Hazel’s world faded in and out, a chaotic blur of flashing lights, frantic voices, and searing pain. The distant wail of the ambulance echoed in her ears as she was lifted onto a stretcher, her body limp and unresponsive. Mia’s voice was faint in the background, shouting her name, pleading for her to hold on. But Hazel was drifting further and further away, the pain in her heart far greater than the physical injuries she had sustained.
The last thing she remembered before everything went black was the overwhelming despair that had gripped her when Ace had whispered those devastating words to her. The memory played on a loop in her mind, the pain sharp and unrelenting, even as consciousness slipped from her grasp.
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Ace drove back to his mansion with a hollow feeling in his chest. The
