Upon hearing Dexter, Wyneth's heart sank. 'He must be really sick,' she thought."Ms. Walford," Dexter began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I kept quiet earlier because Mr. Hamilton wanted me to." He felt guilty about his previous act, realizing she had seen through it. 'Was my acting that terrible? Did I actually think I could fool her?'Seeing Wyneth's uncertainty, Dexter hurried to clarify, "Lately, Mr. Hamilton has been spending more time on set and falling behind on his company work. He's scrambling during breaks, even skipping meals. Before his car accident, he could handle such stress. But now? His health isn't as solid, and I'm worried about him."Wyneth had a hunch about all this. After his accident and coma, his health took a hit. Especially since he jumped right back into work."Ms. Walford," Dexter said quickly, "I'm not pointing fingers. Mr. Hamilton asked me not to say anything, but I felt you should be in the loop. Whatever you think is your call." He finished, scra
As Wyneth finished her scene, her assistant handed her a coat. Slipping it on, she caught snippets of a whispered conversation nearby."Hey, where's Mr. Hamilton today? Doesn't he usually watch Wyneth's scenes?""He went into his office with his assistant earlier and hasn't been out since. He must be busy with something, but he's still on set.""It's strange, though. Almost an hour has passed, and he hasn't made an appearance."Wyneth paused as she buttoned her coat, realizing she had not noticed Hayden's absence while filming her scene. 'Why? Did he leave quietly or is he not feeling well enough to walk?' She walked out, hiding her concern. The murmurs grew louder once she left. Originally planning to go to the makeup room, her concern for Hayden shifted her path. She paused outside his office, then knocked.She had already decided on her approach: first, she would check how he was doing. If he seemed alright, she would ask him to leave. But if he appeared unwell, she would urge
Wyneth and Hayden exchanged glances. "I can't carry you to the hospital," Wyneth said.Hayden mustered a weak smile. "I can walk."She hesitated, clearly seeing he was not alright but said, "Fine."As they prepared to leave, Wyneth handed him a coat, hoping Hayden would wear it. He fumbled with it, so after a moment, Wyneth helped him.'He's this sick and refuses an ambulance?' she wondered, then asked aloud, "How will you manage to walk out like this? If you pass out, we'll end up calling an ambulance, and that would be even more noticeable outside.""I'm good," Hayden replied with a weak look. "If you're really worried, you can help me walk.""Whatever you want," Wyneth said, grabbing the car keys from the table. "Let's go. You can manage."She opened the door. Hayden stood and, despite his weakness, followed her. He was tall, and even though his sickness made his steps uncertain, he stayed close to Wyneth. Wanting to avoid attention, she chose a less-traveled path. She sped u
Wyneth said, "Hang in there a little longer. Once we find the doctor, you can take a break." Then, unsure if Hayden had caught her words, she asked, "Did you hear me?"Hayden gave a soft chuckle. "Yep." Rising to his feet after their brief rest, he felt much better. Though he took some support from Wyneth, it was not much. She braced herself, ready to help."You can lean on me more if you need to," Wyneth offered.Hayden smirked. "I'm not sure you'd manage if I leaned in completely."Wyneth thought she heard a flirty tone in what was a simple comment. She gave him a questioning look. But seeing Hayden's drooping eyes and gaunt face—even with his mask on—she realized how sick he was. He looked really tired, so she doubted he meant to flirt. Shrugging it off, Wyneth continued to help him.Despite their masks, the pair could not hide their striking looks and got many curious glances. Wyneth kept her head low, hoping to avoid recognition. In a crowded spot, Hayden opened his coat wide
Wyneth walked forward, leaning slightly on Hayden. As they moved through the bustling hospital, many eyes were drawn to them. Despite wearing a mask, Hayden's handsome features made him stand out. Some, recognizing him, discreetly snapped pictures. Onlookers also noticed a woman tucked inside Hayden's coat with only the hem of a theatrical costume peeking out. Her face, however, remained hidden.'Stage costume? Is she an actress too?'"Are we there yet?" Wyneth, feeling like she had been under Hayden's coat forever without seeing their path, asked, "Why is it taking so long? You sure you know where we're going?"Hayden smiled slightly. "Yeah, we're almost there.""Oh." Wyneth just kept pace with him.It seemed like an eternity before Wyneth heard Hayden say, "We're here."'We're here?' She cautiously peeked from the coat. Everything was silent around them; it looked like they were alone. Hayden quietly watched her as she took in the surroundings. When their eyes locked, she notic
Wyneth was speechless. 'So it wasn't only Hayden who couldn't recognize me.'"Hey, Hayden," Simeon said, eyeing Wyneth's outfit. "Is she wearing a costume? Is she one of your actresses? When did you guys get such a pretty actress?" Simeon remembered some good-looking performers from Hayden's company, but there was something unique about Wyneth's beauty. Just one look at her, and it felt like the whole room lit up.Hayden did not respond. He looked even more drained after Wyneth mentioned "Simo". 'Why does she sound so friendly with him? Earlier, didn't she just call me by my first name, Hayden?' Trying to keep his composure, he said to Simeon, "I'm here to see you, not to answer a bunch of questions."Simeon, catching on to Hayden's ill appearance, quickly lost his joking mood. "You okay?" He slipped off his lab coat. "Come on, we should get you checked."Hayden turned to Wyneth. "Stay here.""But you're with Simo," Wyneth replied, eyes widening. "I should head back to the set."
Simeon gave Wyneth a once-over and asked with a grin, "Why did you call me Simo? Do we know each other? I don't remember ever meeting someone as beautiful as you."Wyneth rolled her eyes at his comment. "Where's Hayden?" She quickly changed the subject."He's in one of the hospital rooms," Simeon replied.Wyneth frowned. "He's been admitted?" 'This is serious.'"Yeah, he passed out right after we left," Simeon added.Wyneth's face paled. "Passed out? What happened to him?""He had a stomach bleed." Simeon, now relaxed after Hayden was settled, said, "How do you know me?"Growing impatient, Wyneth asked, "Which room is he in?""I'll take you there," Simeon offered.As Wyneth adjusted her face mask and followed him, Simeon teased, "Do you work for Hayden's company? How do you know him? I've never seen him this close to any woman. Do you like him? Or does he like you?"Wyneth was quickly getting tired of Simeon's chatter."Oh, right, why did you call me Simo?"She sighed. "Sim
Wyneth's concern stemmed from the three years Hayden had spent in a coma; she had to watch him in that state every day.Seeing her worried expression, Simeon reassured her, "He's just unconscious right now. He'll come around soon. There's no need to panic.""He had internal bleeding in his stomach and you say 'there's no need to panic'?" Wyneth shot him a displeased look.Simeon replied, "Exactly, there's no need. Catching these issues early is key. With the right hospital care and a few dietary changes afterward, he'll be just fine."Wyneth was still worried, especially remembering how long it took for Hayden to wake up before.Simeon, seeming unaware of the mood, said, "Hey, didn't you mention you were heading out earlier? I can stay with him. You should go."Wyneth rolled her eyes. Instead of snapping at him, she asked, "Aren't you supposed to be working?""Not today. With Hayden in this condition, I arranged for a colleague to cover my shift. I'll be here for anything he nee