Slowly, Vladimir bent and touched her cheek, tugging some strands of her wet hair behind her ears.
Hazel trembled fearfully as she sobbed.
"I...I swear, I saw nothing...I didn't see anything...I didn't see the way you ripped off that man's head. I..." Hazel uttered in a rush and suddenly paused realizing what she had just said.
"Please–please don't kill me! I won't say a word to anyone... Please!" Hazel cried fearfully.
Vladimir let out a bone-chilling laughter which filled the air and suddenly died down as he stared coldly at the little bunny who was crying and shivering.
He held her chin and made her stare straight at him.
"Forget everything you saw...you saw nothing hmm?" Vladimir said almost in a whisper as his eyes bore into her hazel green eyes through her glasses.
Her eyes became dull as she lowered her gaze and nodded slowly. She stared at the ground, lost in thought.
She slowly raised her head, only to catch a glimpse of a man's retreating form as he disappeared into the darkness...
***
The doorbell rang, Riley quickly grabbed her phone and rushed to the door, pulling it open.
She frowned at the sight of a dark shadow and quickly switched on the outside light.
"Christ! Hazel, where have you been? I went downtown searching for you, I couldn't find you so I had to come get my phone and head for the station to make a report!" Riley uttered breathlessly.
"What happened to you? You're soaked and..." Riley was saying but paused when she noticed the distant look in Hazel's eyes.
"I thought you took the umbrella with you. You're all soaked, you might fall sick. Come on, did anything happen?" Riley asked, worriedly.
"I... I don't know, the shops were all locked and... I... I don't even know where I dropped the umbrella. I didn't really see anything... It just seems like I lost my way." Hazel mumbled slowly, tucking some strands of hair that fell on her face behind her ear.
"Oh goodness, thank goodness you're back safely. I got so worried about you. Come, hurry, and remove your wet clothes. Let me help you."
"No, I'm fine Riley, I can handle it myself." Hazel cut in, moving away from Riley whose brows drew closer in shock.
"Hazel dear, are you sure you are okay? You know you can talk to me. What happened out there, did you see anything? Did anything happen to you? You know you can talk to me." Riley's worry increased, noticing how her friend acted weirdly.
"I'm good, Riley. Just soaked and really cold, I need a warm bath that's all. Good night, Riley." Hazel assured with a faint smile and left for her room in a hurry.
Riley stared at her retreating figure with altered surprise before heading to her own room. The thought of her tasteless pasta all gone.
••THE NEXT DAY••
Hazel stared at her reflection in the mirror as she packed her hair into a loose ponytail before putting on her glasses. She had on her body black jeans and a white hoodie baggy enough to hide her curves.
Her Hazel green eyes were slightly dull and distant as though she was lost in thought yet the innocence within them couldn't be hidden.
I didn't see anything... I saw nothing, I didn't see the–
The sudden creak of the door jolted her back to reality, breaking her train of thought. She turned to see Riley standing there, a lunchbox in hand.
"What are you still waiting for, Hazel? You're going to be late. I've packed you some breakfast and snacks. You'll be staying in school and won't have the time to come home except on weekends." Riley stated softly and strode to where Hazel stood.
"Why do you love wearing this nerdy outfit? And what's with the glasses, you can see without them." Riley complained.
"C'mon Riley it's nothing new, I just wanna stay on low key and avoid unnecessary attention. I'll visit during weekends and Riley... I need a job. I can't have you pay for my tuition all the time. I need a part-time job so I'll be able to handle stuff like that." Hazel muttered, softly.
"Hazel, I don't really mind doing such... you're like a little sister to me–"
"Please..." Hazel took Riley's hands in hers and pouted.
"Oh dear, you know I can't ignore those innocent-looking eyes of yours. I'll try to see if there's any vacancy at my workplace. Take care and make sure you eat well, okay?" Riley assured sweetly and pulled Hazel into a hug.
