After lunch, Enzo was checking his phone. He had been searching for something for months, and finally, he saw it. His hands began to shake. Without thinking twice, he got up from his chair and walked straight out of his office.

He entered the elevator and headed to the car park to find his car.

"Enzo... Enzo, where are you going?" Manuel chased after him, noticing he was heading to his car without him.

But Enzo said nothing. He got into his car and drove away.

—------

A woman with tan skin and dark hair was walking down a lonely road. She was thin, tall, and in her late twenties. As she moved along the empty path, a mix of nervousness and excitement showed in her every step. She looked around, her heart swelling with gratitude. She had missed these places so much. It felt unreal to walk the very streets she had once roamed as a child.

Suddenly, a man stepped in front of her, blocking her path. He was strikingly handsome—taller than her, with dark hair, piercing dark eyes, light tan skin, and a muscular build. He stared at her with anger, his gaze sharp and intense.

Her heart sank. She recognized those eyes instantly. How could she forget them? There had been a time when she both loved and hated those eyes. But now, they terrified her.

"What... what do you want?" Ava asked, her voice trembling.

"I want to give you the punishment you truly deserve," Enzo said in a low, commanding voice.

"I've already paid the price. I was in prison all these years," Ava pleaded. She glanced around desperately for help, but the road was deserted. She cursed herself for coming to this isolated place alone.

"And you killed her. You stole her whole life from her. How can you walk around like this after doing such a thing? You don't have any right to do that!" Enzo yelled.

"I paid my price in prison! Why don't you understand that? Let me go. I didn't mean to kill her—it was an accident," Ava said, crying. But Enzo wasn't ready to listen. He raised a gun at her, and Ava began to shake with fear.

"Enzo, don't do this. Please," Ava begged.

"Oh, you don't want to die. But you killed someone, didn't you?" Enzo said, his voice cold and merciless.

"It was a mistake! I didn't mean to do such a thing. How many times do I have to say that?" Ava pleaded, her voice breaking as she slowly stepped backward.

Suddenly, Manuel appeared out of nowhere. He saw Enzo aiming a gun at a woman.

"What's going on?" Manuel asked, his voice filled with confusion. "What are you trying to do?"

"She's the one who killed Mia. Look at her, walking around freely like nothing happened. I'm going to kill her," Enzo said, his voice trembling with rage. "She doesn't deserve to live."

"Don't become a murderer, Enzo. I don't want you to do this," Manuel pleaded.

"It's not fair! She doesn't deserve to live!" Enzo shouted, his eyes bloodshot and brimming with angry tears.

"Give me the gun, Enzo," Manuel said firmly.

Enzo glanced at Manuel with annoyance but quickly shifted his gaze back to Ava.

"Why?" Enzo asked, his voice raw with emotion.

"Give me your gun, Enzo," Manuel said again, his voice calm and steady. But Enzo didn't move.

"Enzo, please," Manuel repeated softly as he carefully took the gun from Enzo's hand. Enzo didn't resist. He simply looked at Manuel, his expression unreadable.

"What do you want me to do, boss?" Manuel asked, his gaze meeting Enzo's.

"Shoot her," Enzo said coldly.

Manuel raised the gun, his movements deliberate. Ava opened her mouth to protest, but no words came out.

"You hurt my boy really bad," Manuel said, and then he fired the gun.

------

Hazel hadn't heard from Enzo for a few days. She sent him several messages and called, but there was no reply. She felt sad and anxious. When Enzo called her, he was always super romantic. Then, just as suddenly, he disappeared. He never told her where he was going or what he was doing. Hazel still didn't even know where Enzo lived or what kind of job he had. But Hazel was one of those rare types of girls who fell in love with someone really hard once they showed even a little love—and then didn't know what to do about it.

"Hazel, you look sad. What's wrong?" When Hazel went to meet her friends over the weekend, Dona asked.

"No, I'm not," Hazel said with a fake smile.

"Don't tell me you're still worried about that jerk you met a few days ago," Claudia said. They knew well how emotional Hazel was. Hazel also knew her friends understood just how emotional she could be. That's why she didn't tell them that she had met the handsome guy again. She kept it a secret.

And Hazel wasn't sure what kind of relationship she and Enzo had. But she knew her heart. She was thinking about Enzo every second.

