Unexpected Marriage With Mr. Leighton: Rebirth of the Villain-Chapter 144: A WEDDING GIFT FROM OLIVIA

Olivia was thankful to Hazel for wearing the wedding dress that she designed. It seemed like a breakthrough moment for her, and she was eager to celebrate this new Chapter.

Her brand got recognition now.

Therefore, she decided to invite Hazel out for brunch. Picking up her phone, she called Hazel, who was initially surprised but soon agreed.

After all, Hazel needed to escape the confines of her apartment before she went crazy.

"I don’t want you to go; I don’t think it’s safe."

"Oh, come on, Ranon. It’s just a brunch. What could possibly happen? Besides, Nolu and Yara will be with me. There’s nothing to worry about." Hazel reassured him, leaning in to kiss his cheek, hoping this would soften his stance.

Hazel set down breakfast for them. She had been doting on him lately, and it showed; he had gained a little weight as a result of her careful attention.

Ranon had just finished a workout and had the afternoon free, which he wanted to spend with Hazel.

"I just don’t want to take any chances."

"What happened before has been dealt with, and I think it will be stupid enough for them to try something again."

Ranon had only shared with Hazel that the attacker came from the Lozen family, which was not really information, since both of them knew the Leightons were being targeted.

"I will die because of the boredom."

"Take your gun with you."

Hazel raised her brows, an amused smile on her lips. "Really? Are you really suggesting that?"

"Yes," Ranon said firmly.

"Don’t you think it’s a little dangerous for me to have a gun? I thought you didn’t like the idea of me carrying one," she teased while he extended his hand to caress her hair.

"You need to wash your hair," he remarked, playfully twisting the strands around his fingers. "And no, I don’t think it’s dangerous for you to bring the gun since you know how to use it."

He remembered how Hazel had handled herself during the attack; her composure and skill had been nothing short of impressive in that critical situation.

"Okay, I would prefer you being dangerous to you being in danger." Ranon replied, leaning over to plant a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now, let’s go. You really do need to wash your hair."

"Oh, I am not feeling it today," Hazel responded, somewhat lazy. "I am tired."

"You are not tired; you just don’t want to take a bath. Come on," he urged her.

Lately, Hazel had indeed become a bit lazy about her hygiene, feeling oddly content without her usual routine.

But Ranon was determined to take care of her, gently guiding her towards the bathroom despite her reluctance.

"You will help me wash my hair, okay?"

The corner of Ranon’s lips curled. "Let’s see."

As he helped her wash her hair, Hazel wondered about something. "Don’t you think we should find out the gender of our baby? We could see it now, couldn’t we?"

"I am okay with either; whether the baby is a boy or a girl, it doesn’t matter to me," he responded while focusing on his task. He squirted the shampoo on his palm.

Hazel looked up, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Really? You don’t have a preference?"

"Not at all." His fingers worked gently through her damp hair.

***

Two days later, Hazel met up with Olivia for brunch. The atmosphere was a mix of awkwardness and tension. They were not comfortable calling each other a friend.

Olivia thanked her for wearing her design on her wedding day, yet Hazel’s perception of that gratitude was marred by how highly Olivia priced herself.

"Well, you wouldn’t have looked so pretty on your wedding day if you had worn another designer’s," Olivia said smugly, crossing her arms with a satisfied smirk.

Hazel felt a twitch at the corner of her lips, suppressing her annoyance. "You know what? I am starting to regret my decision to wear your wedding dress," Hazel shot back.

But then Olivia’s expression shifted, curiosity piqued. "Why did River choose for you to wear the wedding dress?"

"I don’t know; you can ask her," Hazel replied nonchalantly, sipping her hot chocolate. She was wearing an oversized dress and an outer that covered her bump.

"No; why should I? That would just waste my time," Olivia huffed. She remembered the last conversation she had with River. She was sure, if she called her, that woman would lecture her about Marcus.

Changing the topic, Hazel inquired about the Lozen and the Barlowe families.

Sensing Hazel’s interest, Olivia became curious. "Why do you want to know about them? Do you have any relation to those families?" Olivia leaned in, her intrigue apparent.

