“Good to see you, Hadley,” Zane said, offering a nod. This time, he stood by himself.
“So, when did you arrive back in town?” Curiosity sparked in Hadley’s eyes. She folded her arms, pretending to be irritated. “You were supposed to message me the second you landed. Remember, I promised to treat you to dinner?”
A sheepish grin appeared on Zane’s face. “I only just returned. Work has kept me buried these past few days.”
In truth, he always felt a bit uneasy about the idea of a younger woman picking up the tab.
Realization dawned on Hadley, and she gave herself a little shake. “Looks like I dropped the ball there. I should have checked in with you first… Oh! That reminds me…”
Snapping out of her thoughts, she quickly turned to make introductions. “Zane, let me introduce you to my boss, Mr. Elvin Webster. And Mr. Webster, this is my friend Zane Hayes—he’s a lawyer.”
Zane offered a polite greeting. “Nice to meet you.”
Elvin gave a friendly nod. “Mr. Hayes, it’s a pleasure.”
“Do you remember that outfit we lost, Mr. Webster? Zane is the one who managed to find an identical one for me.”
Gratitude colored Elvin’s reply. “Thank you for your help, Mr. Hayes. We really appreciate it.”
Though he knew the truth—that Eric had already nailed it even before Zane did—people always seemed to rally around Hadley, offering support whenever she needed it.
With a humble shrug, Zane responded, “You don’t have to thank me.”
Since Zane had other matters to attend to, he stepped off the elevator at his stop.
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As the doors began to close, Hadley called out, waving her phone. “Don’t forget to keep in touch.”
“Of course.”
Evening found Hadley on Jewel Avenue, finishing up the dinner arrangements with Zane over the phone.
Hadley picked a high-end restaurant, one that held memories from previous evenings spent there with Eric. Everything about the place spoke of refinement, from the delicious menu to the flawless setting.
Hadley made a point to arrive before the scheduled time. When the server came to guide her to a private room, Megan and Eric came into view, strolling toward her arm in arm.
Although she spotted them immediately, she had no plans to stop and greet the pair. Instead, Hadley acted as if she hadn’t noticed, focusing on the server and moving straight ahead into the private room.
Megan started to wave and call out upon seeing her. “Hey! Had—” The words died on her lips as she realized Hadley had ignored her completely.
She pressed her lips together in a pout, then looked over at the man standing next to her. “Well, what’s your take? Did she honestly not notice me, or is she just acting like she didn’t?”
Annoyance flashed across Eric’s face. Megan’s constant neediness had already worn on his nerves, and this run-in with Hadley only made things worse. Hadley catching sight of them together again was the last thing he wanted.
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