A wave of confusion washed over Hadley as she took several cautious steps forward and called out in a gentle tone, “Excuse me, sir? Can I help you?”
The well-dressed man immediately turned at the sound of her voice.
Hadley’s breath caught in recognition—could it be him? She instantly recalled this distinctive face from her recent encounter at White Lake Prison.
“Hello there,” Hadley said warmly, deliberately choosing not to reference their previous meeting immediately.
“Do you need any help?”
“Ah,” the gentleman in the white shirt responded with a courteous nod while gesturing toward the building’s interior.
“I believe this is where I’ve been assigned to stay.”
He extended an elegant invitation card toward her, his expression revealing obvious confusion about why the residence appeared occupied.
“Let me take a look at that.”
Hadley accepted the invitation card with careful hands.
She immediately recognized it as an official invitation to the new product launch event, confirming that he was indeed a legitimate guest. She carefully turned to the final page, where the specific accommodation details and room number were printed.
“Actually,” Hadley said with a knowing smile while pointing to the relevant section of the card, “if you look right here, this indicates Block F, but you’re currently standing at Block A.”
“Is that so?” The man’s brow furrowed as he examined the card more closely, immediately recognizing his navigational error.
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“My apologies,” he said with genuine embarrassment, nodding respectfully.
“I seem to have found the wrong location entirely. Would you be so kind as to direct me toward Block F?”
Hadley responded with helpful enthusiasm, extending her arm to indicate the proper direction.
“Of course. Simply follow this winding path straight ahead, then—”
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The man listened attentively.
“I understand perfectly. Thank you so much for your assistance.”
“You’re very welcome,” Hadley replied, her smile brightening with genuine warmth.
“Actually, I’m the one who should be expressing gratitude to you.”
The man’s expression shifted to one of obvious bewilderment, apparently having no immediate recollection of their previous encounter. Hadley gently prompted his memory.
“During my recent visit to White Lake Prison, you were incredibly helpful to me.”
The man’s face remained impassive, causing Hadley to question whether she had somehow confused him with someone else. Just as she prepared to apologize for the case of mistaken identity, the man finally spoke.
“You are quite welcome.”
His lips curved into a subtle but genuine smile as he extended his hand in formal introduction.
“My name is Ellis Gomez, by the way.”
Hadley felt momentarily stunned by this revelation but quickly recovered her composure, extending her hand to meet his.
“Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you properly. I’m Hadley Pearson.”
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