"No, I am just asking because River might want to know."

"What’s your relationship with her?" Olivia cut her off first before Hazel could answer. "I don’t want to hear about you being her best friend. How did you even meet her? I don’t think you have ever crossed paths since you both live in different cities."

"It’s a long story," Hazel replied.

"Well, I have all the time in the world," Olivia countered. "We can have lunch, dinner, and supper here."

Olivia was being too eager in Hazel’s eyes. "Actually, I am the one without the time."

"If River wants to know about the Lozen and the Barlowe families, she can ask me directly," she stated firmly.

"Fine," Hazel conceded, but not without a hint of sass.

Then Olivia reached for the bag that she had carried since she entered the café, and she placed it next to her. That box was surprisingly large, almost too big for a typical gift.

"What is it?" Hazel asked, eyeing the box with skepticism.

"Your wedding gift?" Olivia replied cheerfully, which only deepened Hazel’s suspicion.

Learning from her experience with Laurel, she had a bad feeling about it.

"At the very least, I know how to be grateful. So, I made this personally for you," Olivia said, a hint of pride in her voice.

Hazel peered into the box; her curiosity was piqued despite her initial resistance. "Well, I am not really convinced that I would like it," she replied, her tone skeptical, but she wondered what Olivia had prepared. It wouldn’t be that bad, right?

"You are thinking too much," Olivia said in her sing-song voice.

Once Hazel arrived back at the apartment, Nolu helped her to put the box in her bedroom, and curiosity got the best of her. She decided to open the box from Olivia.

To her shock, she found a costume made for a role play as a rabbit inside. "What the fuck is wrong with these people!?" Hazel cursed, tossing the rabbit costume onto the floor.

The fluffy bunny tail detached upon impact, rolling away before stopping right at Ranon’s feet as he walked into the room.

Ranon’s amusement was evident as he picked it up, a smile creeping onto his lips.

"I don’t want you to say anything about it," Hazel said sternly, annoyed beyond words.

"But I didn’t say anything." Ranon relished the frustration etched across Hazel’s features. "The gift for our wedding? It’s actually pretty thoughtful."

Hazel’s annoyance deepened. "Thoughtful, my ass! Who would ever wear such a thing?" She grumbled.

"Why not?" Ranon countered, the challenge lit up in his eyes. "I bet you will look cute in that."

Now they had the bunny and the handcuffs. Perfect.

Hazel stood up and hit his arm as she walked away in a huff. "I will never wear that!" she declared.

And after that, she channeled her anger into her meal as she attacked her food in frustration.

The next day, while Ranon was at the office, Hazel’s curiosity got the better of her again. She decided to go through his phone, hoping to obtain some information about the Lozen and the Barlowe families.

She was not spying on him just in case he was cheating on her, okay? She was only looking for information in order to get her revenge.

As she read through the calls and texts Ranon had received throughout the week, she found mostly it was business-related correspondence. There was no indication of any personal messages that would suggest he was being unfaithful, which momentarily eased her conscience.

"I am just tapping into his phone for the sake of information," Hazel muttered to herself, shaking her head internally.

She pushed aside her insecurities, and she stared at her reflection in the mirror. Her body started showing, and her cheeks were rounder than usual. She found her bump was cute.

During the evening, Hazel continued scrolling through Ranon’s texts; her heart skipped a beat when she noticed a new message pop up in real time.

[I am on my way home. Do you want something?] He texted her. It was a simple and sweet text.

Without hesitation, Hazel typed back. [Yes, I want chocolate cake right now.] She had developed a fondness for chocolate cake recently.

When Ranon came home, he brought with him a large box of chocolate cake.

"This is too much, don’t you think? This is way too big for me!"

Ranon leaned over to kiss her forehead, an affectionate smirk on his lips. "I think it’s not big enough." Fully aware of her new obsession. He had every confidence to say that she would manage to eat it within a day or two, knowing how much she loved it.

Hazel bit her lip at his playful jab. "You will make me fat."

"Hm. I am fattening you up." Ranon kissed her neck.