Chapter One  

Hazel's Pov

It's amazing how fast the night changes, one moment I am drinking champagne with my colleagues, waiting for the new boss to be introduced. The next minute I am running from the shadows of my past. I've always known this day would come. I know could never hide from my past forever, the day I would meet Andrea freaking Giovanni. What I didn't know is that I'll feel this terrified. I guess I never really had my cake.

Steering my Audi A4 compact sedan to the right, the familiar sight of my street comes in view. It's almost midnight the street is really quiet, almost every apartment is dark.

I finally pulled up at the front of my apartment after seven minutes of driving with a heavy and troubled mind and notice that her lights in the house are on. It can only mean one thing, 'my best friend and roommate, Maia is still awake.

'Arghh, I just want to have a drink and go to sleep' I groan loudly, already dreading the fifty questions game Maia is sure to start. I don't want to explain anything to anyone right now and knowing Maia sees right through me, she'd pester me until I come clean and empty. Like hell, she won't give me peace until I let out what it is that is bothering me. Stepping into the sitting room, I find her sitting on the floor in some yoga-like pose.

'Oh good, I can't escape this.' My subconsciousness sings aloud. 'Earth to Maia'

"Hey, how was the party?" Maia asks maintaining her prefect pose, not even breaking a single sweat. It baffles and cringes the hell out of me, each time I see a person in such positions and not screaming their lungs out in exhaustion.

"Oh well, I need a drink," I say dropping my orange lambskin clutch on the sofa before trudging to the kitchen for a glass of Ciroc vodka. I empty a generous amount of the drink into a glass cup and pour it down her throat. After two shots, I discard the cup and drink straight from the bottle my face squeezing from the burning sensation in my chest. But I still don't feel better. The Name of a certain man still haunts my memory. There's no way It could be another person. After a couple more gulps from the bottle, I turn to walk back into the sitting room and find Maia by the door watching me.

"Hazel, did something happen?" Maia asks, Her beautiful face oval laced with worry. She has long brown wavy hair but she usually wears it in a ponytail. Her skin is golden-brown with a subtle rosy glow around her cheeks.

We are really close to each other, she can tell if I'm lying even if I am keeping a straight face! I don't know how she does it! Damn her and her mind reading abilities. Or is it just with me?. This is the reason why I was trying to avoid a conversation with her in the first place.

Maia is the only family I have, and she knows about Andrea. I might as well just tell her now, I'm going to have to eventually anyway.

"I saw Andrea" a short but nerve-wracking answer. I feel my stomach knot onto multiple ties and my lips tremble as I let out that three-worded reply.

 And slowly but steadily, I watch as the realization hits her, causing her dark brown almond-shaped eyes to widen imperceptibly. Maia paled.

"Where?" She manages to answer after a few minutes passed.

"At the party, he is the new management that bought stohlman"

"Wait, what?" She flares, Her mouth forming an O

"Did you guys talk?"

"I ran away from the party like a coward that I am"my voice quakes as I feel a fresh wave of tears fill my eyes.

" You are no coward, Hazel Moore you are strong and brave and nobody knows this more than I do, so believe me when I say this" Maia, coos using the tip of her fingers to smoothen my hair, and I feel my body respond to her familiar touch of warmth and sincerity.

"Oh, Maia what will I do without you" I reply and go in for a hug.

" Everything, you are not at a force to be reckoned with Hazel." She says looking directly into my eyes."Come let's go to bed, we will talk about this in the morning, all that alcohol and you might just fall on your face".

I follow her like a child to my bedroom and the last thing I remember is Maia tucking me in.

I wake up to the smell of fresh coffee, and bright lights cutting through my eyes, and immediately my brain registers the massive ache in my head. "Thank you Alcohol" I grumble, kicking off the sheets from my body. "How did morning come so soon?"

I feebly walk downstairs and Maia is already having breakfast with her nose buried in her iPad. At the feel of my presence, she look up and her face lit up in a knowing smile.

"Seems like someone is in dire need of aspirin"

"Coffee"

"There is a fresh pot in the kitchen, and here is your bagel sandwich" she slides the Brown takeout paper bag towards me.

"Thank you". I breathe out before walking to the kitchen to get my coffee. Coming back I take a seat at the table facing Maia, taking a generous bite into my sandwich.

"So, how are you going to deal with this new development, you going to need to talk to him eventually." Maia states, her words are slow and deliberate, and she always takes a moment to think about what she wants to say before talking.

"Not eventually. . ," my voice breaks off before I manage to complete my sentence. However, The assuring nod from Maia, motivates me and I continue. " tomorrow, he has all the heads of various departments coming in to see him."

"Well, I think it's for the best, the earlier the better, just rip off the band-aid so you can start at least a semblance of a normal works relationship, don't you think so?"

"I am quitting Maia. I can't work for Andrea, I hurt him, I betrayed him and I have to live with that for the rest of my life. Working with him will just be torturous" I blurt, looking anywhere but her face.

"Hazel, look at me!"  Maia grabs my free hand and shakes me."You cannot quit, you just got promoted a few months back, I know how much you love working for stohlman corporations, being an accountant. Working long hours to get to where you are now, and now that you are here, in a position you wanted for three long years, you just want to give up on everything because of a run in from your past?"

"You don't understand, Maia I am sure he hates me, I don't want to put us in an awkward position"

" I can't say I completely understand what you are feeling, what I can say is this, you need to stop running Hazel" Maia cajoles, her voice matching the intensity in her eyes "Have you ever considered telling him the truth?" He might not forgive you but at least he'd understand" her voice is now gentle.

"what No, that's out of the question, I rather he keeps on hating me" I cry out, alarm and panic evident in my voice.

" You can't quit Hazel" Maia's voice sounds a bit more commanding than before."Promise me, at least try to see how things will go, get through the meeting tomorrow."Maia pleads and rises from her chair. she is dressed in a mustard yellow pants with a navy blue chiffon top with half ruffle sleeves.

"I am heading out, I have a work date with a potential investor," Maia says.

"What's the name of the investor and where is this date venue?" I questions. Maia passes a note with a name and the address of a popular diner to her.

"There you go, mom"

"Cheeky" I chuckle, happy at the fact that we dropped the whole of Andrea's conversation."Be good"

"Always" she winks slyly.