Chapter 192

I blinked a few times, reading and then rereading the message.

Tina was trying to get into my head, that much was clear. But she was flopping hard right now. She was over there saying she was hooking up with Logan.

She had no idea he was here in my apartment living room with me, looking at me with growing concern.

“Hazel?”

Wordlessly, I turned and showed him the messages.

His eyes went a little wide. I thought he might laugh, but instead he just seemed to get angry. “Does she always send you shit like this?”

“No,” I said. “At least, not before that naked picture. This is something new.”

Logan rubbed his forehead. “You are so right about her, Hazel. I’m sorry it took me so long to listen. Here. I have an idea.”

Logan held his hand out for my phone and I handed it to him. Coming to stand beside me, he lifted the phone and took a selfie of the two of us together, our heads tilted close, his arm around my shoulder.

“Send her that,” he said, returning my phone.

Eagerly, I opened the text thread with Tina and attaching the picture, sent the message, Maybe you should recheck who you are in bed with, because Logan is here with me.

Tina, sitting at her breakfast nook, her feet stretched out on top of the chair opposite, smirked to herself as she awaited Hazel’s reply.

That dumb bitch would buy her lies, she was certain. Tina laughed to herself, trying to imagine Hazel’s stricken face. She’d probably call Logan, crying and begging. Logan was a proud man, he’d quickly get tired of baseless accusations of cheating.

He’d call Hazel paranoid.

Hazel would double down.

If she blamed Tina, Tina could claim innocence.

At this rate, Hazel and Logan would be broken up in no time, and Tina could swoop in, ready to console Logan… and seduce him.

A flawless plan, really.

As she waits for the upcoming delightful storm, Tina takes a bite of her jam-covered toast. She’d been at a party last night that went until late, so she’d only just woken up.

The life of a popular socialite wasn’t an easy one. She was invited to so many parties, offered so many drinks and presents – no one understood how taxing her life could be.

For instance, the host of last night’s event had only given her a 2 carat diamond ring. As if Tina would wear anything less than 5 carats! What an insult. She’d need a fine gemstone necklace to ever consider returning to that host’s events again.

Tina’s phone finally dinged with a message and Tina dropped her toast onto the table, missing her plate entirely in her haste to reach her phone. The jam smeared on the tablecloth, but whatever. That’s the problem of the housekeepers to clean up – not her.

Eager, she opened her text thread with Hazel.

Instantly, her heart dropped down into her stomach.

Hazel had attached a picture of she and Logan together. That bitch. How dare she smugly rub it in Tina’s face that Logan was there? Did she enjoy humiliating Tina?

Tina abruptly stood. Her breakfast was ruined! As was her day!

If she didn’t find a better way to break Hazel and Logan apart, she was at risk of losing him totally. That was unacceptable. Nothing kept Tina away from the things she wanted.

Lifting her phone, she searched through her contacts for the one labeled Natalie, and then hit call.

Natalie didn’t answer right away, which only built upon Tina’s frustration. When Natalie finally did answer, Tina spent a second simply shrieking into the phone.

As she took a minute to calm herself, Natalie asked, “Uh… what’s wrong?”

“I need to meet you. Now,” Tina snapped. “Your plans aren’t working, and I’m sick of it. This is your fault. You had better correct it, or so help me, I will make your entire life miserable.”

“With Hazel? But it should work –”

“It hasn’t worked, you imbecile! Not only is your bitch of a sister still in the picture, but she is mocking me. No one does that, do you understand? We need to bring this girl down – now.”

Natalie was quiet a moment. “Where should we meet?”

Natalie was nervous to meet with Tina only so much that she didn’t want her reputation to be tarnished. One bad word from Tina, and Natalie might stop meeting such generous, rich men. She was tired of dating mechanics and plumbers.

She wanted businessmen and executives with minimum seven figure salaries. A word from Tina could make or break Natalie in that regard.

So she left work early to meet Tina at a café across town. When she arrived, even though she was five minutes early, Tina was already there, pacing beside an open table.

She spotted Natalie and snapped, “You are late.”

With anyone else, Natalie would have pointed out the time with her own snide remark, but since she needed Tina, she kept her mouth shut.

Natalie wordlessly walked to the open table and sat down. Tina continued pacing, earning curious looks from the other patrons. When Tina spotted them, she glared back until those patrons looked away.

“Maybe you should sit,” Natalie suggested.

“Maybe you should come up with ideas that actually work,” Tina shot back, though she at least listened and took the opposite seat of Natalie.

The waitress approached the table. “How may I assist –”

“Coffee,” Natalie and Tina both said at once, curt.

“Low fat non-dairy creamer in mine,” Tina said.

“Mine, too,” Natalie said, in attempts to emulate Tina. The woman may be insufferable, but she was also rich as sin and beloved by the high society. Natalie wasn’t just envious, she entirely wanted Tina’s life.

The waitress wrote down their order. “Would you like any –”

“Leave now,” Tina snapped.

The waitress paled. “Uh…”

Tina’s focus shot at the girl. “Are you new here? Do you know who I am? I said leave.”

The waitress backed away in a rush. She nearly stumbled, tripping over an outstretched chair leg in her rush for the kitchen.

Natalie watched in amazement, mentally taking notes. Unfortunately, she knew, confidence like Tina’s only influenced others when she had the money and power to back it up.

Natalie hated how poor she was.

“Now,” Tina said, returning her attention to Natalie. “I sent her those texts you suggested. Turns out, Logan is there.”

“With Hazel?” Natalie was stunned.

“I’m utterly humiliated,” Tina grumbled. “We need to take this bitch down before she gets too cocky.”

“Agreed,” Natalie said.

She’d thought for sure those texts would have worked. How could she have known that Logan would actually go visit her sister? The distance was supposed to make things more difficult.

“Maybe it’s time to go with the big guns,” Natalie said.

“That could backfire spectacularly,” Tina said. “The Hatfield patriarch doesn’t have much patience. If I approach him with this…”

Natalie didn’t remember much about Logan’s actual family. She’d met them once, she thought? God, she blocked most of that out – except the money and gifts part. That part she liked.

But she did recall that how quickly her relationship with Logan was swept under the rug. Someone had helped cover all that up, and she doubted it was all Logan himself.

“The grandfather won’t want the scandal,” Natalie said, hoping more than knowing that she was right. “He’ll put the pressure on, and Hazel won’t be able to stand it.”

Tina considered it. “Yes, I can see that. If I can appeal to Grandpa Hatfield, get him on my side, he’ll tighten the screws on Logan and kick Hazel to the curb. How’s this…”

Tina scrunched up her face like she was about to cry. Her eyes went impossibly wide and innocent, and even appeared damp.

“Oh, Mr. Hatfield… I don’t know where else to turn. You have to help me stop Logan before he makes the worst mistake of his life…”

Natalie shivered at the perfection of the act.

“Hazel doesn’t stand a chance,” she said, and Tina, in a flash, returned to herself and grinned.