MIDNIGHT Bride The CEO's TEMPTATION

On the day of her graduation ceremony, Hazel left Denmark Residence and traveled to University Q without Joshua. He told her that he had work to do but ensured her that he would be there as soon as he was done.

As soon as she arrived at University Q, Hazel went to her dorm room to meet Ariel and Summer. The first thing she said with a mysterious smile, "Did you prepare what I asked you to?"

"Of course!" Ariel said with a huge grin, "Do not worry, we will help you do what you need to so that you will be happy!"

"Thank you so much!" Hazel was relieved even though her heart was pounding faster than it ever had.

Hazel's phone rang, and she disappointingly took it out of her purse. She assumed it was Joshua calling to say he wouldn't be able to make it to her graduation, but it was a number she didn't recognize. She hesitated for a moment but then decided she should answer, after all, it could be something important.

"Sweetheart?" It was Simon King's voice she heard. Hazel could see his face, even with his mask on, his evil smile was always exposed. She wanted to throw away her phone, but instead, she gritted her teeth and angrily asked, "What do you want?"

"It's your graduation today, and I am invited to your graduation ceremony, right? I am more considerate than Joshua, right?" Simon King evilly lifted his lips.

"No need!" Hazel said with annoyance.

"What should I do?" he snorted. "But I have already arrived at the school dorms. If I don't see you, I don't know what I will do."

Hazel was annoyed and bit her lip.

Simon King was threatening her again, but she clearly knew that if she did not see him, these were not just threats. She still had so many plans before the graduation ceremony, and she could not let Simon ruin them.

After thinking about it for a moment, Hazel hung up and walked out of her dorm to meet Simon.

"For you." Simon King embraced a large bouquet of flowers and handed them to Hazel.

Hazel looked at him coldly and put her hand up to push them away, "No."

"If you refuse me like this, I will be very sad." Simon blinked. "And, if I become sad, I may end up doing something terrible."

Crystal, Hazel's bodyguard, had been behind a pillar and stepped forward when she heard the threat. 

Simon looked at Hazel. He smiled and said, "You have bodyguards, so I can't touch you, but what about other people?"

Hazel clenched her teeth. She really didn't want to touch the flowers, but Simon was a madman. She did not know what he would do, and she did not want to involve innocent people. She hesitantly reached out to take the flowers from Simon, but before she had them in her grasp, someone stepped out to stop her.

"Mr. King, no one should force a person to accept gifts," James said coldly.

Simon squinted slightly, and his eyes were full of dangerous light. "James?"

"I am surprised that you remember me, Simon." James's voice was cold as if there was no emotion at all.

"Sweetheart," Simon looked at her unexpectedly. "You are really full of surprises. There seem to be so many people that care about you."

"I am sure there are even more surprises in store." An authoritative female voice said out of nowhere. "I am very curious as to how far Mr. King will actually go?"

Hazel lit up when she turned around and saw Katherine Sanchez approaching them.

General Sanchez was a soldier who commanded attention whenever she spoke and always had a presence of justice surrounding her. Dressed in military uniform, she not only made others feel safe, but she also looked very attractive.

Simon suddenly froze and glared at her, he clearly knew who she was. "General Sanchez, you misunderstood," he said with a faint smile. "I was just joking. I didn't mean any of it."

"Joking?" Katherine snorted. "I really hope you know what you are doing, Mr. King. If you fall into my hands…."

"I'm just a businessman, General Sanchez. Even if I did fall into your hands, you would be open-minded, wouldn't you?" He said, laughing. Despite Katherine's confrontational energy, he did not appear to be the least bit scared.

"Just make sure you remember what you said," she stated with a harsh tone.

He smiled playfully and humbly said, "Since everyone is here to see Hazel, it seems that I may have come at a bad time." He winked at Hazel, leaning toward her, he whispered, "Pumpkin, congratulations on your graduation. We will see each other another day." 

Hazel's face darkened with anger. "No, we will not! Get out of here!"

She was thankful that Simon didn't have time to say much and that she had enough bodyguards to stop him from attempting anything too severe.

She felt a sense of relief as she watched him quietly walk away. She had worried that Simon would try to harm her or that if he found out what she had planned, he would do something to undermine her. But, she knew she didn't have time to worry, and since he was gone, she had to put the encounter behind her and proceed as planned.

"General Sanchez…" She looked at Katherine with adoring eyes. "Why are you here?"

Katherine smiled kindly. "Please call me Aunt Katherine, Hazel."

"Aunt Katherine," Hazel cheerfully said.

"Well, that's better," Katherine said in a deep voice. She had a serious look on her face, "I heard that Simon King was coming to see you and that Joshua wasn't going to be with you. I was a little worried, so I came with James as a backup. And, of course, for your graduation."

"Oh really?" Hazel looked at her surprisingly. She wondered if Katherine was sitting in the audience, would she be too embarrassed to follow through with her plan.

"You don't want me there?" Katherine asked Hazel. Katherine's instincts were spot on, she could see that deep down, Hazel's heart was reluctant about her being there.

"It's just that..." Hazel hesitated as she tried to find the right words. She was trying to find a way to change the topic when she had an epiphany. What she had planned to do was going to happen in front of the whole school, it wouldn't make any difference if someone she admired were there as well.