As Francisco and Hazel returned to the confines of the mansion, tension crackled in the air like electricity. Hazel wrenched her hand free from Francisco's tight grasp, her expression wrought with a mixture of defiance and frustration. Francisco's gaze remained stern, his features hardened with resolve as he watched her closely.

Hazel pressed her lips together, a gesture of inner turmoil as she touched her throbbing head. Regret washed over her in waves as she grappled with the weight ...