For a moment, Hadley couldn’t come up with anything to say.

“Hadley,” Eric continued, his voice gentler now, laced with something that sounded like quiet disappointment. “Can’t you let the past rest for once? Could you believe, just this time, that everything I’m doing is because I care about you—and not for any other reason?”

Hadley’s lips parted slightly, as if to reply, but no words came out. Overwhelmed by the rush of emotions, she ended the call without saying anything further.

Several days passed.

The new show began shooting.

At the launch ceremony, Hadley was surprised when she caught sight of Ayla.

After all, Ayla had not been present during any of the previous script read-throughs.

“Hadley!” Ayla rushed over happily and took her arm with familiarity. Her tone was lighthearted and full of joy. “We’re working together again!”

Noticing the uncertainty on Hadley’s face, Ayla quickly offered an explanation. “The actress who was originally cast for the second female role quit unexpectedly. I was only told to come in this morning.”

“I see…”

Hadley scanned the area and confirmed that the original second lead was indeed nowhere to be found.

“You have no idea how thrilled I am,” Ayla said, practically bouncing.

“This is the most important part I’ve ever had.”

She glanced at Hadley with admiration. “Of course, I’m nowhere near your level, but it still feels like a big step. They’re calling us over now. Shall we head there?”

“Yes, let’s go.”

Throughout the entire ceremony, Ayla stayed right by Hadley’s side. Since she was now playing the secondary lead, her presence beside the main actress was completely justified.

“Hadley.” Once the event wrapped up, Ayla gently tugged at Hadley’s arm and held out her phone. “Can you hold this for a minute? I need to run to the bathroom.”

“Sure.”

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Hadley nodded and took the phone from her.

As her fingers accidentally brushed the screen, it lit up.

She stilled, her gaze drawn to what appeared on the display. The lock screen was set to a photo of Eric.

It wasn’t a polished promotional picture. The lighting was uneven, and the angle a little off, as though it had been taken discreetly without him noticing.

Hadley’s lips lifted into a faint smile. Ayla’s interest in Eric was now undeniably clear.

Just before the screen could fade back to black, a message popped up.

It was from Eric. “Okay, got it.”

The screen dimmed again a second later.

Hadley remained rooted in place, eyes fixed on the darkened phone, her thoughts spinning. Had Ayla and Eric been in touch this entire time?

After the new drama officially began filming, Hadley packed her bags and left to join the crew for the on-location shoot.

Before heading out, she gave Brady a call. “I’m going away for a few days. If anything comes up at home, I’ll have Melba reach out to you.”

Brady didn’t miss a beat. “Don’t worry, Hadley. I’ll check in every day.”

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