Hazel woke up the next morning feeling groggy, the remnants of her disturbing dreams clinging to her consciousness like a fog. Her heart still felt heavy, the weight of the previous day’s events pressing down on her. She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes as she tried to shake off the lingering unease. The memory of Aunt Sophie’s betrayal hovered at the edges of her mind, refusing to be ignored.
She glanced at her phone, which was still on her nightstand where she had left it. Ace’s messages from the night before were still there, a silent reminder that she wasn’t alone. Hazel’s resolve from the previous night came flooding back—she needed to talk to Ace. She couldn’t carry this burden by herself, and if there was anyone she could trust, it was him.
After taking a deep breath, Hazel decided
