expression bright but guarded.
"Good morning, Ms. Tonight, there will be a party here, so we are arranging everything," she explained, her voice tinged with excitement.
Hazel's heart skipped a beat at the mention of a party.
"Party?" she echoed, her mind racing with apprehension.
"What type of party? Who is coming?" she pressed, her voice tinged with urgency.
"I don't know about it, Ms. Boss did not inform me anything," Lily admitted, her uncertainty evident.
Hazel's brows furrowed in frustration as she struggled to make sense of the situation.
"Call him. I want to talk to him," she demanded, her tone firm.
"I told you to call him. I want to talk to him," Hazel reiterated, her impatience palpable.
Without further delay, Lily dialed Francisco's number, but to Hazel's dismay, he didn't answer the call. Frustration simmered beneath the surface as she tightened her lips in annoyance.
In a swift motion, Hazel ascended the stairs, her mind racing with questions and concerns.
"What is he planning?" she wondered, her thoughts swirling with unease as she retreated to her room.
Lily hesitated, her eyes narrowing slightly as she stuttered, "Is everything okay?"