“Let her go.” Tamara’s voice cut sharply through the tension as she stepped forward.

She seized his wrist and squeezed hard.

“Ah! That hurts!” the man yelped, immediately releasing Chelsey’s arm.

Tamara shot Chelsey a quick glance. “You okay?”

“I… I’m fine.” Chelsey’s eyes were red, but she nodded. “I’m okay.”

“Stand behind me.”

“Okay…” Chelsey quickly stepped behind Tamara.

“Chelsey!” the man shouted, furious.

“What are you yelling for?” Tamara snapped back, her brow furrowed. “This isn’t the place to throw a fit. Get lost.”

Just then, a security guard appeared behind her.

The man hesitated, clearly irritated. He pointed at Chelsey, his eyes burning.

“You’ll regret this. Don’t think you can get away from me.”

Muttering curses under his breath, he turned and stormed off.

Tamara looked back at Chelsey. “Are you sure you’re alright?”

Chelsey nodded shakily. “I’m fine… Thank you. Really, thank you.”

“No need to thank me.” Tamara’s tone was flat. “I didn’t do it for you. Hadley was worried. She told me to check on you. If something’s going on, you should tell her.”

“Okay.”

When they returned inside, Hadley stood up and walked over. “Is everything alright?”

She noticed the tears on Chelsey’s face and stepped closer, concern softening her voice. “Chelsey, what happened? Are you alright?”

She glanced at Tamara when Chelsey didn’t answer. Tamara didn’t sugarcoat it. “Some middle-aged man was grabbing her. Real aggressive—pulling her around like she didn’t have a choice.”

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“Chelsey?” Hadley’s expression tightened. “Are you being harassed?”

“No,” Chelsey shook her head quickly. “That… that was my dad.”

The room fell into a hush.

Hadley hesitated. “Then… is something going on at home?”

Chelsey faltered, her eyes dropping to the floor. After a long pause, she finally admitted, “My mom’s sick. We need a lot of money.”

Hadley could guess the rest. Her father must have come to demand money. Chelsey didn’t earn much as an assistant. She had only just graduated and hadn’t been working long—there was no way she had real savings.

“How much do you need?” Hadley asked plainly.

“What?” Chelsey blinked, caught off guard. “What did you say?”

“How much does your mom need for treatment?” Hadley repeated, frowning. “Tell me.”

Chelsey hesitated, then bit her lip and murmured the amount.

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