“Hadley?” Eric’s frown deepened. What was going on with her?

“I don’t want it,” she said quickly, hoping he wouldn’t pick up on anything. With a light tone, she added, “I dressed up so nicely tonight. Your jacket would just cover everything and ruin the whole look.”

Eric blinked, momentarily caught off guard. Then, an amused smile tugged at the corner of his lips. “Seriously?”

“I’m not wearing it,” Hadley said again, more firmly this time. She thrust her plate into his hands. “Hold this for me. I need to use the restroom.”

Before he could say anything else, she turned and walked off. She lifted the hem of her dress and weaved through the crowd without looking back.

Upon entering the bathroom, Hadley stepped into a stall, shut the door, leaned back against it, and closed her eyes. She drew in a long breath, steadying herself as calm slowly returned.

Only moments earlier, Eric’s fingers had grazed the corner of her eye, and the touch sent goosebumps racing across her skin. She sensed it clearly—her condition was getting worse.

And it was unfolding far quicker than she had ever expected.

Her breath evened out, and the goosebumps faded. Gathering herself, Hadley unlatched the stall door and stepped into the open.

She moved to the sink, turned on the faucet, and let the cool water run over her hands.

She had only just reached for a paper towel when a sharp female voice sliced through the air. “Hadley!”

Startled, Hadley snapped her gaze to the mirror—and froze at the sight of a familiar face.

Spinning around, she stared in confusion. Ayla stood there, clad in a yacht crew uniform. What on earth was she doing here?

“How come you…”

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“What?” Ayla’s sneer transformed into a glacial smile, malice crystallizing across her features. “Surprised to discover me working here as common wait staff, aren’t you?”

That was exactly what had left Hadley baffled.

“How dare you even ask?” Ayla’s expression twisted with fury, her voice breaking. “It’s all because of you! Hadley, you’ve got a heart of stone! I ended up like this because of you!”

What had Ayla turned into? What had Hadley done to hurt her? Hadley couldn’t make sense of any of it.

“Ayla, I haven’t seen you in ages, and I honestly don’t have time for this.”

She hadn’t even had the chance to harm Ayla, let alone the motive. Casting a brief, dismissive glance, Hadley turned and began to walk away.

“Stop!” Ayla stepped into her path, blocking her way. “You’re not going anywhere!”

“What do you want?” Hadley frowned, her eyes flicking to the badge pinned to Ayla’s uniform.

She gave a cold warning. “If you don’t move, I’ll report you.”

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