Blackmail.

Abigail walked Ethan out of the hospital, requesting a moment of privacy with him. "Ethan, I need to ask you a favor," she said, her voice low and serious. "Please keep this between us. I told Harper that Julian had an accident, but I don't want her or Mason to know the truth."

Ethan nodded in understanding, his expression sympathetic.

Just then, Abigail's phone rang, breaking the silence. Ethan nodded discreetly and stepped away, giving Abigail space to take the call as he walked off.

Abigail arrived at the café, scanning the room until her eyes landed on Caleb, waiting for her around the corner. She cleared her throat and sat down across from him, pausing for a moment before asking, "Why did you ask to meet?" Her voice was slow and cautious.

Caleb's gaze swept over her exhausted face and disheveled appearance, which suggested she hadn't changed clothes in over a day. His expression remained neutral as he handed her a file containing a USB drive. "Here," he said simply.

Abigail's eyes narrowed, her brow furrowing. "What is it?" she asked, her voice tinged with wariness.

Caleb's response was cryptic. "You check it yourself. And don't worry, Johnson will never bother you, your brother, or your friends again." His words hung in the air, leaving Abigail with more questions than answers. Her eyebrows knitted together in confusion.

As Abigail remained silent, Caleb quietly stood up, his movements fluid and deliberate. Without another word, he disappeared into the bustling atmosphere of the café, leaving Abigail alone with the mysterious file.

Abigail returned to the hospital, surprised to find Harper and Mason already in the room. As soon as Harper spotted Abigail, she rushed over, concern etched on her face. "Where did you go? You didn't pick up my calls. Ethan told me that Julian woke up," Harper said, her voice tinged with worry.

Abigail's gaze drifted to Mason, who was peeling an apple, and then to Julian, with whom she exchanged a brief, knowing glance. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, her mind elsewhere.

Harper's voice broke the silence. "Abigail, why don't you go home? I'll stay here with Julian. Don't worry about him."

Abigail hesitated, clearly torn. She didn't want Harper to know about the fight between Julian and Johnson, and the weight of keeping that secret was evident on her face. "No need, I'll stay," Abigail said finally, trying to sound nonchalant.

Harper's expression turned persuasive. "Don't worry, Julian will be fine. Go freshen up and get some proper rest. Mason will open the boutique."

Mason nodded in agreement, but Abigail's hesitation lingered, her eyes darting nervously between Harper and Julian.

Julian sensed his sister's nervousness and reassured her, "I'm fine, Abigail. Go get some rest." Harper watched Abigail's reaction closely, and Abigail nodded slightly, trying to appear nonchalant. She placed the water bottle on the table.

Mason asked, "Brother, did you see the guy who hit you?" Abigail's head snapped up, her eyes locked on Julian's face.

Julian seemed caught off guard for a moment before responding, "Huh?" Harper added, "Did you see his bike? What color was it?" Julian hesitated, acting as if he was trying to remember. "No, I didn't. It was very dark, so..." he trailed off.

Mason turned to Harper, "Why are you asking that? Brother was in pain when the bike hit him. He wouldn't have noticed the color of the bike." Harper snapped, "What do you know?"

Abigail relaxed slightly, realizing that Julian might have sensed that she hadn't told Harper the truth. Julian cleared his throat, interrupting the tense exchange. "Stop arguing, both of you. Let me try some of that apple."

As Harper walked Abigail out of the hospital, she mentioned, "I didn't want to say this in front of Julian, but I registered you for the competition yesterday." Abigail's eyes widened as she suddenly remembered the competition, which had completely slipped her mind.

"Today's competition is at 4 pm," Harper continued. "Go get some rest first. I've already spoken to Ethan, and he'll pick up the fabric from the shop."

Abigail's face lit up with gratitude. "Thank you," she said, smiling.

Harper waved her hand dismissively. "Don't mention it. And don't worry about Julian; he's going to be fine."

Abigail stepped into her apartment, exhausted, and headed straight for the shower. After freshening up, she sat down on her bed and inserted the USB drive Caleb had given her into her laptop. As the files loaded, her eyes widened in shock, and her towel slipped to the ground, forgotten.

On the screen, she saw Harper in compromising positions, partially naked, with multiple videos and photos displayed. Abigail's eyes grew large, and she gasped, "Oh my god!" Her face contorted in anger as she cursed, "Johnson, you bastard!"

She swallowed hard, her mind racing as she realized the implications. Johnson was trying to blackmail Harper, using these explicit videos and photos to coerce her into rekindling their relationship.

Abigail's body jolted as her phone suddenly beeped with an incoming message. The gown competition registration number flashed on the screen, snapping her back to reality. She had been lost in thought, reeling from the shocking contents of the USB drive.

Shaking off her distraction, Abigail quickly removed the USB drive from her laptop and snapped it into multiple pieces. She then walked over to the toilet and flushed the broken fragments down, ensuring that the incriminating evidence was destroyed.

Abigail took a few deep breaths to calm herself down, pushing aside the lingering thoughts of the USB drive's contents. She focused on the upcoming gown competition, dressing in comfortable jeans and a shirt. As she headed downstairs, she was greeted by Ethan, who was waiting for her.

"Get in, I'll drop you off," Ethan said with a smile. Abigail thanked him and slid into the passenger seat.

Ethan glanced at her and offered words of encouragement. "Forget everything else and do your best today." Abigail smiled, her eyes locking onto Ethan's. His smile was warm and reassuring, and for a moment, Abigail felt her worries fade away.