#novel #lovescenario 0#Asherharrington #hazelfoster #isabelle hart Love Scenario Patt_5 Hanie_🩵 The music shifted into a soft waltz, and the crowd began to drift toward the center of the hall. Hazel lingered near the refreshment table, her eyes never leaving Asher and Isabelle. They weren’t dancing—yet the space between them already felt like its own rhythm. Isabelle was speaking with her usual warmth, a gentle smile on her lips as she asked Asher about the gardens. Hazel couldn’t hear the words, but she saw the way Isabelle’s laughter lit her face, the way Asher’s expression softened—his guarded features loosening, if only slightly. Hazel’s chest burned. For years, she had tried—smiles, conversations, little gestures—to break through Asher’s coldness. And here came Isabelle, glowing and effortless, pulling at him like gravity itself. Hazel gripped her glass too tightly, her knuckles white. Why her? Why not me? Just then, a small boy—one of the guests’ children—ran past and tripped, tumbling to the floor with a cry. Several guests turned their heads but quickly went back to their conversations. Hazel froze, her jealousy blinding her to the scene. But Isabelle noticed immediately. Without hesitation, she knelt beside the boy, her gown brushing the marble floor, gathering him gently into her arms. “Shh, it’s alright,” she whispered, brushing his hair back from his face. “A brave little knight like you doesn’t fall without getting back up.” The boy sniffled, his tears fading as she coaxed a smile out of him. She helped him to his feet, dusting him off as though it was the most natural thing in the world. The guests around them smiled at the tender scene, murmuring about how sweet she was. Even Asher’s gaze lingered—something almost unreadable flickering in his stormy eyes. Hazel’s throat tightened. The envy was no longer just about Asher—it was about everything. Isabelle’s beauty, her effortless grace, her kindness that seemed to shine brighter than Hazel’s carefully constructed image. As Isabelle rose, the boy clinging to her hand, Hazel forced a brittle smile. Inside, though, she was unraveling. For the first time, she wasn’t just competing for Asher’s attention—she was competing against someone who didn’t even realize she was in the game. ---