'Why is he pretending? If he really remembered me, why didn't he look for me later? He didn't even know who I was when we saw each other again. To him, I was just a kid he helped one day, and that's it.'Wyneth took only a few sips before setting her spoon down. Turning to Hayden, who had not really eaten much, she said, "You ordered all this food. I can't eat it all. Make sure you finish it, so it's not wasted."When Wyneth put her spoon down, Hayden did the same. "You're not eating anymore?""I'm done.""You didn't eat much. You have filming later, right? Will you be okay with that little?""That's for me to worry about," Wyneth said, giving him a look. "But you ordered all this. Don't let it go to waste."Hayden chuckled. "Remember when you were little, and you'd always order too much? I ordered these with that in mind.""Oh, did you? Well, if I can't finish, you should. Think you can handle it all?" Wyneth asked, looking at him with a playful challenge."I can handle it," H
"Let go!" Wyneth said, struggling and stepping back. Hayden's expression dimmed at her resistance, but after a moment, he released her. "Fine, if you can't accept it now, we'll take it slow.""Why would I want to take things slow with you?" Wyneth pulled back her hand and glared at the reddened mark on her wrist. "Look what you did! Bully!"Her delicate wrist and pale skin made the red mark stand out even more. Hayden saw it too and said sheepishly, "I didn't mean to grip that hard.""You're saying you didn't grip hard?" Wyneth shot back. "Then who left this mark?"Hayden was about to respond, but seeing her raised hand, he knew he was in the wrong. He stepped closer, saying gently, "My bad. I'll be gentler next time." Then, taking her fingers, he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a soft kiss on the red mark.Feeling his warm lips on her wrist, Wyneth jerked her hand away, demanding, "What are you doing?"Hayden, noting her blushing ears, grinned. "I hurt you. Shouldn't I ki
Wyneth closed her eyes, feeling distanced from the Hayden she once knew. She even wondered if he had changed inside.Unbeknownst to her, as soon as she left, the expression of Hayden turned icy cold. His eyes were dark, filled with deep thoughts and intense emotions. Hayden took out his phone and dialed a number. "Find out who's spreading rumors about Wyneth on set." Once he ended the call, he absentmindedly rubbed his phone, thinking, 'If they're so keen on gossip, maybe they shouldn't be in this industry.'Unaware of Hayden's actions, Wyneth arrived at the film set to find a group of people huddled together, whispering."I saw Wyneth stepping out of a fancy car when I arrived.""Isn't it typical for her, given her wealthy background?""I thought the same at first. But I sneaked a peek, and guess who I spotted inside the car?""Who?""Mr. Hamilton."Everyone's eyes widened in surprise."Seriously?""I promise, I saw it.""Did you snap a photo?"While chatting, the group sp
The apology had only made Wyneth feel worse. She thought about texting Hayden to chat about it. But knowing Hayden, he might get upset if she brought it up. So, she decided against it and closed her eyes, letting the makeup artist do her work.The afternoon's filming was smooth, wrapping up earlier than they had planned. As Wyneth left, she ran into Serena."Finished already?" Serena asked."Yeah. What about you?""My scenes got delayed. Two cast members were replaced."Wyneth's eyebrows shot up. "They were?"Serena, unaware of the incident with Wyneth and the two actresses who had first apologized and then confronted her, commented, "They were suddenly let go. Must've ticked off someone high up."Upon hearing this, realization dawned on Wyneth. "You mean the two actresses?""Yep. One of them was set to play my housemaid, and she had quite a few scenes coming up. If they can't find someone soon, they'll just shoot solo scenes and edit her in later. Are you okay? You seem out of
Wyneth remained quiet. She had wanted to thank him for that night, but his actions afterward upset her, and she never had the opportunity. Taking a moment and a deep breath, she replied, "That happened on set. If I felt in danger, I would've yelled for help. The crew was right outside the makeup room. If I didn't return soon, they would've searched for me.""If no one noticed you were gone, or thought you just needed a break in the makeup room, could you deal with what might happen?"Wyneth was scared by his words but also too stubborn to show it. She shot back, "What might happen? In the worst case—""But I couldn't bear it."She paused. "What are you saying?""If something happened to you, I'd be devastated."Wyneth bit her lip, struggling with the whirlwind of emotions his words stirred up. Frustrated and at a loss, she quickly hung up on Hayden. Standing there, his words kept playing in her mind like a catchy song: "If something happened to you, I'd be devastated." 'Why does
"What did you just say?" Hayden asked, his voice cold."Missed that? No matter who I'm with, it won't be you. Understand?" Without waiting for a reply, Wyneth turned and walked away.The bodyguards trailed behind, their expressions showing their surprise at how abruptly Wyneth had treated Hayden. They shot nervous glances her way, half-expecting her to be upset with them. Instead, she spared them a brief, indifferent glance."Just leave. I don't need you tailing me.""But Ms. Walford," the lead bodyguard started, "we've been paid to watch over you. If we don't, we have to return the money. We really need this job.""Yeah, he's right," the other two chimed in. "We really need this job, Ms. Walford. I have a family to support. If we don't finish this job because you don't want us, they might fire us for letting a client down."Initially, Wyneth did not give it much thought. She assumed that bodyguards could easily find another job if one fell through. Their words, however, gave her
Wyneth turned to see Hayden's face, clouded with anger. "You—" She was interrupted as Hayden suddenly lifted her off the ground. "Hey! What are you doing? Put me down!"Hayden's face was stern, and he ignored Wyneth's protests. When she tried to hit him, he did not flinch. Desperate, she turned to her bodyguards. "Help me! Aren't you guys supposed to protect me? I don't even know him!"Hearing Wyneth's plea, the bodyguards started to step in."Stop," Hayden warned, his gaze cold. "Remember, I hired you. Step any closer, and you're out of a job."The bodyguards hesitated, stopping in their tracks."Don't listen to him!" Wyneth exclaimed. "He's not your boss now, I am. Help me!""I never took the payment she sent," Hayden said. "I've been your boss since the beginning. As long as I don't say otherwise, that doesn't change.""And if you don't help me now, I won't want you around later. You'll be out of work either way," Wyneth shot back.The bodyguards hesitated. If Wyneth did not
Wyneth was stunned. 'Did Hayden just smack my butt?' Almost instantly, her cheeks turned a deep shade of red. She gritted her teeth and snapped at Hayden, "What did you do that for?"Hayden had simply meant to give Wyneth a playful smack, hoping it would get her to stop joking around so much and challenging him all the time. But after the smack, seeing her mortified reaction and her flushed face, he understood he might have crossed a line. The lingering sensation of the soft touch remained on his hand. He swallowed hard, momentarily lost for words, then finally said, "Why'd you disobey?" and gave her another smack.Wyneth was speechless. After a brief pause, she said with gritted teeth, "Watch out, Hayden! I'll get back at you for this!"Hayden laughed. "Alright, I'll be waiting." And before she knew it, he was carrying her toward his car.In the past, Hayden always pampered Wyneth, letting her have the last word. But now, he seemed upset and was far more assertive. No matter how m