Chapter 83
Chapter 83
RAVEL
PRESENT TIME
心
The resounding p reverberated through the dining room, sending shockwaves not only through me
but also through every present witness. Elenor reacted swiftly, stepping forward with an unmistakable
stance that dered her alignment with me, not Hazel. Her voice dripped with reproach as she
confronted Hazel.
“Why on earth did you hit him?” she snapped at Hazel, her displeasure evident. “He’s clearly unwell
with a fever, and for that reason alone, you shouldn’t resort to physical violence.”
Hazel’s response was far from conciliatory. She scoffed incredulously, her agitation evident as her
veins seemed to pop out in anger. “Unwell with a fever?” she retorted, her voice raised in frustration.
“I’ll be dealing with a lot more than just a fever because of this nonsense! Do you get that?!”” Her
emotions were clearly running high. “I demand to know why you lied about meeting with Mr. Warren.”
I retreated defensively, taking a step backward and cing the envelope back on the table. “I met with
Warren for personal reasons,” I admitted, avoiding eye contact, even though Raymond, who was privy
to the truth, looked at me with concern.
“For personal reasons?” Hazel bit out, her arms folded across her chest as she fixed an intense re
on me. “What sort of personal reasons, Ravel? I insist on knowing.”
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Why was she meddling in my affairs like this? I maintained myposure. “It’s called ‘personal’ for a
reason, Hazel, I deadpanned, my tone unyielding. “I have no intention of disclosing that information to
you.” I returned to my seat, spoon in hand, but made no move to touch the food. “What’s the real
reason behind your obsession with my meeting with Warren?”
“Because my show is on the verge of being canceled due to whatever transpired in that meeting with
Mr. Warren!” she yelled, gesturing wildly with her hands. “Is your anger stemming from my decision to
keep Daisy away from you?”
Perplexed by the sudden change in the conversation’s direction, I raised a finger, silently signaling for
Hazel to pause for a
Harrest way moment. “Hold on a second,” I requested, tilting my head as I contemted the best way
to address this unfolding situation. “Could you please rify what you mean by your exhibition being on
the verge of cancetion due to the oue of my meeting with Warren?” A sinking feeling gnawed at
me as I considered the implications.
Hazel’s irritation remained palpable as she forced out her exnation. “Warren abruptly and
inexplicably withdrew his support for the exhibition, citing reasons that are utterly impractical,” she
retorted, her re intensifying with each passing moment. “Those reasons reek of nothing but
excuses.”
The pieces of the puzzle began to fall into ce, and my own frustration mounted. “Are you suggesting
that I intentionally sabotaged your dealings with Warren out of spite for keeping Daisy away from me?”
My voice carried a note of incredulity, and when she offered no immediate response, my jaw clenched
in irritation. “Now you’re genuinely testing my patience,” I snapped. “Do you honestly believe I would
resort to such underhanded tactics against you?”
Hazel smacked her lips together in annoyance, her clenched fist betraying her frustration. “Heaven
knows I defended you when David and Agatha insinuated that this might somehow involve you,
particrly with the pictures and emails.”
My frown deepened, and I demanded further information, “What emails are you on about?”
She rolled her eyes with evident irritation. “That’s not the crucial issue right now! What’s imperative is
understanding why you lied about your meeting with Warren and why you’re refusing to disclose the
nature of that meeting to me.” Her impatience was clear, and the tension between us continued to
escte.
“I choose not to disclose it to you,” I replied firmly, my gaze unwavering as I met Hazel’s eyes. “I must
say, it’s deeply disappointing to discover that you hold such a low opinion of me.”
Elenor intervened, attempting to bridge the growing chasm of misunderstanding between us. “Perhaps,
if you were to apologize for the initial deception and then share the details of your meeting with Warren,
we could swiftly resolve this misunderstanding,” she suggested. Her diplomatic tone carried a note of
hope.
Raymond and I exchanged puzzled nces, both of us equally uncertain about the best course of
action. I was conflicted, torn between the urge to protect my personal affairs and the need to clear the
air with Hazel. My meeting with Warren was a matter I preferred to keep under wraps until I had
tangible results to present.
However, I squared my shoulders and leaned forward, determined to bring some resolution to the
situation. “Hazel, to be perfectly candid, I have nothing to divulge to you at this juncture. Trust is
something that needs to be worked on at this juncture.”
Hazel’s response was sharp and cutting. “Where did trust get me thest time?” Her words hit me like a
punch to the gut, a reminder of past betrayals. I hadn’t expected her to bring that up. “So you have
nothing to share with me,” she dered with slow, deliberate emphasis, to which I nodded in
agreement.
“F**k you, Ravel!” she erupted in anger, her voice echoing through my home. “Sabotaging my business
and lying in the process is nothing but an act of cowardice, and you’re going to pay for it.” She shot me
onest withering re before storming out of my house.
The atmosphere at the dinner table had soured considerably. Raymond remained silent, his expression
mirroring my own inner turmoil, while Elenor fixed me with an expectant stare. Her question hung in the
air like a heavy weight. “What exactly did you discuss with Warren that you’re unwilling to repeat in
Hazel’s presence?”
I shook my head, trying to dispel the mounting frustration, and turned my attention back to my meal.
“Please, Elenor, not now. I’m already infuriated as it is.”
She scoffed, her irritation palpable. “I’m even more furious with you than you are,” she retorted,
grabbing her jacket as she prepared to leave. “Just as I was about to extend an olive branch, you go
and do something this reprehensible.”
My eyes shot up in disbelief. “You, too, believe that I’m guilty of what Hazel’s using me of?”
Elenor merely shrugged. “The evidence seems to point in your direction, and I didn’t hear you
vehemently denying it either.” Her logic left me bbergasted. “I’m leaving your house, Ravel. Give me
a call when you’ve sorted things out with Hazel.” With that, she stomped out of my home, leaving me
alone with Raymond.
I continued to eat in somber silence, my thoughts weighed down by the turmoil of the evening.
Raymond eventually broke the silence with a suggestion. “I think it’s finally time to tell Hazel the truth,
so she can stop seeing you as the viin.”
I shot him an incredulous re. “Get out of my house, Raymond!” With everyone else already gone, he
could as well join them in leaving.
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