The door opened, and Eric stepped in, one hand casually in his pocket. Phillips followed behind him. Elvin greeted him with an enthusiastic smile. Hadley quietly stepped to the side, following protocol.

“Mr. Scott! What a surprise—long time no see!” Elvin flashed him a big grin.

Eric frowned subtly. Did he know this man? Long time no see? Had they met before today? Possibly. But given his status, remembering every minor acquaintance wasn’t necessary.

He gave a polite nod, letting his gaze drift past Elvin—until it landed on Hadley.

Hadley stood straight, her posture poised and professional.

“Hello, Mr. Scott.”

“Hello,” Eric replied evenly. He extended his hand toward her, fingers slightly curled, nails neatly trimmed.

“Welcome on board—and thank you for becoming the spokesperson for our new product.”

Hadley extended her hand with a calm smile.

“Thank you, Mr. Scott. I look forward to working together.”

“Same here,” Eric replied.

They shook hands briefly, and then let go just as quickly. Now facing each other, neither said a word.

Eric glanced around.

“Are you ready for the shoot?”

“Yes.” Hadley nodded.

“Makeup’s done, and the director’s setting up outside. We should start soon.”

“Alright.” He gave her a short nod.

“I’ll leave you to it.”

He was about to turn away when Elvin stepped forward.

. – more stories here

“Mr. Scott, thank you again for coming. Please take care. Hadley, walk Mr. Scott out.”

“Sure.” She gave a polite nod and followed behind Eric.

As they walked, Eric’s phone buzzed with a new message. He glanced briefly at the screen and then slipped the phone back into his pocket. From her angle, Hadley had caught a glimpse of it. It was a WhatsApp notification. She didn’t see the content, only the sender—Megan.

Lowering her eyes, she smiled lightly.

“Mr. Scott, I’ll leave you here. I need to get back to set. Take care.”

She had only walked him a short distance. Eric looked at her, a little surprised, but he didn’t press it. He nodded.

“Alright. Get back to it.”

“Goodbye, Mr. Scott.” She gave a small bow, turned around, and headed back inside. He watched her walk away, pausing for a second as his eyes followed her figure. Then he slowly lifted his right hand—the one she had shaken. He stared at it for a moment.

“Mr. Scott?” Phillips called softly.

Eric blinked and dropped his hand.

“Let’s go.”

Ahead, Hadley walked a bit farther before stopping. She turned around for just a second. All she saw was his back, growing smaller as he walked away with Phillips. She stood still for a while, then turned and disappeared into the building.

Just then, Eric paused. He turned. But by then, she was already gone.

.

.

.