Chapter 215: YOU ARE NOT IMPORTANT
"Ema, I suggest you stop with your effort to make me see Ranon differently. It won’t work. You are just wasting your time."
Ema’s expression turned ugly; she pressed her lips stubbornly. "You have not yet seen the worst of Ranon; that’s why you..."
"I can handle his worst." She had also experienced her own worst moments. She wouldn’t judge anyone for that, especially not the father of her child. "You must be very bored, Ema. For you to look for me only to argue with me."
Hazel had been in a foul mood because she had woken up to her daughter burning with fever, and just a moment ago, Denzel yelled at her, not to mention all the things that she had been going through lately.
If she kept provoking her, Ema would only seek death.
"What is your real intention, Ema?" Hazel asked, forgetting about returning to her bedroom. She was going to make sure this woman knew her place. "Do you want to break us up because you’re not happy that Ranon is with a woman who’s not you?"
"What are you talking about?" Ema was flustered. Her face turned red as if she had been caught doing something wicked. "I am only looking out for him."
"For what reason? Why do you feel the need to look out for him? Is he in danger? Is he a little boy who needs you to guide him through life?"
Ema didn’t have the answer for that, just like what Hazel thought.
"Why do you think you need to look for him? Because you are his stepmother?"
Ema flinched when she heard the way Hazel addressed her. She hated that title. It made her feel very gross to think she was Ranon’s stepmother.
But Hazel saw it, and she used it again intentionally to make her feel even worse. "You are his stepmother, but you didn’t raise him, and you didn’t have any obligations to look for him. What makes you think that your opinion is important?"
Hazel was eerily calm when she leaned over and closed the distance between them. Out of instinct, Ema took a step back; she felt threatened by her presence.
"You are not that important in his life, Ema. Stop thinking that you are, because it looks so pathetic. How many times do I have to tell you that? Don’t you have any self-respect at all?"
"Watch your mouth!" Ema could only say this. It was not even a retaliation.
"Go, Ema. Share your opinion with someone who cares to hear it, or keep it to yourself and stop yapping. That’s annoying."
At this point, Hazel would stay married to Ranon just to spite Ema. This woman annoyed the hell out of her. She wondered whether she used to be like this or she became like this after she got married to Denzel.
After saying what she wanted to say, Hazel turned around and entered her bedroom. She closed it behind her and started working on the new information she got about Arthur’s whereabouts.
Ema was not that important to her, and the words she said to her earlier were only her venting.
Once she was immersed in her work, she forgot about Ema entirely, until Ashlyn’s cry snapped her out of her train of thought.
"Good, her fever has gone down." Hazel felt Ashlyn’s body was still warm, but not as hot as before. She then breastfed her baby while resuming her search.
She looked for Ranon’s phone and his laptop, too, since she had bugged the two devices. But then, she also needed to look for Rize again.
After the candy shop burned down, she didn’t know where to look for him. He still owed her information. After all, she had sent the money to pay for that.
Rize was not dead; that much she could say.
Thankfully, Ashlyn was a chill baby. While Hazel was working on her things, Ashlyn latched on to her and played with her hair, clothes, or her own fingers, making a noise here and there. They were both busy.
***
Out of three candidates to babysit Ashlyn, Hazel agreed to one woman in her thirties. Renna felt strongly for her, too, while Ranon didn’t have an opinion. He had selected the three of them, and each of them had a clean record.
Her name was Peni; she had short hair and a round face that looked as though she was always smiling, even though she didn’t make any expressions. She had her own child too, a five-year-old child who stayed at home with her father when she was working.
Peni wouldn’t stay here; she would come in the morning and leave in the evening. More so, Ashlyn only woke up once at night, and Ranon didn’t want to change the routine to have a ’deep conversation’ with his daughter during that time.
Therefore, there was no need for someone to stay during the night.
"What were you talking about with your father?" Hazel asked out of curiosity as they were ready to go to bed. Hazel started to take off her clothes and climbed into bed with only her underwear.
"About the company. I told him my intention to buy out the company, so he can discuss it in the next board meeting."
Ranon put it simply. They talked for three hours straight, and whenever Denzel was frustrated and tried to attack him by criticizing the way Ranon interacted with Hazel, he shut it down immediately and put the focus back on business matters.
"You are going to acquire the Leighton company?" Hazel was surprised by this move. She didn’t expect he was going to do this. Well, to be honest, she knew nothing about business. She insisted on getting her share from the Rose company to fatten her bank account; that’s all.
"Yes, the acquisition will allow me to replace the entire management team." It went without saying that he was going to fire those loyal to Denzel and replace them with his own people.
They were only a disruption and a headache for him. Ranon was going to reorganize everything from top to bottom.
"If the terms meet, we can start the process."
The buyout would not happen otherwise.
"I feel as if I have been cheated on." Hazel flipped over and rested on his chest, while Ranon used his right arm to cushion his head, and the other played with her hair.
"Why do you feel that way?" There was a playful smile on the corner of his lips.
"There wasn’t a clause in our previous contract about quitting the company, but now you’re planning to go back there?"
"It will not be the same company once I acquire it," Ranon said lightly. He pecked her lips. "More so, you get a better deal with the new contract. How can you say that I cheat you?"
Hazel thought about it; she had this feeling of walking into a trap in the back of her mind, but even when she felt that way, she walked right towards it anyway.
This man was dangerous in every sense.
"What’s with that expression?" Ranon traced his fingers over the frown between her brows. "You don’t like the percentage?"
"You are a dangerous man, Ranon Leighton," Hazel blurted out, which made him laugh. "And annoying too."
"I am honored that you feel that way." Ranon brushed his thumb against her lips. "Are you afraid?"
"No."
Despite what she said, Hazel didn’t fear him. Honestly, it was the opposite. He was the only person with whom she felt safe and comfortable.
After that, they chatted about random things until Hazel felt sleepy, and she fell asleep on his chest. She lowered her guard down to the point that she didn’t even realize when Ranon pressed his lips against hers and whispered to have a nice dream.
It was not acceptable for Hazel to be very oblivious like this; she should always be on her guard, even when she was with Arlo.
***
It had been a week since Hazel first went to the training ground and met Desgar. Peni had started working, and Hazel focused on her exercise.
After that, Ranon had taken her to the training ground twice to spar with her. He was surprised that she could fight for real, but he didn’t ask any questions, knowing Hazel wouldn’t answer.
But not even once did Hazel see Linda again. It would be nice if she saw her and had a rematch now that she was wearing proper clothes.
She was going to yank her hair!
"What do you mean?" Olivia frowned. "Are you fighting with Ranon Leighton? Why do you want to have a sleepover?" Olivia sounded suspicious. Of course, she would.
Hazel called her this morning to tell her that she was going to the McKenna family’s house to have a sleepover with her.
"Do you think we are teenagers? I don’t want to have a sleepover with you. Will your husband agree with this?"
"I have not yet talked to him, but he will agree." She didn’t want to waste her time and started to make a move on her plan.
"Don’t get me into trouble with Ranon Leighton."
"You will not," Hazel reassured her impatiently. She tapped her fingers against the countertop as she watched the new babysitter change Ashlyn’s diapers. She had double-checked this woman, and just like what Ranon said, she had a clean record.
Hazel was thinking of shadowing her for a few days, but then she dismissed the idea. She was being paranoid.