Chapter 676 Lecture
Dominique pulled into his driveway, the morning sun warm on his face, his mother’s suitcase secure in the trunk. He glanced at her in the passenger seat. Still elegant, still composed, even after a long flight. Her dark blue eyes were fixed on his house, her expression unreadable.
"It’s small," she said.
"It’s cozy," he replied.
She didn’t comment further, but her lips twitched slightly. That was as close to approval as Dom ever got from her.
He helped her out, grabbed her suitcase, and walked toward the front door. His mother followed, her heels clicking on the stone path, her presence somehow making the modest entrance feel like a palace.
Dom fumbled for his keys, his mind still half-asleep, still processing that his mother was here.
He reached for the handle.
It turned.
The door was already open.
Dom stared at the handle, his brow furrowing. He was certain he had locked it. He always locked it. Jason had teased him about it—"you lock your doors like you’re expecting a siege"—but Dom was careful. Always.
Only two people had keys to his house. Jason, who was currently abroad, racing in a country Dom couldn’t even pronounce. And Hazel.
His eyes widened.
He had given Hazel a key two days ago. In case of emergency. In case something happened. He hadn’t thought about it since. But now, standing here, with his mother at his side and the door already open, his heart began to pound.
"Dominique?" His mother’s voice was sharp. "You forgot to lock your house? How careless are you?"
She stepped past him, walking inside without waiting for an invitation. Her heels clicked against the hardwood floor, and she turned to face him, her arms crossed, her dark blue eyes blazing.
"I cannot believe you," she continued, her voice low but intense. "After everything I taught you. After everything your father and I drilled into you about security, about being aware, about protecting yourself and your space. And you leave your door unlocked?"
Dom opened his mouth to respond, but she wasn’t finished.
"Do you know how dangerous that is?" she asked, her accent thickening the way it always did when she was upset. "You’re a model. You have fans. You have enemies. You have people who might want to hurt you, or use you, or steal from you. Do you know—"
"Mom—" he tried.
"Don’t ’Mom’ me," she interrupted, holding up a finger. "This is basic. This is fundamental. This is the kind of thing I taught you when you were five years old. Lock the door, Dominique. Lock the door and check it twice. And what do you do? You leave it hanging open like you’re inviting the whole world inside for tea."
She walked further inside, still talking, still lecturing, her voice echoing through the small living room.
And then she stopped.
Because there was someone on the couch.
Hazel was sitting there, her legs crossed, her brow furrowed in concentration. She was wearing a small Bluetooth earpiece, its light blinking softly, and she was speaking quietly into it, her thumb scrolling on her phone while her laptop sat open on the coffee table in front of her. A cup of coffee, long since gone cold, sat forgotten at her elbow.
She didn’t look up when they entered. Didn’t seem to notice them at all.
"—yes, I need the footage from the north camera too. And the timestamp. Cross-reference with the motion sensors." She paused, listening. "I don’t care if it’s nothing. Send it anyway."
Kaelani raised an eyebrow, her lecture forgotten. She tilted her head, studying the woman on the couch with renewed interest.
Hazel continued, unaware. "And check the street cameras. See if any cars passed by around that time. I want all details." Another pause. "Yes, I’ll hold."
Dom cleared his throat.
Hazel held up one finger, not looking up. "One second," she said absently.
Kaelani’s lips twitched. She glanced at Dom, who looked like he wanted to sink into the floor.
Dom stepped closer, waving his hand in front of Hazel’s face. She finally looked up, her eyes widening.
"Dom! You’re back," she said. She pressed a button on her earpiece. "I’ll call you back." She pulled the earpiece out, setting it on the couch beside her. "I received a notification from the smart camera. Someone was standing outside your house early this morning." She held up her phone, showing him the footage. "I came to check, but the door was locked, so I figured you were out somewhere."
Dom blinked and asked dumbly, "The door was locked?"
"Yes. I used the key you gave me," Hazel said. Then, as if suddenly remembering her manners, she added, "I’m sorry. You don’t mind, right?"
He just nodded, still trying to process the situation. He didn’t mind. In fact, he liked that she felt safe enough to treat his home like her own.
But that warm thought was crushed by a wave of dread.
His mother was here. And his mother missed nothing. She was a surgeon, trained to see what others overlooked, and she would take one look at him and Hazel and know everything.
She would start asking uncomfortable questions. Questions about why Hazel had a key. About what was really going on between them. The truth was, nothing was going on. They weren’t in a relationship. But Dom knew his mother wouldn’t believe that. And worse, she would ask those questions directly to Hazel, putting her on the spot, making everything awkward and strange.
He couldn’t let that happen. Not before he was ready to tell Hazel how he really felt.
His mother stepped forward, her dark blue eyes fixed on the laptop screen. She studied the footage with the focused intensity of someone who had spent decades looking for answers. A figure in dark clothing, hood up, face hidden, stood at the edge of the driveway. The timestamp read 3:47 AM.
"Hmm," Kaelani murmured, her voice thoughtful. "Whoever this is, they knew what they were doing. They avoided the main camera. Stood in the blind spot."
Hazel looked up at her, startled.