“I’ll take it from here. You don’t need to lift a finger,” he said.

Hadley nodded faintly, fingers tightening around her phone.

Thirty minutes later, a tweet from Eric’s official account went viral.

It featured the controversial photo with a bold red “FAKE” stamped across it, accompanied by a formal statement below.

“I was just made aware of the situation. When I first saw Hadley perform at Galant, I was captivated and pursued her. Sadly, I didn’t meet her expectations as a life partner. After nearly a year of dating, we peacefully ended our relationship at the end of last month. We are no longer together, and I fully respect her decision. The rumors circulating online recently are false. The past is the past—let it remain there. I apologize for the disturbance and wish her all the best.”

The post confirmed they had once dated, clarified they’d broken up, and denied all current scandalous implications. Notably, Hadley wasn’t tagged in the tweet.

Just like he claimed, he really didn’t want to drag her into more drama.

Hadley stared at the post, heart conflicted. “Will this be enough? What if the person behind this speaks up again?”

Eric shook his head, confidence unwavering. “They won’t. If they intended to push it, they wouldn’t have blurred Duran’s face in the first place. And by now, they’ve seen the tweet.”

A faint, knowing smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “If they’re smart enough to blackmail you, they’re smart enough to realize they don’t want to mess with someone I’m protecting.”

Hadley felt a chill run through her.

She got it now—Eric hadn’t just resolved the issue. He’d sent a warning.

This wasn’t just defense. It was deterrence.

With the storm seemingly settled, a hush fell between them.

The pressure eased. The constant anxiety in Hadley’s chest began to fade.

She took a breath and whispered, “Thank you.”

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Eric nodded, a soft smile on his lips. “You don’t need to thank me.” His gaze lingered on her—deep, searching.

Hadley felt a chill travel up her spine and hastily looked away.

Eric’s smile froze, and he murmured, “I’ll go check on Joy.” As he turned toward the inner room, Elissa hurried over, phone in hand.

“Hadley, look!” she exclaimed.

Thanks to Eric’s post, the tide of public opinion had completely shifted.

“I knew it! Eric would never lie. That pic was so fake!”

“Where are those haters now? Why aren’t they speaking up?”

“How could anyone not like Eric? It’s such a pity they broke up.”

“I used to ship them so hard.”

More and more posts popped up with technical analyses, proving the photo had been photoshopped.

“This was malicious. Someone needs to be held accountable.”

“Let’s not forget—Hadley’s a victim here.”

“Wait—they were actually dating?”

“If you ask me, dancing in Galant isn’t a crime. Mind your own business, stupid heads!”

“Everyone, don’t disturb Hadley. If Eric finds out, he’ll be heartbroken!”

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