Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain-Chapter 266: IT’S NOT A DATE!
Ranon managed to handle the problem with the Leighton company, while Hazel was still trying to figure out how to approach their enemy’s aggressive attack.
Currently, Hazel was in a new building that Ranon had provided for Arthur Lozen and his men, as well as Desgar and the members of his boxing club, since the place was undergoing a massive renovation. The fire had damaged the entire building.
"Where is Ranon?" Desgar asked.
Inside the room, aside from Desgar, Arthur, and Rye, there were Hazel and Elric. All of them were sitting in their seats around the round table.
But three seats were currently empty. Those belonged to Ranon, Dalton, and Alen.
Ranon would arrive later, but Alen couldn’t leave his post because he was assigned to protect Laurel, while Dalton was tasked to stay at the Leighton family’s house.
Ranon needed someone that he could trust, since that person wouldn’t only take care of the security around the area but also observe the situation and the people inside the family house.
Someone had been in contact with Axel Duncan.
"He will be here later. He has been caught up with work. We can start now," said Hazel as she led the meeting. She did so naturally, as it wasn’t her first time handling a meeting like this, especially regarding this type of matter.
Hazel could feel Arthur’s eyes on her, but she paid no mind to him. He could have all the suspicion in the world for all Hazel cared, but he wouldn’t get any evidence.
The result of their DNA test had come in, and, as expected, it was negative. Hazel was not River. They were not related at all.
The evidence was hard proof that Arthur couldn’t deny. River might have undergone countless surgeries to make herself look like Hazel, but she couldn’t change her blood.
In that case, Arthur had to drop the idea that Hazel was River, but it was hard to do so when every movement and the way she spoke reminded him of his eldest daughter.
Even now, when Hazel led the meeting, she touched her chin as she listened to Desgar attentively. A small habit that River used to do while focusing on something.
"The only reasonable approach is to attack them back," Desgar voiced out his opinion. "We are not sitting ducks and let them do whatever they please without any retaliation."
"The key people in this are Kyle and Arlo."
Hazel shook her head. "Arlo is out. Jack put Michael in charge."
"That brat?" Arthur scoffed. He knew the second son of the McKennas. He was trouble. "What was Jack thinking by putting him in charge?"
"No, actually, he was the one who arranged the last bomb attack." Hazel got this information from Aubrey.
"No, I don’t think he arranged the attack. Someone must have given him an instruction. He is too green to take the initiative for an attack."
Hazel said nothing. She wished Arthur were right. She was worried that something had broken inside him that night when Ranon killed Noah in front of him. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎
If Hazel recalled, that would be the first time for Michael to be on the verge of such danger, where life and death were on the line.
Hazel didn’t like the thought that one day she might face Michael. He was like a brother to her.
"Then it will be Kyle, Michael, Jack, and Deryl. Get them, and we will control the rest." Arthur made it sound easy.
"That’s another problem. My men had been observing around the McKennas’ and the Barlowes’ residences, but none of them left their house."
"Aubrey and Arlo moved to Arlo’s place yesterday," Hazel stated. Aubrey informed her of that. "It will be easier to get to them."
Arthur clenched his jaw. He didn’t like the idea. "But they are not the key people in this matter."
"Right, they are not, but Jack cherishes his bloodline. Arlo will be enough as bait to get him out." Hazel then added coldly. "And the baby. Or the mother." She glanced at Arthur, who tried to look calm, but Hazel knew better.
"Don’t get the child involved in this," Desgar said, frowning at Hazel.
If there was one thing that Desgar noticed from Hazel, it must be the fact that this woman was ruthless. Despite her delicate figure and angelic face, she had the instinct of an assassin. Desgar knew when he saw one.
"Don’t worry, I am just kidding." Hazel chuckled. "I am a mother myself, and Aubrey has been helping us with the information from within. She is still useful. Moreover," Hazel shifted her attention toward Arthur. "I don’t think Mr. Lozen will agree with it. The baby is still his grandson after all."
