Chapter 212 Party (I)

• Without a word, Hazel opened the car door and slid inside, leaving the two men standing in a charged silence. Francisco took a slow step closer to Arthur, his gaze flicking to the car window where Hazel sat, her eyes cast elsewhere. Then he turned back to Arthur, his tone low and deliberate.
• “Arthur,” he said quietly, “I trust you’ll remember your boundaries.”
• The statement was calm, almost conversational, but laced with an unmistakable edge.