Chapter 7
Hadley stood frozen for a long moment, staring at the card in her hand.
Her mind raced, emotions colliding in a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief.
Eric Flynn — the man who had abandoned her, accused her, humiliated her.
Now, he was offering his help, his protection. His admiration.
Hadley felt a bitter laugh rising in her throat.
She didn’t need his help. She didn’t need anyone. She was better than that.
But the truth gnawed at her.
The part of her that still burned with anger at his betrayal. The part of her that missed the connection they’d once shared, even if it had been broken by lies and secrets.
She wasn’t ready to face that.
The following weeks passed in a blur for Hadley.
Her career soared as Phoenix Entertainment made their investment public, pushing her into the spotlight. Modeling contracts. Endorsements. Even acting roles.
Hadley was everywhere.
But despite her success, something felt off. She had reached the peak of everything she had ever dreamed of — but the joy wasn’t there.
The emptiness never quite left.
She couldn’t stop thinking about Eric.
But she pushed it aside.
She had to.
Meanwhile, Eric was still a constant presence in her world — even if it was in the shadows.
From a distance, he watched her rise, staying out of her way, honoring her wishes.
But that didn’t mean he was done trying.
He’d given her space.
Now, it was time for him to get involved — quietly, carefully.
Everything changed the night the scandal broke.
It started as a rumor, something small, whispered in the darker corners of the press.
Then, it exploded.
Images. A video.
The past Hadley thought she had buried came crashing back into her life.
A woman from her past — someone Hadley had never expected to see again — came forward with accusations.
The woman claimed Hadley had stolen everything from her.
The photos were damning — showing Hadley at a low point in her life, before she reinvented herself, before she became the woman the world now adored.
The media latched on like sharks.
A smear campaign was born.
They painted her as ruthless.
A woman who used anyone and everyone to climb to the top.
And they didn’t stop there. They dug deeper. The scandal spread faster than Hadley could keep up.
Her name was dragged through the mud.
The worst part?
There were whispers that the woman wasn’t acting alone.
The next morning, Hadley woke to dozens of missed calls.
Her phone buzzed relentlessly as the news outlets flooded her notifications. She opened her social media, her stomach sinking with each new comment, each headline.
She had worked so hard to get here. To build something real.
Now, everything she had was slipping through her fingers.
Her manager called — frantic, telling her to stay out of the public eye.
“Don’t give them anything to feed on,” he urged. “Lay low. We’ll handle it.”
But Hadley knew.
The damage had been done.
She couldn’t stay hidden forever. She had no choice but to face the media storm head-on.
As she sat there, reading the accusations, her mind went back to the night she had crossed paths with Eric again.
He had warned her.
But she wouldn’t call him.
Not yet.
She would fight this on her own.
Hours later, as she prepared to leave for a scheduled interview, there was a knock at her door.
Hadley opened it to find a familiar face standing in front of her.
Eric.
He didn’t say anything at first. He just stood there, looking at her with a mix of concern and resolve.
Hadley didn’t invite him in. Instead, she crossed her arms and leveled her gaze.
“What do you want, Eric?” she asked quietly.
“I want to help,” he said. “I know this is all a mess. And I know you don’t want me anywhere near it. But you’re not alone in this.”
She shook her head, almost laughing. “I’m not alone in this? You—”
“Listen,” he interrupted, stepping forward. “I didn’t know who was behind it, but I know it’s not just some random woman from your past. Someone’s orchestrating this. Someone who wants to bring you down.”
Hadley’s breath caught.
She hadn’t thought of that.
Eric’s voice softened.
“I don’t expect you to trust me. I don’t even expect you to want my help. But I can use the resources I have to protect you. To stop this before it goes any further.”
She stared at him for a long moment, the weight of his offer sinking in.
She wanted to fight this on her own, but deep down, she knew she couldn’t.
Not without help.
Not without him.
With a heavy heart, Hadley sighed and stepped aside, gesturing for him to come in.
“If you’re serious about this,” she said, “then you need to figure out who’s behind it. Who wants me destroyed.”
Eric nodded.
“I will.”
But there was more he didn’t say. More that lay behind his eyes — more than just a desire to protect her.
It was a promise.
A promise that he would do anything to make up for the past.
Even if it meant crossing dangerous lines.
That night, Eric began pulling strings — using his connections, his influence.
He would find out who was trying to ruin Hadley’s life.
And once he did, nothing would stop him from bringing them to justice.
But what he didn’t realize was that the shadow behind the scandal was closer than he thought.
And soon, it wouldn’t just be Hadley’s career on the line.
It would be her life.