She laughed in disbelief at how confidently he defended that lie. It was impossible that no one had hired them. She had seen the woman clearly before she blacked out. Even if the face were burned to ash, she would recognize it. It was Caroline. She’d watched that woman hand money to the thugs, kick her in the face, and say, “Good job. If the police ask, tell them it was just venting. I’ll pay you a fortune when you get out, enough to set you for life.”
Hazel yanked her arm free from Dominic and said coldly, “It was Caroline. I saw her with my own eyes. She will pay for what she did.”
Ignoring Dominic’s protests, she dialed the police.
It didn’t take long, and the police found surveillance footage showing Caroline handing money to the thugs, confirming Hazel’s claim. Hazel refused any private settlement and demanded that the law put the woman behind bars.
Caroline wept, makeup streaked, eyes full of venom as she glared at Hazel. But Hazel ignored her and left the station.
The next second, a van pulled up in front of her, and strong hands forced her inside. She tried to scream, but when she looked up, she saw a familiar face.
“Dominic? What are you doing? Why are you taking me?!” she cried.
He lounged in the passenger seat, a half-smile playing on his lips. “Hazel, you’re really insubordinate. It irritates me.”
With a single look from him, someone dragged out a large yellow dog. The animal was emaciated, its body marked with whip scars and dried blood; it looked close to death. But the moment it saw Hazel, it thumped its tail weakly.
Hazel went pale and rushed forward, scooping the dog into her arms and choking on its name.
“Cooper! Cooper!” she sobbed.
“You could have aimed that anger at me, Dominic. Why hurt a dog?” she cried.
Third Person's POV
Cooper had been with Hazel since she was a child. She and her mother had raised him together, so he wasn’t just a pet; he was family. Since her mother was gone now, Cooper was all she had left. So why did Dominic have to destroy the last bit of comfort she had in this world?
Seemingly not to care, he tossed a statement of forgiveness onto the table in front of her and coldly said, “Caroline is someone very precious to me. That day, when you dirtied her dress, she acted impulsively. It wasn’t her intention to have you beaten. You don’t need to send her to prison. Sign this agreement, and I’ll let your dog go.”