Better Late, But Never His Again novel Chapter 95

Hazel pushed the plate toward him, setting a fork beside it. She looked up at him, her tone polite and slightly cautious.

"I saw on the calendar that today is your birthday. Happy birthday, Zachary."

Zachary's fingers froze. He stared down at the food, a fried egg resting perfectly on top, the rising steam slowly blurring his vision.

His grip on the fork tightened. After a long moment, he finally raised his head to look at her.

An emotion she couldn't decipher swirled in his dark eyes. As he gazed at the woman across from him, her face blurred and refocused, slowly morphing into someone else's.

Memories buried deep within his mind played out frame by frame, causing his focus to drift entirely.

He slowly reached out, his fingertips brushing gently against Hazel's cheek. Her skin was warm, pulsing with life.

As his hand traced her jawline, he lost himself in a fleeting trance.

Hazel stiffened, caught completely off guard. She had never seen Zachary like this. "Zachary," she called out softly.

At the sound of his name, Zachary recoiled as if electrocuted. His pupils contracted, a flash of panic crossing his features.

He dropped his gaze, avoiding her eyes as his voice turned hoarse. "Sorry. I... mistook you for someone else."

He grabbed his fork and began eating, desperately trying to mask the chaotic surge of emotion.

"Thank you."

His voice was barely a whisper, carrying a strange heaviness. He paused, looking up to change the subject. "What's your next move?"

Hazel's expression cooled, her fingers gripping her fork tighter. "I need you to drop me off at the police station."

She stared at him, her gaze sharpening with intent. "Actually, you recorded everything back there, didn't you?"

Zachary narrowed his eyes, assessing her carefully. "How did you know?"

Zachary hailed a cab. He opened the door, and Hazel slid in, buckling her seatbelt as the car pulled away.

The police station was brightly lit, bustling with uniformed officers pacing the halls.

Zachary accompanied Hazel inside, transferring the video from his phone to the officer on duty.

Hazel sat on a bench and gave her statement, detailing everything from leaving the bar to being dragged away by Julian, and finally, being locked in Sean's basement. The officer took down the report and had her sign and fingerprint the document.

"Ms. Garrison, we'll open an investigation immediately. If there are any developments, we'll notify you right away," the officer said politely, closing the file.

Hazel nodded and stood up. Her legs were still wobbly, forcing her to lean against the desk for a moment to steady herself.

Turning around, she saw Zachary leaning against the hallway wall with his arms crossed, watching her. She walked over, stopping right in front of him, and looked up.

"Thank you for tonight. Twice."