?Chapter 1288:

    The moment felt distant, like a dream with no clear beginning or end.

    Hadley was the first to wake.

    Her body ached, heavy and worn down. A fog hung in her mind, dull and slow.

    Eric’s arm was still draped over her waist, his breathing steady.

    Not wanting to disturb him, she gently moved his arm aside and slid out from under the nket. She gathered her clothes from the floor and got dressed in silence.

    She looked over at the man still sound asleep—somehow, without even noticing when, this had really happened between them!

    He already refused to let her go, and now, things were even messier. Hadley furrowed her brow, wrapped a shawl around her shoulders, and quietly left the room, heading back to her own.

    It was five in the morning.

    From the shadows near the hallway corner, A stepped forward.

    She had stayed put all night, too afraid to leave.

    Eyes narrowed, she watched Hadley’s retreating figure with burning resentment. Then she turned back, pulling a master keycard from her pocket and unlocking the door.

    Inside, she stepped carefully.

    A man’s suit jackety on the floor, followed by a shirt, a tie…

    A held her breath. She was here for the candles—to erase any trace.

    Originally, she had nned to handle it after everything was over.

    Now, she’d have to sneak in and clean it up.

    After locating the remains of the candles, A slipped into the bathroom. She dumped them into the toilet and hit the flush button, watching as the remnants disappeared.

    She let out a slow breath and turned to leave.

    “Hadley.”

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    The moment she stepped out, a pair of arms wrapped around her.

    A stiffened. Eric was awake.

    But he hadn’t noticed anything wrong. Holding her close, he mumbled sleepily, “Shower time? Want me to join you?”

    Regret weighed heavily on Eric as he murmured an apology, his voice low and rough. “I overdid it with the drinksst night and wasn’t there to help you clean up…”

    He gently steered the person in his arms toward the bathroom, his steps careful.

    Reaching out, he flicked on the light switch mounted on the wall. The sudden glow bathed the room, casting light on A’s face—her skin ghostly pale, her expression frozen in shock. She faltered, her voice trembling. “Mr. Scott…”

    Eric’s eyes widened as realization hit him.

    He let go of her abruptly, as if stung, his brow creasing with confusion and disbelief.

    A sharp pain pulsed in his temples. “Why are you here? How did this happen?”

    A shrank back, her fists clenched so tightly her knuckles paled. A cold wave of panic surged through her.

    How could she exin this mess? What was she supposed to do? Her mind shed to the scented candles, and she steeled herself, deciding to take a risky leap. “Mr. Scott, I was with you… all night.”

    What?

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