Desgar looked at Arthur as well, but the man didn’t show any emotions. His expression was as calm as ever.
"Jack will not care about Aubrey, but if we are going to take the baby, we need to get the mother as well."
Hazel propped her head with her hand and supported her elbow on the table. She stared at Arthur with amusement.
"Are you suggesting having a reunion with your daughter and grandson, Mr. Lozen?"
"We are talking about factual things here. I don’t mix personal problems with work."
Hazel nodded, and then the discussion went on about how to get Arlo. Even though he was not living in the Barlowe family’s house, it didn’t mean he was an easy target.
They needed to think about the plan thoroughly, just in case their enemy got any advantage from their half-cooked strategy.
In this case, they needed someone suitable for the job.
"My men will do it. They are familiar with Arlo’s place. It will be easier for us to move," Arthur said, but Hazel added to the decision.
"Then I will lead your men."
Elric raised his brows. He kicked Hazel under the table, but Hazel stepped on his foot harshly, which made him take a sharp breath.
They had grown closer in the past few days, but it was because Hazel kept making him talk about Ranon. She wanted to hear more stories about her husband to the point that Elric complained to Ranon.
However, instead of helping him, Ranon asked about his wife’s daily life, because Elric spent most of his time with her.
He thought he was going crazy because of this couple. In the end, he stopped complaining about Hazel to Ranon.
That was why they were somewhat ’close’... if you could call it that.
"No." Desgar frowned. "There is no need for you to join in. Ranon will not agree with you."
Speaking of the devil, Ranon entered the room and heard Desgar’s last statement. "What does it mean by ’I will not agree with you’?"
All of them watched Ranon cross the room and approach Hazel. He leaned over to kiss her forehead before he sat down next to his wife.
"Your wife wants to lead the mission to get Arlo."
Ranon looked at Hazel with a frown, and she immediately explained to him. "I know the layout of his house."
"You do?" Arthur frowned deeply. How could Hazel know about that?
But Hazel ignored Arthur’s interruption as she continued with her monologue to explain her reason to Ranon. "I can coordinate with Aubrey too..."
It was very obvious that Ranon didn’t like the idea, but he listened to her anyway.
"I want to do this." In the end, Hazel was running out of excuses, so she could only say that to Ranon. She wanted it.
Ranon took a deep breath. He indeed disagreed with her, but Hazel rarely wanted something. "Fine, as long as I come with you."
"What? Do you think this is a date?" Elric couldn’t help but exclaim in disbelief.
***
"Happy birthday!" "Happy birthday!" The first thing Hazel did in the morning when she woke up was squeeze Ashlyn’s body.
The little girl was still asleep and groaned when her mother kissed her repeatedly. Ashlyn pushed her mother’s face away, then she rolled over her body to hug her father instead.
Ranon woke up and saw that Hazel was about to take Ashlyn; thus, Ranon hugged his daughter to protect her from his wife.
"Oh, come on."
Because of what happened, they wouldn’t celebrate Ashlyn’s first birthday by throwing a grand party. Instead, they would stay at home and bake Ashlyn’s birthday cake.
Hazel knew how to cook; she was rather good at it, but baking was a whole new thing for her.
Yet, it didn’t matter. It was the time they spent together that mattered.
Later that night, they were going to the Rose family’s house to have dinner together. They also invited Daniel over, which automatically made Ema unable to follow him.
It would be shameless of her if she suddenly made an appearance at the Roses’ residence.
"Come on, wake up." Hazel pried Ranon’s arms from Ashlyn, but the baby snuggled even more against her father’s chest.
A few days earlier, in the meeting with Desgar and Arthur, it had been decided that Hazel, Ranon, and three other men would lead the mission to get Arlo.
Elric called the two of them insane for going on the mission by themselves. They had a lot of capable people to do the menial work; they didn’t need to do it themselves, yet Hazel and Ranon insisted.
"Come here, sleep more." Ranon hugged Hazel closely, which made Ashlyn press down between her parents.
By the time they finally got out of bed and started the baking, it was nearly lunchtime.
