The CEO’s Masked Secret Wife novel Chapter 94

94 Confronting a Bitter Past

Hazel’s POV 1

The morning sun filtered through the tall oak trees surrounding my parents’ property, casting dappled shadows across the grass. Leo raced around the backyard, his laughter ringing through the air as he chased butterflies.

“Mama, look!” He pointed to a yellow butterfly perched on a dandelion.

“I see it, baby. It’s beautiful.” I smiled from my seat on the porch steps, coffee mug warming my hands.

“Can Liam see the butterflies too?” Leo asked innocently.

My heart squeezed. “Not today, sweetie. Liam’s still in the city working.”

“I miss him,” Leo said, his little forehead crinkling.

“Me too,” I admitted softly.

Mom stepped onto the porch behind me, her slippers shuffling against the wooden boards. “That boy sure has taken to Liam.”

I nodded. “It happened so fast. Sometimes it scares me.”

She sat beside me, her weathered hand covering mine. “Love isn’t something to fear,

Hazel.”

“I know. I just…”

“You just remember what happened before,” she finished for me. “But not all men are Ethan Blackwood.”

I winced at the name. “Thank goodness for that.”

“Gamma!” Leo called, running toward us. “Can I have juice?”

Mom scooped him up. “Of course you can, sweetheart. Let’s go see what Grandpa’s doing in the kitchen.”

I watched them disappear inside, grateful for this peaceful escape. My phone buzzed with a text from Chloe: “Be there in 20. Ready for our shopping trip?”

I texted back: “Ready as I’ll ever be,” and headed inside to get Leo ready.

Chloe arrived in a cloud of designer perfume and energy, hugging my parents and scooping Leo into a twirl that made him giggle uncontrollably.

“Ready to hit the town, little man?” she asked, tickling his belly.

“Yay! Town!” Leo clapped his hands.

Mom handed me a list. “Could you pick up these groceries while you’re out? Your father and I will have dinner ready when you get back.”

“Sure, Mom.” I tucked the list into my purse.

The drive into town was filled with Leo’s chatter from the back seat and Chloe’s gossip about mutual friends. The familiar streets of my hometown looked smaller somehow,

the storefronts more dated than I remembered.

“God, nothing changes around here,” Chloe remarked as we parked outside the grocery store. “Remember when this was the highlight of our weekend? Coming to town to hang at the ice cream shop?”

I laughed. “Our standards were pretty low.”

“Speak for yourself. I had very high standards for ice cream,” she winked, helping Leo

out of his seat.

The grocery store was cool and quiet, with only a few shoppers browsing the aisles. I placed Leo in the cart seat and began checking items off my mother’s list.

“Apples, milk, flour…” I muttered, navigating the familiar layout.

“Can we get cookies?” Leo asked hopefully.

“Just one pack,” I agreed, unable to resist his puppy-dog eyes.

We turned down the dairy aisle, and my body tensed instantly. Standing by the yogurt display was a tall figure I knew all too well. Ethan Blackwood.

“Shit,” Chloe whispered beside me. “Want to come back to this aisle later?”

Before I could answer, Ethan looked up. His eyes widened briefly before his mouth

curved into a smirk that made my stomach turn.

well, well. LOOK WHO S Pack III town, he ulawitu, sauntering toward us. “Catherine

Vergara. Or wait, you go by Hazel Vance now, don’t you?”

I straightened my spine. “Hello, Ethan.”

His gaze flicked to Leo, then back to me. “So this is the kid, huh?”

“His name is Leo,” I said firmly.

Ethan leaned against my cart, blocking our path. “Kelly will be disappointed she missed your visit. She’s always curious about the mysterious father.”

“Move, Ethan,” I said quietly.

“Oh come on, Cat. After all we’ve been through?” His false friendliness made my skin crawl. “The least you could do is chat with an old friend.”

“You’re not my friend,” I stated flatly. “You never were.”

His face hardened. “Still bitter, I see. Though I don’t know why. Seems like you landed on your feet. Nice clothes, fancy friend.” He nodded toward Chloe. “But still alone, right? No man wanted to stick around for someone else’s bastard?”

White-hot anger surged through me. “My son is not a bastard. And I’d rather be alone than with someone like you.”

“Someone like me?” Ethan laughed harshly. “You mean someone who saw through your good-girl act? Who realized you weren’t worth the trouble?”

“No,” I said, finding strength in my voice. “Someone who cheats. Someone who lies. Someone who’s so insecure he has to put others down to feel big”

Ethan’s face flushed red. He grabbed my arm, fingers digging into my skin. “You think you’re better than this town now? Better than me?”

“Let go of her,” Chloe stepped forward, voice like ice. “Or I’ll have my father’s lawyers slap you with a harassment suit so fast your head will spin.”

Ethan’s grip tightened, “Still hiding behind Daddy’s money, Melissa? Or is it Chloe now? You two think changing your names changes who you really are?”

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