His innocent wife is a dangerous hacker.-Chapter 593 Jealousy

Jason bumped into him from behind. "Why’d you stop—" Then he saw it. "Oh. Oh, wow."

Hazel walked past them, her boots sinking slightly into the soft grass. She stopped a few feet ahead and turned back to face them. The sunlight caught her from behind, framing her in warm gold.

"Beautiful, right?" she said, looking directly at Jason.

Jason nodded, his eyes wide as he took in the meadow. "It’s really pretty. Like... fairy tale pretty. The kind of place where magical creatures live."

Hazel’s lips curved slightly. "No magical creatures. Just us."

"That’s even better." Jason grinned, already walking toward her. "You discovered this all by yourself?"

"When I was younger," she said. "I used to run away here whenever my family got too overwhelming." She shrugged lightly. "It’s been my secret spot for years."

Her family had lived in this city for as long as she could remember. Their main house, where her parents stayed, was here. But when she turned thirteen she had been taken to City A for training. Even then, she never stopped coming back when she could. If she was honest with herself, she loved this place too much to stay away.

"Can I touch the flowers?" Jason asked, already reaching toward a purple blossom.

"They won’t bite."

Jason plucked one carefully and twirled it between his fingers. "You know, you’re not what I expected."

Hazel raised an eyebrow. "What did you expect?"

"I don’t know. Someone colder maybe. More closed off." He looked at her openly, genuinely. "But you’re just... quiet. Not cold. There’s a difference."

Hazel was silent for a moment. Then she said softly, "Most people don’t notice the difference."

"I notice things." Jason grinned. "It’s my talent. Noticing things. Annoying people. Eating large quantities of food."

"That’s three talents."

"See? You’re already getting to know me."

Behind them, Dominique stood frozen at the edge of the meadow.

His eyes were fixed on Jason and Hazel standing among the wildflowers, talking and laughing. Jason had just made her smile.

Dom’s jaw tightened.

Okay, he thought. That’s fine. They’re just talking. Friends talk. It’s normal.

Jason leaned closer to point at something in the distance, and Hazel followed his gaze, their shoulders nearly brushing.

Dom’s hand curled slowly into a fist.

Any minute now, Jason will step back. He’ll remember bro code. He’ll—

Jason laughed at something Hazel said, loud and genuine. Hazel’s smile widened.

Dom’s eye twitched.

He waited.

And waited.

Jason kept talking. Kept laughing. Kept standing far too close to Hazel, completely unaware of what he was doing.

Which, to be fair, Jason usually was.

Dom took a step forward.

Then stopped.

He could not just walk over there and interrupt. That would be obvious. Weird. He had no claim on Hazel. None at all. They had barely spoken. She did not owe him anything.

But still—

"Jason’s really connecting with her," Rika said mildly, appearing beside Dom like a ghost.

Dom jumped. "What? No. They’re just talking. It’s nothing."

Rika’s smile was infuriating. "Of course. Just talking."

"I don’t care who she talks to."

"Absolutely."

"She can talk to whoever she wants."

"Mmhmm."

Dom glared at her. "You’re enjoying this."

"Immensely."

He looked back at Jason and Hazel. Jason was now gesturing wildly about something, and Hazel was actually laughing, a real laugh, her head tilting back slightly as the sound carried across the meadow.

Dom’s stomach twisted.

Okay, he told himself. This is fine. Completely fine. I’m fine.

He was not fine.

Rika patted his arm sympathetically and walked away, leaving him alone with his misery.

Fine. I’m jealous.

The thought burned in Dom’s mind as he watched Jason make Hazel laugh for the fourth time in ten minutes.

I need to do something. This Jason little monkey will not stop talking until someone distracts him.

Such a chatterbox.

But if Dom walked over there like some jealous boyfriend, which he absolutely was not, obviously, he would look desperate. Pathetic. His image in front of Hazel would be ruined before it even had the chance to exist.

No.

He needed a different approach.

He needed charm.

Real charm. The kind that made people stop and look without understanding why.

Dom straightened his shoulders, rolling them back slightly. He lifted his chin just enough to expose the elegant line of his neck, a pose he had learned from years of photoshoots, the kind that made photographers nearly cry with happiness.

Then he started walking.

Not toward them. Not directly. That would be far too obvious.

Instead, he moved ahead of the group, angling toward the small stream that wound through the meadow. His stride was casual and unhurried, but deliberate. Every movement was controlled. The natural swing of his arms, the subtle shift of his shoulders, the way the sunlight caught his profile as he passed through the flowers.

He knew exactly what he was doing.

When he reached the stream, he crouched slowly and gracefully. The motion was fluid and elegant, nothing like the awkward way most people bent down. His back was to them now, giving a perfect view of his silhouette against the glittering water.

Broad shoulders. Narrow waist. The way his shirt stretched across his back as he leaned forward.

He dipped his hand into the cool water, letting it run through his fingers. Then he tilted his head slightly, just enough that the line of his jaw and the curve of his neck caught the light.

His eyes softened as he watched the water sparkle in the sun.

For a moment, he forgot he was performing.

The stream was beautiful. The moment was peaceful. His smile became real.

And across the meadow—

Hazel stopped in the middle of her sentence.

Her eyes found him.

Fixed on him.

And did not move.

He was...

God.

He was gorgeous.

The sunlight caught his dark hair, tracing the clean line of his shoulders. The way he moved felt effortless, like every gesture belonged in a painting.

She had seen handsome men before. Nicolas was handsome in a polished way. Her brothers Leo and Jay were devastating in their own ways, powerful and intense.

But Dominique was different.

There was something about him she could not explain.

Something that was not just appearance.

It was a kind of charm that seeped into your bones and made you feel warm, like standing near sunlight.

Her breath caught.

"Um... Hazel?" Jason waved a hand in front of her face. "You okay?"

She blinked quickly and looked away, forcing her expression back to neutral.

"Fine," she said calmly. "What were you saying?"

Jason glanced toward Dom, then back at her, a slow grin spreading across his face.

"Nothing," he said innocently. "Absolutely nothing."

Hazel’s cheeks burned.