Company at the hospital had dwindled since Anna left. She did not want to, but she had to. She was a business woman afterall, her work could not be kept waiting for far too long. Therefore, reluctantly, she left her friend to the caring of her Grandma alone for the moment.Hazel had found very few things to do sitting and waiting silently in the hospital. All she could think of was the new arrangement she had agreed to. An upcoming engagement, when her grandma was even yet to be conscious. Something felt far to uncomfortable about it at all, what was Luca not telling her about this arrangement? What was the urgency of it all?"Miss Jacobs?"She titled her head upwards upon the hearing of her name, ears perking up.The middle aged doctor with a notepad in hand stared at her with a soft smile. "Yes doctor?" She answered."Your grandmother is conscious now." He informed, rubbing his wrinkled nose with gloved fingers.She gasped, in relief and in excitement. "Oh my goodness... Thanks a lo
"When will I be discharged?" That was the first question Grandma asked as Hazel walked in. She sat up on her bed, a dissatisfied look upon her face, fingers intertwined on her lap. Hazel took in a deep breath as she approached the bed. "Grandma..."She swallowed the growing lump in her throat. She knew she couldn't be discharged anytime soon. She was trying so hard to act strong, probably so she could leave soon. But Hazel could see from the constant twitching in the corner of her eye that she was in a lot of pain. "You need to rest." She told her, seating beside her. "I have been out for about three days, I think I have rested enough." She remarked with a scowl. "No, you haven't." Hazel breathed, letting out a long sigh. "You will go into surgery soon."She was scared to even mention it at all, she knew her grandma must have been told this by the doctor upon her waking, but it was a reality neither of them were willing to face, so neither was willing to mention it. She shook he
Luca stopped by that very evening with a white bag in his hands; he had brought them dinner.When he walked into the hospital ward, Hazel sat by her Grandma's bed, face slack and pale with tiredness and deep thought. Her grandma had her eyes closed, an IV attached to her arm. Hazel's head turned when she hard his footsteps approaching. A look of surprise came upon her features. "Luca... What are you doing here?" She asked, rising from the bed with a confused frown.He was in his suit as always, the first few buttons of his shirt left unbuttoned. "I brought food." He replied, walking over to the table in the corner and placing the bag on it."Food?" She asked, staring at the bag.She had barely eaten all day. She couldn't stomach it. All that was happening, the news of the engagement. It seemed a lot to process. Six days....She had seen it on a blog herself on her phone. And even on the small TV in the hospital reception room, it was written on the headlines that rolled past beneath
Red looked really pretty on her tonight, Hazel could testify it herself. She was looking far more beautiful than she thought herself to be. Starring right through this mirror on the wall, she could see the anxiety that flickered in her eyes. To make a public appearance with her fiance... Luca Rossi. The word fiance was even still a foreign concept to her. Luca had someone stop by the hospital and take her to pick this dress out. The lady had introduced herself to her very briskly, barely saying much, only giving a brief smile or a nod or a shake of her head here and there as she made her try out different outfits. She was still in the dark as to where they were going, but Luca had not leave her to pick a dress by herself this time. His hired expert seemed to be very cautiously observing, and criticizing every outfit like the occasion was the wedding itself.The red dress happened to be the one who gained her satisfaction. She had smiled a bit more widely, demanding a twirl and g
Flashing lights, false smiles, and an intrepid air of elegance. All these surrounded Hazel the moment their car stopped in front of the enormous hotel building where the gala was being held. From the way her eyes dimmed and her heart beat hastened, Luca could sense her anxiety, he turned to her as she stared out the window. She looked exquisite, he was sure she would be the centre of attention by his side tonight. "We are here." The diver announced, coming down from the car and walking to their side to hold the door open for them. Hazel let out a harsh exhale. She had expected a date, not an entire gala with a whole lot of paparazzi eagerly flashing camera lights and pointing microphones at people like they were dangerous swords used to compel them into answering scandalous questions. "Hazel..."She turned to Luca as he called her name and let out a soft gasp. She did not realize he had already stepped out of the car and was holding his hand out for her to help her down.She reac
As Alva Roger stepped down from her vehicle, chin up, radiating the same elegance and confidence she always did; the cameras immediately turned to her. She was used to this already, the clamoring, the attention, occasionally she would yield to it. She would often be asked trivial questions, like her skincare routine, her last trip, her last vacation, her opinion on the latest fashion. But tonight as the paparazzi rushed for her with hungry eyes and microphones pointing forward like swords, she knew tonight was not about the benefits of a skincare routine or the intricacies of her outfit. "Miss Alva." The first voice called out to her. "Are you aware that your ex-fiancee and your maid are here as a couple?"Her first stab of anxiety struck, deep in her gut. She was aware of the news of their engagement. Was she aware that they would be coming to the gala together? Probably not. She did not allow herself to believe that Luca Rossi would be that daft, to bring something as raggy as h
Hazel Jacobs.Luca Rossi was an intimidating man sure to say, it's what the magazines said of him, it's what those bloggers wrote. He would never budge, never answer any questions, would rarely accept any interviews. A walking mystery. How did it feel, to be the lady clinging unto his arm on the very night of the gala, getting introduced at his fiancee, putting up a fake smile and pretending to be in love, while at the same time pretending that his arm was not the only thing keeping you from falling apart, shrivelling into dust under the stare and scrutiny of the critiques of the upperclassmen. It felt like they were all waiting to judge her, to judge her outfit, her manner of speech, her smile, her appearance. Hazel has never felt to watched in her life. "Good evening miss Jacobs." A lady approached her with a sly smile. Her silver blue dress appeared like ice against her pale skin, her light grey hair and bright blue eyes only complimenting the entire appearance of a snow queen
Two days the engagement party, it's time to pick a dress. After her run in with Alva at the gala, the insane questions from the press, Hazel feels herself growing further unsure of what her life after marrying Luca would look like.It still continues to feel like a surreal dream. A car had stopped by the hospital today, just as Luca had promised, to take her to test the engagement dress the dressmaker had made. Anna had opted to come along, unable to stop herself, she of course was a sucker for all things fashion herself. Although Hazel was unable to understand, how it seemed her friend was a lot more excited than she was about the whole ordeal, given the grounds of this engagement. She stood behind her as they walked to the car, dressed like a celebrity with her sunglasses and knee high boots, she continued to chirp and chatter about wedding preparations with their accomplice, who had chosen the red dress for the gala. She greeted the lady with a small smile, and she responded w