Hayley emerged from the bathroom after her morning bath, making her way back to her room. As she approached the dressing mirror, she noticed that Anna had quietly left, leaving her enveloped in an unexpected sense of solitude. She wondered where Anna had gone this time around. Nonetheless, she exhaled heavily, redirecting her gaze.Taking a seat on the stool in front of the mirror, Hayley gazed at her reflection, her thoughts swirling in a chaotic dance as she drifted into contemplation.The recent events surrounding her had begun to weigh heavily on her mind, and Hayley found herself growing increasingly suspicious every time. While she couldn't identify the exact cause, there was a disconcerting energy emanating from Anna that unsettled her. She couldn't tell if it was the uncanny phone calls that Anna often received during their time together, which she had never answered in Hayley's presence. Moreover, Anna frequently crafted excuses to avoid taking those calls whenever Hayley was
Hayley made her way to Rosalie's office after saying goodbye to Anna in their room. As she walked down the corridor, she felt the curious stares of several artists upon her, but she chose to ignore them, maintaining a composed expression as she continued on her path. Though her exterior remained expressionless, her nerves unraveled within her. Upon reaching Rosalie's office, she released a deep breath she didn't realize she had been holding all along. Regaining her composure, Hayley pressed the doorbell, and it wasn't long before Rosalie responded from inside. Stepping into the office, Hayley felt a surge of excitement as she met Rosalie's welcoming smile. Gently closing the door behind her, she beamed and greeted, "Hello, Mom." "Hayley," Rosalie replied, her smile brightening as she rose from her seat and moved around the desk to embrace Hayley. They shared a warm hug before pulling back. "How are you? You're early today," Hayley teased, settling into the chair in front of the d
Meanwhile, the day prior, at the hospital, Clara and Cassidy remained relentless in their inquiries about Adrian's unexpected amnesia. Cassidy struggled to grasp the reality that her brother had lost five whole years of memories, and it was profoundly disheartening. She couldn't believe it nor could she accept it. "Adrian, this is bad..." Clara said anxiously, her sympathetic gaze fixed on him as she sat by his side.Adrian's brows furrowed in confusion as he shifted his attention between the two women. He was still trying to comprehend who this supposed woman was and what made her so important to them. They seemed to be talking about Hayley a lot."What are you talking about?" He asked. "Who is this woman even? What was my connection to her? Why is she so important?"Exchanging worried glances, Cassidy and Clara felt the weight of his questions. Clara hesitated, contemplating whether to disclose the truth about his past relationship with Hayley. She recognized it was essential for h
Hayley had reached out to Emily the day prior to Emily's visit to Adrian in the hospital, requesting that she see him for her sake. Although Emily initially declined the proposal, given she wasn't familiar with both Adrian and the people surrounding him and also thought it was a bad idea, Hayley’s persistent persuasion eventually convinced her to visit him in her stead. Hayley was unable to visit personally due to her ongoing program commitments, which led her to ask Emily to represent her. Though Emily wondered how she would be able to navigate her way through to his ward, knowing he had his security sister around him always, Hayley had assured her that she had taken care of it all. With that clarity, Emily had eventually decided to pay Adrian a visit on Hayley's behalf, so she could also deliver the gifts Hayley had arranged for him.Now, as Emily approached Adrian's ward, with the guidance of Nurse Essy, her heart raced with anticipation as she was unsure of what to expect. She f
“...GET OUT!!” Cassidy’s voice echoed through the room, shattering its tranquility and drawing all eyes to her. But she didn't care. Her insides bubbled with hatred and annoyance as she locked eyes with Emily. She couldn't help but question herself inwardly how Emily had gotten past Clara and entered the ward.Adrian was confused as he glanced between the two women, wondering what had provoked his sister's rage. However, his main focus shifted back to Emily, who stood silently, her expression devoid of emotion as she faced Cassidy.“Didn’t you hear me? I said you should get out! Right the fuck now before I call the security on you!” Cassidy reiterated, her anger palpable as she advanced toward them. “I heard you loud and clear the first time, Cass,” Emily replied curtly, her voice steady despite the tension she experienced within. Meeting Cassidy hadn't been part of her plans. Regardless, she wouldn't be daunted by her hostility. “But I won’t tolerate being spoken to like that. I was
As Emily glanced at the ornate clock mounted on the wall, she noted it was almost 2 PM. With just a few minutes before she was set to leave and pick Daisy up from school, she recalled that Freya, Daisy's babysitter, had kindly offered to handle that duty for her this time. Letting out a deep sigh of relief, Emily sank comfortably into the couch, clutching a bowl of popcorn as she resolved to leave the matter in Freya's hands. Freya had become a regular visitor in Emily's life ever since Hayley went away, and had reassured Emily about who Freya was. Initially, Emily had been hesitant to trust Freya, harboring doubts about her character. However, as she got to know Freya better, those reservations faded. She recognized Freya's sincerity and noticed how much Daisy also enjoyed her company. Thus, Emily felt confident in entrusting Daisy's safety to her care. While Emily settled on the couch, her eyes were fixed on a show playing on the television, yet her mind wandered back to the events
"Alright, take care of yourself. I'll see you when I get back," Leonardo said as they parted from the hug. Ivy regarded him with a smile and sniffled. "I'm going to miss your troublesome ass. As much as I'd love to come along with you, I'm sorry, but I have a man to reconcile with here. You'd have to do this on your own now, don't screw up! You've already done enough." She corked her brows at him in warning.He chuckled lightly. "Sure. Thanks for the advice." Leonardo nodded curtly with a small smile before redirecting his gaze towards the waiting car."Goodbye, Leonardo." Ivy waved at him.Leonardo was about to enter the car after bidding goodbye to Ivy when his phone rang in his pants pocket. He halted, sliding his hand into it. One glance at it after fishing the device from his pocket told him who the caller was. His brother; Lorenzo.Leonardo was quite surprised to see that Lorenzo was calling him just as he was about to depart. He couldn't help but wonder what his brother wanted
With only two days remaining until the main Artists competition, Hayley had become more determined in her quest for success. Through a blend of talent and fortunate circumstances, she had earned her place among the seventeen semi-finalists who made it from the earlier contest.Currently, her attention was solely focused on the piece she was trying to create but she found it difficult to concentrate as her thoughts wouldn't stop wandering to the conversation she had with Emily the day prior. She was still in disbelief about Adrian's amnesia, which she had confirmed from Nurse Essy. According to the nurse, she affirmed Emily's statement. It wasn't just her that Adrian didn't recall; he also didn't remember Daisy or Leonardo and several employees of his company. It was that bad.Hayley felt a blend of guilt and sympathy stir within her as she dwelled on these thoughts. She felt sorry for him but she mostly blamed herself for what happened to him, despite Emily's reassurances. She wished