Dominic’s eyes turned cold. “Do you think being righteous clears you of suspicion?” he snapped. “Apologize to Caroline. Now!”
“I won’t. I didn’t do anything wrong. Why should I apologize?” Hazel shot back.
Dominic’s patience vanished. He sneered, “If you won’t apologize, then drink everything on that table.”
The bottles on the table were high-proof liquors that would make a non-drinker sick and could tear a stomach lining apart. Hazel was someone who never touched alcohol. A single bottle would likely make her vomit blood.
“You know I don’t drink,” she protested, certain he knew this.
But Dominic, caught in anger, didn’t notice the tremor in her voice. He barked orders, and two men held her down while another forced a bottle to her lips and poured.
“Hazel,” he warned, voice flat and merciless, “I told you my patience has a limit. Don’t push my limits.”
Third Person's POV
The liquor burned down Hazel’s throat like fire, searing her stomach until it felt as if her insides were being torn apart. The liquid even spilled out through her nose as she choked and gasped for air.