"No, I'm not," Hazel said. Her heart ached a little when Claudia called Enzo a jerk.

"This is why I worry about you, Hazel. You're too sensitive. Don't be like that. People will try to take advantage of it. Remember your stupid ex-boyfriend? Thank God you caught him before anything happened," Dona said, genuinely worried about her friend.

"Don't worry, guys. I'm not that weak," Hazel said, trying to reassure them.

"We know you're not weak, Hazel. But we don't want you to suffer," Claudia said, gently touching Hazel's hand.

"Come on, guys. I'm not sad. Let's order something to eat. I'm hungry," Hazel said, eager to change the subject.

"Okay, then. What should we eat today?" Dona asked.

"I like something spicy," Hazel said.

"I hate spicy food. They make my stomach hurt. Where the hell did you learn to eat spicy food?" Claudia said, jokingly.

"My mom likes spicy food. She used to travel when she was young. Then she married my dad," Hazel said, smiling.

"Your dad didn't let her travel?" Dona asked, surprised.

"Nope, but she wanted to settle down and have a family. She wanted to be a housewife," Hazel said.

"Is she happy about that?" Claudia asked.

"Sometimes happy. Sometimes not," Hazel said.

"I'd like to marry a rich man and not do anything," Dona said.

"We all like that, silly," Claudia said. "But the problem is, will a rich man want us?"

"And I don't think they're faithful. They have lots of money, so they cheat with their money," Dona said.

"I don't like cheaters. I don't want a cheating wealthy guy," Hazel said, hoping Enzo wasn't a cheater. But he was so handsome.

"What about a cheating poor guy?" Claudia said, jokingly.

"No cheaters. No way. I'd rather die a virgin," Hazel said, blushing.

"Hazel, you need to find a boyfriend quickly. I don't think you deserve to die a virgin," Dona said.

"But why the hell would I have sex with a guy who doesn't want to marry me?" Hazel said, sticking to her strong traditional beliefs, though even she didn't know where they came from.

"That's a good point, actually. They act like they love you, have sex with you, then dump you. Somehow, you're the slut and they're not," Claudia said.

"That's what I'm saying," Hazel said.

Finally, they stopped the conversation and ordered some food. But Hazel's mind wasn't fully with her friends.

Hazel came home around 7 p.m. after spending a good time with her friends. She felt a loneliness she hadn't felt before. She knew why it was. This was the problem with falling in love. If the one you love isn't close to you when you fall for them, it's really hard. She wondered if all the girls felt the same or if she was just being stupid.

Suddenly, her phone rang, and she thought it might be one of her friends. But to her surprise, it was Enzo, and her heart beat faster with happiness. She quickly answered the phone.

"Hello?" Hazel said.

"Hey, sorry about not calling. I've been so busy," Enzo said, his voice not as excited as before. It sounded troubled.

"Are you okay? You sound upset," Hazel asked with concern. She was already starting to worry about Enzo, even though she didn't know if they were in a relationship or not.

"Am I? Gosh, looks like I can't hide anything from you," Enzo said with a little smile.

"So you have things to hide?" Hazel asked, still concerned.

"Maybe? Don't you have things to hide?" Enzo asked.

"Like what?" Hazel asked.

"I don't know. You tell me," Enzo said.

"I don't think I have any secrets," Hazel said. "So, what are your secrets?"

"They're secrets, baby. Can't tell you," Enzo said, sounding playful. But Hazel's mind startled a bit from it because she was too sensitive.

"Okay, I get it. You have lots of secrets," Hazel said in a worried tone as she jumped onto her bed.

"Hey, come on. Don't be upset," Enzo said. That wasn't what Hazel expected from him. She wanted to hear Enzo say, "Come on, it was a joke," but he didn't say that. Does that mean he's telling the truth? Hazel thought.

"Hazel, baby? Are you there?" Enzo asked.

"Why are you calling me baby? Are we...?" Hazel asked, unsure.

"Hey, I'm sorry, I have to go. I'll call you later. Good night!" Enzo said, sounding like he was in a hurry, and hung up.

Why did he hang up so suddenly? Is he married? Hazel thought, a sharp pain filling her heart. I should ask him next time. But if he's married, why is he calling me? Why is he flirting with girls? Is he still flirting with other girls?

So many thoughts filled Hazel's mind, destroying the peace she had once felt.