“Even if you were to tell me, why did you insist on my coming to you?” she whispered. “Let’s wait until Joshua comes….”

“It involves my mother, and I don’t want anyone to know about it, especially Joshua,” he said in a deep tone. “Hazel, I’m just trying to convince you one last time. Even if I lied to you before, do you suspect I’d hurt you?”

Looking at his wounded face, she could not help freezing a little. Indeed, Simon had done some outrageous things before, but at ...