NOVEL DRAMA ONLINE Chapter 297 Where She Belongs
Chapter 297 Where She Belongs
"Matteo, handle it urgently," Alessandro demanded, pacing outside the Commissariat de Police as he spoke on the phone with his lawyer friend. "I can't let Hazel stay in jail."
"Give me a moment, Alessandro," Matteo replied calmly. "I'll see what I can arrange in Monaco to get immediate help."
The call ended, and Alessandro exhaled heavily, slipping his phone back into his coat pocket. Impatience gnawed at him as he thought about Hazel. She was six months pregnant, and he had promised Aria that he would ensure her safety at any cost. "Mr. Valentino?" a voice interrupted his thoughts.
Alessandro turned to see a man in a sharp black suit approaching him with an air of authority.
"Good evening," the man began. "I'm Victor Duval. I've been instructed by Lord Alexander to secure his wife's release."
Alessandro was slightly taken aback; he hadn't expected Alexander to send his lawyer to aid Hazel, especially after witnessing his cold indifference toward his wife earlier.
"Mr. Duval," Alessandro greeted, shaking the man's hand firmly, but his gaze remained sharp as he studied Victor. "You have the necessary paperwork?!"
Victor nodded confidently. "Everything is in order. I'll ensure the process is handled as swiftly as possible."
Alessandro gave a curt nod. "Good. Let's get this done. Hazel doesn't belong in there."
Without wasting another moment, the two men strode purposefully into the Commissariat de Police, their determined steps echoing in the corridor.
Aria had just tucked her infant daughter into bed, while Gia and Maximo were occupied watching television in their room after dinner when Alessandro finally returned.
Hearing the sound of the door, Aria and Camille hurried to greet him, their faces filled with anticipation. But their excitement waned the moment they noticed Alessandro entering the manor alone.
"Where is Hazel?" Aria asked anxiously, her worry evident in her voice.
"Amore mio," Alessandro began gently, hoping to ease Aria's concern. "Hazel is fine. She's been released on bail," he assured her. Then, his tone hardened slightly as he added, "But she refused to return home, and I couldn't force her." His sharp glare shifted toward Alexander, who had just emerged from his room.
"But where did she go?" Camille asked, her voice tinged with guilt, her face etched with worry.
"Mother, I dropped her at her parents' home at her insistence," Alessandro replied calmly.
Before anyone could respond, Alexander abruptly darted toward the exit, his jaw clenched, and his expression unreadable. He didn't offer an explanation, nor did he acknowledge the family members watching him.
Camille sighed deeply, her sadness evident in the way her shoulders sagged. Disappointment weighed heavily on her heart as she reflected on her son's behavior toward his wife. Perhaps it runs in their blood, she thought bitterly.
Men in noble, wealthy families have always been accustomed to neglecting their wives, treating them as dispensable, and seeking comfort in the arms of other women whenever they pleased, always ready to find a replacement.
Hazel stood in her miserable state before her father, her heart sinking as his cold, disdainful eyes bore into her.
"Why did you come here?" her father barked, his voice sharp with irritation. Hazel had just poured her heart out, explaining how her husband's mistress had framed her with false accusations and sent her to jail. Yet, her father remained unmoved, his expression indifferent. "This is not your home anymore, Hazel," he snapped. "Go back to your husband and do as he says. That is your utmost duty as his wife."
"But, Father, I can't bear it anymore," Hazel pleaded, her voice quivering with desperation.
"I don't care," her father cut her off
with a sigh, his tone filled with disdain. "We cannot afford to go against Lord Alexander. Do you understand? He has funded all our businesses in exchange for this marriage. If you try to jeopardize this arrangement..." His voice dropped to a menacing growl as he leaned closer, his teeth gritted with hatred. "I will kill you myself, you useless wretch."
Hazel stood frozen, her father's cold words piercing through her like ice. She turned to her mother, desperate for even the slightest glimmer of compassion, but her mother refused to meet her gaze. Her expression was as distant and unfeeling as her father's, and Hazel's heart sank further.
"Now return to your home before you make Lord Alexander angrier, and he punishes you even more harshly," her older brother, Archer, sneered, his tone full of threat.
Hazel felt her chest tighten, her
breath shallow as the weight of her isolation pressed down on her. She had a faint belief in her that her family would be her refuge, but now it felt like they were strangers. Neither her husband's home nor her own parent's house felt like a place she could belong. In that moment, she felt truly alone, the walls closing in around her as the question swirled in her mind-where could she go now? What was left for her?
Uncertainty clouded Hazel's
thoughts as she aimlessly wandered the streets, her feet carrying her with no particular destination in mind. The weight of her emotions was heavy, and every step felt more burdensome than the last. The
evening air grew colder, a het
soon,
she felt the pangs of hunger. The darkness of night was beginning to creep in, and Hazel's exhaustion caught up with her. She found a bench at a bus stop and sat down, her hand instinctively resting on her swollen belly.
"I'm sorry, baby," she whispered, her voice barely audible, as if speaking to her unborn child. "I couldn't give you a happy family... a safe home." A tear slipped down her cheek, and she quickly wiped it away, only for more to follow. She cried silently, overwhelmed by the immense weight of her situation, the isolation that seemed to stretch on forever.
Suddenly, the sound of tires screeching against the asphalt broke through the quiet. A car came to a stop right in front of her, its headlights blinding her for a moment. Hazel blinked, placing her hand in front of her eyes and squinting through the brightness as she looked up to see who it was.