Chapter 1003

Eden didn’t even glance at the screen before reaching out and switching off her phone. His voice was quiet but sincere. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for Aunt Zhen to misunderstand. I’ll explain everything to her later.” His gaze held hers, steady and unflinching. “I really just want to be friends with you, Hazel. I’m not trying to replace anyone. When I called you by your name earlier… it was simply that. Your name.” Hazel blinked, momentarily thrown. Her earlier reaction suddenly felt… excessive. Her brother used to call her Little Hazel. Even now, the name still carried warmth. She didn’t actually dislike hearing it. But since returning here, it felt like everyone only saw her as someone else’s shadow—a mirror image of Jane. Their gazes came loaded with comparison, expectation, assumption. It left her feeling like she was trapped in a life that wasn’t hers. She exhaled softly and returned to her seat. Once the tension dissolved, the conversation between them flowed easily. Eden was an e