Even as they were best of friends, Riley couldn't ignore this fragile girl with those innocent wide eyes. Slowly, she began to love and care for her not just as a friend, but like a daughter, or rather her little sister. She had become her protector, her big sister, maybe even a mother figure.
Hazel smiled and nodded as she hung her backpack and took the lunchbox. They both left the room as Hazel waved her final goodbye to Riley.
••AT WEXFORD COLLEGE••
A taxi screeched to an abrupt halt in front of the big building. Hazel stepped out of the car and settled the cab man before he drove off. Adjusting the weight of her heavy backpack, she stepped into the building.
"Oh my! Thought you were planning to stay at Aunt Riley's place forever and forget about school!" Skylar screeched excitedly immediately she sighted Hazel who was trying to open her dorm.
"Haha, I was thinking of doing that but I can't skip college," Hazel replied with a short laugh.
"You've really gained some weight, just take a good look at me and see how thin I've become!" Ava complained and faked a sob, tagging along with Skylar while Hazel stiffled another laugh with arms stretched as she waited for the two friends to walk up to her and give her a warm hug.
Skylar and Ava were Hazel's best friends here in Wexford College. Skylar was black, her hair shaved into a sharp pixie cut, while Ava had short curly brown hair.
"Even at that, you don't look bad. Have you forgotten that slim fit is the trend now?" Hazel chirped, happy to see them once again.
"Spare me that Hazel, not with this current generation of men that want big ass," Ava stated, making the ladies burst into another round of laughter.
"You're back at the right time Hazel. Guess what? Samantha is throwing a welcome back party, you guys interested?" Ava stated, happily.
"That two-faced bitch." Skylar muttered under her breath and chewed on her gum.
"I'm not interested, I'm tired and need rest," Hazel mumbled tiredly, shaking her head in disapproval. But she knew Ava, she wouldn't rest until she persuaded her completely and Skylar would have to come along, not wanting to be left out.
"Please my little Birdy nerdy, don't say no." Ava pouted childishly.
"Ugh... fine I'm in," Hazel muttered, softly to cut the drama short.
"Whoooosh!!!" Skylar screeched while Ava made a happy dance. Hazel turned, noticing the other students glaring at them as if they were insane.
"Bills on me and I'mma dress you up just the way I want, you ain't gonna go to that party with your nerdy glasses, oversized hoodie, and faded jean trousers!" Skylar declared, looking so serious about it, making Hazel end up rolling her eyes.
••SANGUICORP••
Vladimir sat in the armchair, its base slowly swivelling left and right, legs wrapped in black pants crossed elegantly. Eyes fixed on the towering glass window that framed the world outside as he sipped slowly from his glass of wine.
"You seem bored," Cassian muttered as he stepped forward and stood beside Vladimir.
"Is there a problem?" Vladimir asked, coldly.
"Not really, but if I may ask...what did you do to the poor bunny last night?" Cassian asked, calmly.
Vladimir's gaze snapped at Cassian, surprised at how interested Cassian looked.
"I only compelled her. She isn't worth my time to kill." Vladimir's voice came out calm, almost bored with a smirk playing on his lips.
He chuckled, darkly recalling how terrified she was. Wide eyes, trembling lips, her heartbeat pounding like a war drum in his ears.
He sipped his wine some more, with head shaking in disbelief, his smirk dipping as he seemed in thought. He suddenly downed his wine, returned the glass to the table, and strode to the window side.
He looked down as though he were a god watching over his people and enjoying the sight of nature down below.
"You have a meeting with Dorian Vale, he booked some private space downtown," Cassian informed, noticing Vladimir was uninterested in his question about the girl but didn't miss the hint of a smile on his lips.
He knew Vladimir very well, he had dealt with things such as the lady last night and never bothered about it because anyone he compelled never had the same memory again.
"Interesting... I believe it's time to pay him a visit." Vladimir said with a faint smile which suddenly turned into a dangerous look.