"Arlo..." Aubrey stamred, panic rising within her when she finally spoke. "She knew about River. She knew about her. What should we do now?" She questioned in a frantic whisper, desperation creeping into her voice. "We can’t do anything. River will co to us!"
Aubrey could feel tears prickling at the corners of her eyes. Unable to contain her fear, she grabbed Arlo’s jacket and shook him slightly, as if willing him to co up with a solution.
Hearing that, Arlo moved quickly to take Aubrey out of the hospital. "Shut up!" He hissed viciously; his anger was evident as he scanned their surroundings. The hospital was bustling with people, and discussing such sensitive matters in public was reckless. Aubrey should have known better.
After Arlo raised his voice, Aubrey fell silent, shocked and hurt by his reaction. She lowered her head, feeling the weight of his frustration, and allowed him to lead her back to their car.
The eting at the hospital had been orchestrated by Arlo himself. Hazel had been correct in her suspicions; he had wanted to see her to ask her questions regarding River.
After the attack at the Leightons’ residence, security had been increased significantly. Ranon had also doubled the protection around Hazel, further complicating things for Arlo.
He was not sure whether it was the right move to attack the Leightons by using the Lozens’ na.
Once they were inside the car, Arlo slamd the door behind him and moved to the driver’s seat. His attention turned fully to Aubrey.
"Why did you say that? What were you talking about with Hazel?" He demanded, his voice steady but intense.
Aubrey blinked, feeling the weight of his gaze. Arlo’s eagerness was undeniable, a remnant of the care he held for her sister that clawed at Aubrey’s heart. It ignited a familiar flare of jealousy within her, and she couldn’t deny the sting it brought.
"Tell now. What did you say to Hazel Leighton?" Arlo pressed, his grip on her hand tightening painfully as he sought the answer. The intensity of his inquiry was overwhelming.
As Aubrey struggled to find her voice, the conflict within her grew with the thought that Arlo was very aggressive with the ntion of anything about River.
"Arlo..." Aubrey gasped, her voice trembling as she pulled away from his grip. "You are hurting ." He didn’t even care whether he hurt her or not; he was blinded by his concern for River.
"Tell what you talked about with Hazel!" Arlo’s tone was sharp, his patience waning. He didn’t have ti to deal with Aubrey’s spoiled nature; he needed answers, and he needed them now.
He had been desperately trying to find a mont to speak with Hazel about River, especially after their conversation at the wedding, which was abruptly cut short because of Ranon.
That was why Arlo was caught off guard when Hazel had brought up the subject herself in the confrontation with Aubrey.
"Tell now," he demanded, frustration evident in his voice.
Arlo hated it when Aubrey was going to cry now; there was a ti when he liked it whenever she played the damsel in distress, because it boosted his ego. While it had once seed charming, at this mont it felt useless and infuriating.
"Hazel was the one who brought up River," Aubrey finally said, tears streaming down her cheek. "She asked how it felt to be with...to be with my sister’s man."
Arlo’s expression shifted as he narrowed his eyes in confusion. "What?" His brows knitted together as he processed what Aubrey had just revealed.
If Hazel was discussing River with Aubrey, it would an River had let Hazel know sothing about their situation... But what was River’s intention? Why would she use Hazel to get to them?
"I don’t know what we should do, Arlo," Aubrey said, her voice shaky. "River is using Hazel, and we can’t do anything to set her up without risking retaliation from River and the Leighton family."
Arlo ran a hand through his hair, the gears in his mind turning rapidly. He knew River was unpredictable, which was part of her that had drawn him to her in the first place. But now, that unpredictability felt like a ticking ti bomb.
"If we let this continue, I am sure River will seek revenge," she stated. "What should we do now? We need to figure sothing out... River is going to tell my father about what happened, and we will be dood..."
Arthur had been keeping a distance from her, and it was hard to have ti with him; he rejected her very often nowadays.
"We need to do sothing to Hazel... She is a threat for us too; we need to get rid of her..."
Arlo knew what Aubrey wanted to say; deep down, she wanted to eliminate Hazel, but considering Ranon’s protective presence around his wife, it was nearly impossible.
"No, it would only cause trouble with Ranon Leighton," Arlo disagreed.
***
Ranon and Hazel watched the monitor, captivated by the sight of their baby as the doctor pointed out every tiny detail.
"These are her fingers, and these are her feet," the doctor explained.
Yes, they were expecting a baby girl.
anwhile, Ranon’s eyes were glued to the monitor, while Hazel was enthralled by the little creature who had been kicking relentlessly inside her belly.
This mont felt surreal; she had once been told she was infertile and had never imagined she would experience the miracle of pregnancy.
The infertility diagnosis had never bothered her significantly, as she thought her line of work would always overshadow the possibility of motherhood. She never wanted a child to be deprived of a ’normal’ life because of the world she lived in.
But everything felt different now. She was no longer living as River, the assassin of the Lozen family. Now, she was simply Hazel, the wife of Ranon’s Leighton. A husband whom she trusted completely.
Ranon was not just her husband; he was a source of her safety and security.
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