?Chapter 1282:

    “No…”

    “I saw it. She has your WhatsApp. You messaged her,” Hadley shot back at once. Her lips curled, and her gaze was sharp, cutting straight through him. “Mr. Scott, you’re not the kind of man who chats on WhatsApp with just anyone. Who are you trying to fool by saying there’s nothing between you two? Oh, I see…”

    Something seemed to click in her mind. She tilted her head slightly and continued, “Did youe today to see me or A? Maybe my assistant got it wrong. Should we call A in now?”

    “Hadley!” Eric’s voice rose in rm. He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Let me exin…”

    Hadley smirked. “Given where we stand, whoever you’re with isn’t my concern. But don’t treat me like an idiot.”

    Without waiting for his response, she shook off his hand and stood up.

    “Hadley, don’t be mad!” Eric stood up quickly and pulled her into his arms with a firm tug. “Yes, I’m in contact with her! I got her into the crew because I wanted someone to look after you. You shut me out and never tell me anything. I figured she could keep me in the loop.”

    Hadley blinked, caught off guard. Was that really the reason?

    “It’s true!” Eric confirmed. He looked like he was ready to swear it on his life. “There’s nothing going on between us. Having you is more than enough. Believe me, I’m not lying. I haven’t even won you over yet. Why would I mess things up now? That’d be like digging my own grave!”

    He wrapped his arms around her waist. His voice was steady, but there was a hint of frustration and hurt. “I only have you. And you’re the only one I want.”

    Seeing that Hadley was still visibly affected by the situation involving Remy, Eric took the initiative to speak. “Cordell is still looking into what Remy’s been hiding. You don’t need to worry—we’ll eventually learn everything and uncover the full truth.”

    The moment Hadley heard him bring it up again, she cut in with a sharp tone. “Can we talk about something else? Anything that isn’t about this?”

    “Knock, knock.”

    There was a soft knock at the door just then. It was the signal that their food had been delivered.

    Explore magic at gα ? ησ ν?? ?s,

    “Alright, I’ll stop bringing it up,” Eric said with a small nod. “Let’s just eat.”

    Hadley lowered her gaze briefly and then agreed. “Fine, let’s eat.” But she added right after, “Once we finish, I want you to leave.”

    Eric looked caught off guard. A strained smile tugged at the corner of his lips, but he said nothing. Instead, he quietly guided her toward a seat. “Let’s eat first.”

    The door opened, and the servers began bringing in their food, setting down one dish at a time.

    “Try this one,” Eric offered, cing a selection on her te with an upbeat look on his face.

    Before long, her te waspletely full. She stared down at it, obviously annoyed.

    “That’s enough. There’s too much on here. It makes me lose my appetite. Do you even know how to serve food for someone?” Although she scolded him, he looked oddly content.

    Hadley narrowed her eyes slightly. “What’s with the smile?”

    “I’m just in a good mood,” he said softly, reaching for a napkin and gently wiping a spot of sauce from the corner of her mouth.

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