?Chapter 2117:


    Cristian had been Eric’s friend for years and had known Hadley for quite some time as well, so addressing her by her first name felt perfectly natural and appropriate.


    “Mr. Haywood,” Hadley replied with polite courtesy, though confusion still clouded her features. “Good evening. It’s ratherte for a visit. Is there something important you need?”


    “Well…” Cristian shot another pointed re at Eric, muttering under his breath, “Terrible choice in friends.”


    Hadley felt even more bewildered by this strange exchange.


    “Come on!” Eric scolded yfully. “Hurry up! It’ste, and you shouldn’t keep Hadley from getting her much-needed sleep!”


    “Yeah! Right,” Cristian gritted his teeth, forcing a smile while secretly seething withint. He muttered under his breath, “Just because Hadley needs sleep! I just stepped off a ne and could desperately use some sleep myself!”


    Hadley caught fragments of his muttering and asked, “Mr. Haywood, what did you say?”


    “What? Well…” Cristian quickly stered on a bright smile andughed awkwardly, “No, nothing at all, I was just humming a tune!”


    “Alright…” Hadley remained puzzled, leaning closer to whisper to Eric, “Mr. Haywood seems rather odd tonight.”


    “Just ignore him,” Eric said, slipping his arm protectively around her as they walked inside. “He’s just a single guy struggling to find a partner, so he has developed some peculiar entricities. Keep walking. Watch your step.”


    “Okay,” Hadley replied softly.


    Behind them, Cristian stoodpletely speechless.


    He red at Eric’s retreating back, thinking bitterly that having a partner didn’t make someone superior. Cristian was certain that Eric was nothing but a simp—and a thoroughly desperate one at that.


    Inside the warmly lit house, Eric gently guided Hadley toward thefortable sofa. “Hadley, pleasee sit down.”


    Hadley’s curiosity sparked immediately. “What for?”


    “Come on, Hadley,” Cristian said with a teasing smile. “If this wasn’t about you, I certainly wouldn’t be here at such ate hour.”


    Hadley turned to Eric with questioning eyes. “What’s going on?”


    “Don’t worry about it, you’ll find out soon enough,” Eric reassured her.


    Across from them, Cristian clicked open his leather briefcase, withdrew a thick stack of official documents, and carefullyid them out in front of Hadley. He wasted no time getting straight to business.


    “Hadley, please look over these documents carefully. If everything appears to be in order, simply sign them, and I’ll handle all the remaining details.”


    Hadley gazed down at the intimidating papers spread across the coffee table before her. “What exactly are these documents?”


    “Let me put this simply…” Cristian cleared his throat. “I’ve been entrusted by Mr. Scott to draft these documents ording to his wishes. If anything happens to him, you’ll be the primary heir to all his assets, with your daughter as the secondary heir, having management and usage rights.”


    He extended an expensive pen toward her. “If there are no issues, please sign each document. They all require your signature.”


    .


    .


    .