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
Wyneth's voice rose with frustration. "Who's saying I've got you wrong? Weren't you the one who forced me into the car and told me I couldn't leave? And in the restroom, didn't you push me against the wall to kiss me? Wasn't it you? You—" Before she could finish, Hayden silenced her with a swift kiss. Wyneth froze. 'Just as I thought! This jerk!' She pulled back, about to yell, "You're such a—" but was cut off again.Hayden did not let her finish. With his hand braced behind her seat, he leaned in, trying to part her lips with his. Wyneth attempted to dodge, but there was little room to escape in the car, leaving her cornered. After a moment, Hayden pulled back, resting his forehead against hers."Got anything else to say?"Wyneth bit her lip, thinking, 'I'll just keep quiet.'Hayden, still close, murmured, "I won't let you go."Wyneth looked up at him, confused. "What do you mean?"Hayden pressed his lips together. "What I mean is, as long as I'm alive, you're mine. If you don't
Inside the elevator, Wyneth wore a blank expression. As she tried to make sense of the situation, Luke spoke up, hoping to explain. Meanwhile, he and Hayden exchanged intense glances. 'This is quite the situation,' Wyneth thought, sighing internally.Ding!The elevator halted, and a chatty group poured in. Noticing them, Luke instinctively lowered his baseball cap. 'So many people...' he thought. Only wearing a cap without sunglasses or a mask, he wondered if he would be recognized.Caught by surprise, Wyneth barely had time to react before Hayden shielded her, arms encircling her. To the crowd, they just looked like a couple, so no one gave them a second glance. Everyone was too engrossed in their animated conversations, clearly enjoying their vacation.Guarded by Hayden, Wyneth picked up bits of the group's chatter, learning they were heading to the rooftop for some event. A sudden bump from someone made Hayden visibly tense. His lips pressed together, and his expression turned m
"Hey, why are you crying?"The guys nearby became flustered at the sight of Wyneth's red eyes, not used to dealing with such situations. They attempted to wipe away her tears, but their coarse fingers only irritated her soft skin, causing her to cry even more. Not knowing how to soothe her, they called over Hayden. Seeing her upset state, Hayden's heart ached."What happened?"Wyneth did not respond, instead turning away from him. Hayden paused, eyeing the group."You guys didn't pick on her, did you?"The roommates quickly defended themselves, "Why would we tease her? She's your treasure, isn't she?""What happened then?" Hayden scooped up a sulking Wyneth as he spoke.The roommates recounted what had happened, concluding with, "She might think you'll leave her behind."Hayden's brows knitted together at this. He gave them a pointed look. "You all been running your mouths too much? Maybe you need more chores to keep you busy?"The guys shifted nervously, expecting Hayden to c
Young Hayden could only sigh and touch her tiny head while denying it."No, it won't happen, so don't overthink it, okay?"Young Wyneth lifted her head."Really? Are you never going to have a girlfriend?"Young Hayden kept quiet."I knew you were lying to me!"Young Hayden quickly said after seeing that she was about to cry again, "I wasn't lying. I promise you that I won't have a girlfriend."He had no choice but to play along with Wyneth. However, he figured that it would not be a big matter because he was not planning to have a girlfriend anyway. He would be busy with work after graduating and would not have time to date.Young Wyneth was finally satisfied when she heard his promise.At that time, she genuinely believed that he would not leave her.However, just like her parents, he abandoned her as well.Wyneth was lost in her memories, thinking about the past. Suddenly, a loud shout snapped her back to reality."Luke Langdon!"A girl was taking a selfie in the elevato