“Ma’am, please don’t come any closer.” Tamara moved swiftly, extending an arm to block Lyla from approaching further.

“Oh!” Lyla let out a mocking laugh. “A bodyguard, huh? How extravagant! Celebrities really do love making a show of everything.”

Over the past few days, she had been digging into Hadley’s background. But the information she found was patchy at best. She was aware of Hadley’s career in entertainment but had no clue about the real reasons behind the security presence.

Her eyes lingered on Tamara for a couple of seconds before she turned her attention back to Hadley. Her voice was laced with irritation and envy as she said, “Let me guess. Zane got this bodyguard for you? How sweet! Too bad, though. Out with the old, in with the new.”

Suddenly, her eyes darkened. “Hadley, stay away from Zane! He’s not yours to keep!”

Hadley stood frozen, stunned by the request. She couldn’t wrap her head around why Lyla would even think that she and Zane were together.

There was nothing between her and Zane. And even if there was, what right did his ex-wife have to come to her and demand she leave?

Hadley let out a quiet sigh and shook her head. “You should talk to Zane about your issues. Not me.” With that, she turned to leave.

“You think I haven’t tried?” Lyla scoffed. Her eyes glossed over, and her face crumpled with hurt. “Didn’t you see what happened earlier? He won’t even let me in! It’s all because of you! You’ve bewitched him! Zane’s not the same anymore!”

Hadley blinked, startled. If she didn’t already know it was Lyla who ruined their marriage, she might have actually believed that pitiful tone.

“Hadley!” Lyla implored, her voice cracking with desperation. “I’m begging you! Don’t come between us! We were married first! I came back to make things right!”

Her sobs grew heavier. Before Hadley could respond, Lyla’s knees buckled, and her body collapsed toward the hard cement ground.

gα?ησν?sоm, your fiction hub

Hadley rushed over on instinct and caught her by the arms. “What are you doing? Stop this. You’re making a scene. Come on. Get up.”

“I won’t!” Lyla cried out, clinging to the ground. “Not until you promise!”

“Hey, you…” Hadley let out a long, weary sigh and was ready to set things straight. “Zane and I aren’t even—”

“Get up.”

All of a sudden, a man’s voice, low and firm, came from behind, cutting through the air like a blade.

Then came Tamara’s voice, equally firm. “Mr. Scott.”

Hadley looked up and saw Eric. He wasn’t looking at her. His eyes were locked on Lyla. His expression was unreadable but unmistakably cold. His brows were drawn, lips pressed into a hard line.

“I said get up. Are you deaf?” he barked again.

Lyla’s body tensed as she stared at him, wide-eyed.

Who was this man? And how could he be so terrifying?

“Humph.” Eric scoffed and slipped his hands into his pockets. He stood tall, every inch of him commanding.

.

.

.