?Chapter 1222:


    Within the given deadline, she transferred the money to the ount the ckmailer had provided. The next day, a package arrived for her. Inside was a small SD card. She plugged it into herptop—and there it was. Image after image. Every photo was of her and Duran. But it didn’tfort her. She knew better. There were definitely more copies. This couldn’t be all of it.


    And that wasn’t the only thing bothering her. Who was this person? The photos were taken near Gnt. That meant it had to be someone who was either part of the staff… or a patron. On the surface, it seemed like a straightforward case of ckmail for money. But if that were true… it likely wouldn’t end here. Hadley knew better than to think this was a one-time demand. Greed didn’t stop. It only grew. She stared at the screen, jaw tight. When would Erneste back?


    The next morning, in the quiet hospital room, Eric was jolted awake by the vibration of his phone. He turned his head toward the bed. Joy was still fast asleep, curled beneath the nket. Sliding out of bed carefully, he stepped into the adjoining room and answered the call. “Hello?” It was Phillips—his tone edged with urgency. “Mr. Flynn!” Phillips’ voice crackled through the phone, tense and urgent. “You need to check the online news—right now!”


    Eric rubbed at his eyes, still half-asleep. “What?” he asked, confused. “Alright, hold on.”


    He didn’t hang up. Instead, he pulled up Twitter. And just like that, the fog cleared from his mind.


    Hadley’s name was everywhere. “Hadley—Infamous Before the Fame?”


    “Scandal After Scandal: What Is Hadley Hiding?”


    “Hadley and Her Ex—True Love or Just Temporary Heat?”


    Eric’s brows knitted tight as he scrolled through the headlines and clicked on one popr article, his expression growing darker with every line.


    Just like Hadley had when she first saw them, Eric instantly recognized the blurred figure in the photos. Even with the pixtion, there was no mistaking him. It was Duran.


    He’d seen the man with his own eyes—there was no doubt.


    Before Eric could process what to do next, the hospital room door eased open.


    Hadley stepped in, carrying breakfast in her hands. She wore a soft smile, her voice light as she greeted him. “Morning.”


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    Eric looked up at her, momentarily speechless. “Morning…” he replied slowly, his lips barely moving, his Adam’s apple rising and falling with the weight of what he had just found out. From the calm in her eyes and the lightness in her smile, it was clear—she didn’t know yet.


    “Hadley…” Eric hesitated, his eyes locked on her face, struggling to find the right words.


    Her smile faded. His expression was too serious.


    “What’s wrong? Something happened?” she asked.


    He nodded, the weight of the truth too heavy to conceal.


    With a sigh, he held out his phone. “See for yourself.”


    Hadley leaned over, and with a single nce at the hashtags, her body went rigid.


    She snatched the phone from his hand and stared at the screen.


    Her face went pale, horror etched into every line.


    “How could this happen? I followed what they said…”


    “Hadley?” Eric frowned, unsettled by her reaction. “Did you know about these photos?”


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