“This way.” He pointed ahead.

“She’s in car nine. Keep up!”

“Okay!”

In the middle of the bustling crowd, Eric reached out—one arm wrapping around Hadley’s, the other sliding behind her head—drawing her straight into his embrace.

Hadley’s vision dimmed as Eric’s sudden presence overwhelmed her senses.

“Hey!” Instinctively, she placed a hand on his chest, trying to push him away.

“Don’t move.” Eric bent his head low, pulling her into a tighter embrace, his lips brushing her ear.

“Andrea’s looking this way. She’s seen you before, hasn’t she? Keep your head down. Don’t let her see you.”

At his words, Hadley froze, all resistance fading. She dipped her head even lower, burying her face against his chest.

In a hushed voice, she asked, “Is she still watching?”

“Yes,” Eric murmured, his voice low and rough, the vibration in his chest evident. His heartbeat had quickened for reasons even he couldn’t explain.

“She’s turned away now. She’s boarding the train.” He looked down at the woman in his arms.

“Let’s get on too.”

“Okay!” Hadley lifted her head and retrieved a mask from her backpack.

“Let’s go.”

They joined the boarding line. Together, they stood among the crowd—but looked far too eye-catching. Hadley managed to hide her features with a mask and her long hair. But Eric, with his towering height, perfectly tailored suit, and sharp features, was impossible to ignore.

“Wow, he’s tall and good-looking.”

“He has to be at least six foot three.”

A few curious passengers even discreetly raised their phones to snap pictures. Eric remained expressionless, utterly unbothered.

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“I wonder if he has a girlfriend?”

“Whoever she is, she must be gorgeous.”

Hadley peeked up at him, then silently pulled out another mask and handed it over.

“Put this on.”

“Me?” Eric blinked, a little surprised.

“Quickly,” Hadley urged, frowning.

“Can’t you see all the people staring?”

He stood out too much. If Andrea spotted him and grew wary, it could ruin everything.

“Alright.” Eric arched a brow and accepted the mask. Did she dislike others looking at him? He slipped it on obediently.

Another ripple of whispers followed.

“He has a girlfriend…”

“They look so perfect together.”

“A prince and his princess.”

The murmurs reached Eric’s ears, and his hand faltered slightly as he adjusted the mask. That strange sense of familiarity washed over him again. This moment… this scene… Why did it feel like something he’d experienced before?

“You okay?” Hadley narrowed her eyes at him.

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