?Chapter 1294:

    “The first time I ever saw her.”

    Hadley’s voice was calm as she recalled the moment. “You introduced her as your ‘new girlfriend’ when I went to your office to see you.”

    Was it that early?

    Eric tried to pull up the memory, though it wasn’t entirely clear in his mind. “You saw it that early on? What gave it away?”

    “Isn’t it obvious?” Hadley gave a casual shrug. “From the moment I saw the way she looked at you, I just knew. Her gaze never left you.”

    “You’re that observant? Just by picking up on someone’s expressions?”

    Without warning, Eric gently took hold of her chin and tilted her face toward him. “Then what about me? You’re always the one on my mind—did you ever notice that?”

    Hadley stared at him, surprised by the sudden closeness and the way his words hung in the air.

    She didn’t reply. Eric gave a faint, almost self-deprecating smile and backed off. He changed the subject. “You’ve been keeping things from me. Are you mad that I ced A by your side?”

    Hadley’s lips pressed into a thin line, her silence revealing more than words could have.

    The truth was, she had never really liked A.

    “Don’t worry. I’ll think of a way to remove A from your side so she won’t continue to bother you.” Eric let out a soft sigh, a trace of affection hidden beneath his frustration. “I’ve spoiled you this much, yet you never take advantage of it.”

    Hadley simply pouted and said nothing.

    Just then, Eric’s phone began to vibrate in his pocket.

    “I need to go,” he said.

    He let go of her, took a few steps back toward the door, gave her a lingering nce, and then quietly turned and left.

    Outside the filming area, Phillips was already waiting.

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    The earlier phone call had been from him.

    Eric approached with a steady gaze, his eyes dark. “What did you find?”

    “Yes,” Phillips nodded.

    Because both Hadley and Eric were staying at the same hotel, and Eric had begun to sense something suspicious, Phillips had taken the initiative to pull up the surveince footage from the previous two days for the floors they were staying on. He focused especially on whether the female fan had been showing up in that area.

    “Nothing stood out on the hallway cameras,” Phillips reported.

    Eric’s brow furrowed. “She works here and knows theyout. Could she have deliberately stayed out of view?”

    “That’s a possibility,” Phillips replied. “The cameras in the corridors operate on a rotating system, and there are short intervals where certain areas aren’t covered. But the elevator footage doesn’t miss anything, it’s consistent and covers all entry points.”

    “Keep going,” Eric said with a nod, signaling for him to continue. Phillips clearly had something more to say.

    “She wasn’t scheduled to be workingst night, but she showed up on the floor where you’re staying.”

    He hesitated for a second. “Do you think she tried something?”

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