Chapter 13 13
Third Person POV
Hazel paused to look at the text again; she needed to be sure who had just texted her. She read the name again to be sure she wasn't seeing things; it was Adrian.
Why had he texted her? What did he want? Numerous questions flooded her mind as she sought answers she couldn't find; perhaps he wanted to disgrace her even more.
She ran into her room and locked the doors shut. She needed to be alone for a while longer. She dropped her phone and thought of her situation.
She was affiliated with both her uncle and nephew, and they seemed to want her for completely different reasons. She stopped herself from grabbing her phone numerous times, and when she eventually did, she didn't know what to reply to him.
She knew she was in love with Adrian—that much she was sure of, but she liked to think she cared about him. But after he had abandoned her in front of her family, she felt the opposite since then.
Now him texting her made her get mixed feelings she wasn't sure how to process. She knew she was overthinking this, but she couldn't help it. Eventually she picked up her phone again and replied, "None of your business."
She dropped her phone and breathed out; she felt that would be enough to wound his pride, making him not text her again, but her phone buzzed almost immediately again.
She reached out for her phone, hoping it wasn't what she thought it was; it was a text from Adrian. "I think we need to talk about this, just once," the text read.
She looked at this text absentmindedly, and she realised that if he had sent her this text on the night her father disowned her, she would have taken him back without hesitation, but now she felt nothing.
"Adrian, stay away from me," she responded and dropped her phone. She needed to rest and think more about what Draven had said to her. Her phone buzzed once more, but she didn't bother checking it.
She left her phone where it was as she slowly drifted to sleep. She played different scenes in her head on what she wished to do over family if ever given the chance.
The ideas she thought of made her smile once in a while, but it wasn't something she would dare do, especially with no backing. Draven sat down at his table, his hands folded into a fist.
He had to think of a way to get her fast; if he had to use her family, he would; he just had to make her say yes to him. A knock came from the door.
"Come in," Draven called out. Noah calmly walked into the room, then slightly bowed his head at the alpha.
"Anything new?" He asked. "She's fallen asleep, although it seems your nephewis trying to establish communication with her, but she seemed interested, bothered by other thoughts, I would assume," Noah said.
Draven smiled at that; he knew his foolish son would try reaching out to her again, but he hadn't stopped him; he let it happen just to see the reaction of Hazel, and truly she hadn't disappointed.
Smiling, he asked Noah, "Do you think it's time to bring her into the pack?" Noah simply said.
"I believe we can trust her enough; she has no one else to comfortably rely on except you, Master." Draven nodded because he knew just how true that statement was.
It was time to go see that old witch again, but before then he would have to convince Hazel to agree to his terms. He turned and faced Noah.
"And her health? Are there any complications whatsoever?" He demanded, and Noah shook his head. "I had made sure everything was fine before I left her to rest; perhaps the only thing she needs right now would be more rest," he concluded.
Draven nodded slowly; all he had to do was wait for the right time before he could bring up the topic with her. He looked at the paperwork in front of him.
"Noah, what's the state of the company in my absence?" Draven asked; he said he would leave the management of the company completely to Adrian, but he didn't trust his son yet; he was too easily swayed by women and very green behind the ears.
"Well, with the help of Thalia Labrinth, our company has been able to make good profits and returns." Noah was talking before Draven cut it.
"No, no, not that; I'm talking without the help of the Labrinth family; how did he make her on his own at the beginning?" Draven asked more intensely; he knew that when he had gone, Adrian was not prepared to lead the pack, especially not the business, but he had to leave for his own good.
"About that, sir, the company took some major losses in your immediate absence. Adrian found it difficult to adjust and understand the structure of the business, but he managed as well as he could considering the circumstances," Noah replied.
Draven knew Noah had been here to watch and guide Adrian; although Adrian had refused his help multiple times for unknown reasons, he still did as his master had ordered, waiting for his return.
"And what do you think about the Labrinth family? Do they seem clean to you?" Draven asked him, and the only person who he could really trust his back with was Noah; he had served him for more than thirty years and did his every bidding.
Noah was also very resourceful and observant, making him crucial on taking information. "Yes, I don't completely trust that pack, Master." Noah said with a frown.
Draven looked at his assistant differently. If Noah said he never trusted someone, then that person never deserved trust to begin with. "How so? Explain to me in detail, Noah." Draven settled into his chair comfortably.
"Well, to begin with, they are very secretive about the manner of business they conduct; they limit the number of workers who can do certain jobs and tasks, dividing them into categories as if giving them another purpose," he stated.
"I've tried speaking to one of the pack members, and he was scared to death at the mention of the Labrinth family business, then ran away after that."
"Although they make huge sims of profit, the amount doesn't match the capacity of their supposed business, which could only mean that they have another source of income only known to them and not the rest of us."
Draven listened slowly and absorbed every single bit of information that Noah had to offer; he couldn't have thought about it, but the more Noah spoke, the more he agreed with what he had been thinking.
"And how does my son come into all of this?" Draven asked finally; he needed to know just what his son had been up to in these recent years.
"I don't think Master Adrian is privy to their plans, nor does he suspect anything; his focus is joining forces with the successful Labrinth family and promoting the pack; your son's focus is the stability of the pack, Master," Noah said.
Draven smiled at that and felt relaxed. He would continue to leave the company in his nephew’s hands; if he succeeds, then so be it; if not, he would like this experience as a lesson.
Now that Adrian was out of his mind, he could finally focus on his second agenda. Noah got up slowly and left the room in silence. Draven needed a reason to do most of the things he did; it doesn't have to be something deep or painful.
All he needed was just a reason. He had been planning the downfall of the Labrinth family but couldn't come up with any. But if he could get Hazel to want her revenge, then he would have a reason to hunt down the family, and in return he would get what he wanted from her.
The way he saw it, it was a win-win situation. Just as he was deep in thought, another knock came from the door. Thinking it was Noah, he asked them to come in. Hazel walked into the room looking restless.
It had been less than an hour since she had left her room, yet here she was again. Draven sighed, knowing he wasn't ready for another banter with her. "I'm just here to talk; after that, I'll go," she said quickly as she sensed the tension building up.
"Tell me then, what do you want?" Draven demanded. She looked about the room; she seemed unsure of how to present the matter.
"Revenge on my family," she responded. Draven raised his eye brows in surprise. "And what would you give me in return, Hazel ?" He asked her excitedly.
"Name your price," she said, looking at him square in the eye. Draven licked his lips and stood up. He walked towards her and held her jaw with the tips of his fingers.
"Marriage," he said.
"Done," she replied without hesitation.