Chapter 6

Hazel POV

Adam's expression changed slightly. He quickly explained.

"Don't worry. Lucky is in the storage room. Winnie is afraid of dogs, so I temporarily put Lucky there."

I turned and ran toward the storage room.

That cramped storage room was less than thirty square feet, with no windows, never seeing sunlight. He actually locked Lucky in there!

Was this the same Adam who bathed Lucky and ran with it?

No.

The man who could unhesitatingly protect Winnie and leave me bleeding without care could naturally lock Lucky in a dark room for Winnie's sake too.

This was the real Adam.

I pushed open the storage room door. Lucky was huddled in the corner. Hearing the sound, it couldn't even wag its tail, just made a weak whimper.

My nose stung with emotion. I picked up Lucky and looked back at Adam, who had followed.

"Adam, how long did you lock it up!"

Adam's expression stiffened. He was about to explain.

Winnie, who had followed behind, immediately shrank her shoulders, her voice tearful.

"It's all my fault. I made Lucky get locked up for two days. Hazel doesn't want me here. I should just leave."

Adam immediately darkened, grabbing Winnie's wrist. "Don't talk nonsense. I'm in charge of this house. You stay as long as you want."

He looked at me with displeasure. "Hazel, Lucky is just a dog. Winnie is your sister."

I laughed coldly. "So these two days, you didn't feed it even once, did you?"

Adam's brow furrowed tightly. He said nothing.

Without another glance at him, I walked straight out with Lucky in my arms.

I took Lucky to a familiar pet boarding facility.

I knew Winnie well. As long as she lived there, there would be no peace in that house.

If Lucky stayed home, it would only suffer.

But seeing Lucky lying pitifully in a narrow cage, my heart ached.

"My dog is also boarding here recently."

A young man nearby spoke up. "I come every day to walk it. If you're comfortable with it, I can walk yours too."

I nodded gratefully. "Thank you."

After settling Lucky, I went back home.

As soon as I entered the yard, I noticed the garden bed where I'd planted lisianthus had been completely dug up and replaced with the red roses Winnie liked.

I just looked calmly for a moment before looking away and heading straight to my room.

A few minutes later, someone pushed open my bedroom door.

Winnie leaned against the doorframe. The sweetness she showed in front of Adam was gone from her face. She lifted her chin and walked in."Hazel, you saw everything on Ins, didn't you?"

She lazily sat on the edge of my bed, crossing her legs. "Have you figured out your place yet?"

I lowered my head and organized my vanity, ignoring her.

But Winnie wouldn't let it go. Her gaze swept around the vanity and stopped on a jeweled crown.

It was the first jewelry piece I'd designed myself. I was saving it to wear at my own future wedding.

Winnie casually picked it up and tossed it in her hand.

"What are you doing? Give it back!"

I stood up to grab it.

Winnie stepped back a few paces. With a twist of her wrist, she gripped the crown in her hand and asked with a light laugh,

"Hazel, after all these years, you still don't understand? You can't beat me at anything."

I stared at her hand. "That's mine!"

Winnie scoffed. "Who it belongs to is up to me."

The words had barely left her mouth when she scratched the back of her other hand viciously with her long nails.

Her delicate skin immediately bled.

She threw the crown on the floor.

Winnie collapsed onto the ground, tears streaming down her face. "Hazel, I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to look..."

Urgent footsteps came from downstairs. Adam rushed upstairs.

"Winnie!"

He quickly bent down and helped Winnie into his arms. Seeing her bleeding hand, his eyes instantly reddened. "How did this happen?"

"It's all my fault. I wanted to look at Hazel's crown without asking her permission. Don't blame her. It's all my fault..."

Adam looked up, staring at me with fury in his eyes. "I never thought you could be this vicious!"

Something pressed against the sole of his foot. Adam looked down and saw the crown on the floor.

He lifted his foot and stomped down hard on the crown.

Adam scooped Winnie up in his arms and left without looking back.

I stood there quietly, looking at the scattered fragments on the floor.

I once thought I would wear it as his bride.

I looked at it for a long while.

Finally, I slowly crouched down and gathered the remains into my palm.

The sharp edges cut my palm. Blood seeped out.

I would never love Adam again.