The doorbell rang just as Hazel was deciding whether to attempt baking muffins.
She froze mid-step.
Adrian looked up from his tablet. His brow creased slightly.
They weren't expecting anyone.
Hazel peeked through the side window.
A tall woman stood at the entrance. Impeccably dressed in a pale gray trench coat, her silver hair pulled into a low chignon. Not a single strand out of place.
Her posture screamed elegance.
And power.
Hazel's gut clenched.
"Do you know her?" she asked.
Adrian stood.
"Yes," he said quietly. "That's my aunt. Sylvia."
Hazel's mouth went dry. "She looks like she eats small business owners for breakfast."
He didn't answer.
Which meant she was right.
⸻
Sylvia Blake walked in like she owned the place.
In a way, she once had.
This house used to belong to Adrian's grandparents before it passed down the family line. Sylvia had been part of every gala, every scandal cleanup, every legacy decision in the Blake empire.
And she wasn't a fan of weak links.
Hazel swallowed hard as the older woman scanned her from head to toe.
"Erin," Sylvia said, her tone flat. "You look… different."
Hazel offered a polite smile. "Good different, I hope."
Sylvia arched a brow. "You're not throwing a fit. Not firing the help. Not spending twenty grand on shoes this week. That's certainly… different."
Hazel opened her mouth—but Adrian stepped in front of her.
"That's enough," he said calmly.
Sylvia's gaze snapped to him.
"I came to check on the both of you," she said, brushing invisible lint off her sleeve. "The board is talking. Investors are watching. And if you two are playing some new game of image rehab—"
"We're not," Adrian cut in. "We're fine."
Hazel glanced at him.
He sounded steady.
But his hand was clenched behind his back.
Sylvia gave a cool smile. "Very well. But do remember, dear nephew… the world is not kind to marriages built on performance."
She turned to Hazel again.
"And you, Erin—if this is a phase, make it brief. If it's a strategy, make it count."
With that, she left.
⸻
The silence afterward was loud.
Hazel exhaled. "Well. She's a delight."
Adrian didn't laugh. But his jaw softened.
"She's not wrong," he said.
Hazel blinked. "About…?"
Adrian turned to her, his voice low.
"People are watching. If you keep changing too fast, they'll start asking questions."
Hazel frowned. "Do you want me to go back to acting like Erin?"
He looked at her.
Really looked.
"No," he said. "I just don't want you to get hurt."
Hazel's chest tightened.
And for the first time… she wondered:
If this marriage was built on a lie—
Then what did it mean if she was starting to wish it wasn't?