“Sounds good to me.” Eric gave her an easy nod, his smile unwavering. Even if the cake was more for Joy, that didn’t make it any less meaningful to him.

“Okay, I’m going in now! See you!” Hadley waved cheerfully, breaking into a light jog as she headed toward the building.

“Take care.” Eric lifted his hand in return, staying rooted in place until she disappeared from view.

Well past midnight, Eric had just drifted off at Olisvale Bay when his phone suddenly buzzed, jolting him awake. The screen showed Tamara’s name.

Although she worked under Eric’s direction, she typically went through Phillips. It was rare for her to contact him directly—only urgent matters ever justified it. That alone made Eric answer immediately.

“Hello?”

“Mr. Scott!” Tamara’s voice was sharp and tense. “Hadley fainted on set!”

“What?” Eric flung the blanket aside and moved straight for the closet. “What happened?”

“We’re not sure yet—it just happened, barely three minutes ago.”

A few seconds passed, and then Tamara’s tone shifted. “She just regained consciousness!”

“Let her know I’m coming!” Eric said without hesitation.

“Understood!”

By the time the call ended, he was already dressed and heading out the door. With his bodyguards following close behind, Eric tore down the road toward the set.

Tamara waited just outside the set. “Mr. Scott.”

Eric acknowledged her with a nod, never slowing his stride as he moved toward the entrance. “How are things?”

Tamara hesitated, uncertainty creeping into her voice. “Hadley was apparently… frightened.”

“Frightened?” The word made Eric stop in his tracks and glance at her, clearly caught off guard.

Discover new chapters at ον?s.

She confirmed with a determined nod. “For all the details, it’s best if you hear it from Hadley herself. She’s been up for a while and seems to be doing alright.”

Eric nodded once more and quickened his steps.

Inside Hadley’s private lounge, he found her propped up on the sofa, hands wrapped around a cup.

She heard the door open and looked up abruptly. The moment she saw him, she set the cup on the table, reached out, and called in a trembling voice, “Eric!”

“Hadley!” Eric crossed the room at once, sat beside her, and wrapped her gently in his arms, giving her a safe place to rest.

When he held her hand, the coldness in her fingers alarmed him. Concern creased his brow, but his voice remained calm. “Tell me what happened.”

At first, he suspected she had simply passed out from exhaustion. But the truth was far different.

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