Chapter 405

"What's going on here?" Brian asked Grace directly. He seemed to trust her account implicitly.

"One of the lunchboxes I delivered today contained a bug," Grace explained. "They refused to pay for the food and demanded $5,000 in compensation from the restaurant. I thought the police should be involved, but they discovered I was recording our conversation, and a conflict erupted."

"A recording?" Brian raised an eyebrow. "May I listen to it?"

The crew's faces paled at Brian's request. After listening, his expression darkened. He realized the crew members had attempted to blackmail Grace, leading to the confrontation.

The director, assistant director, and production assistant, witnessing this, also understood the situation. Their faces fell. The incident's publicity would deeply embarrass the film crew.

"Miss," the director said, "I apologize on behalf of the crew. If you require any compensation, please let us know."

"No, thank you," Grace replied. "It's enough that everyone understands. However, I don't want them to harass our restaurant again." She knew a major incident would harm her business and preferred to resolve the matter quietly.

"Of course, of course!" the director repeated, glancing at Brian to gauge his satisfaction.

Grace turned to leave; her delivery route awaited. She'd only taken two steps when Brian pulled her arm. She stopped, a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes. "Anything else, Mr. Hart?"

Brian appeared slightly confused, looking at his hands as if surprised by his own action. It seemed he couldn't bear to see her go. He longed to spend more time with her, even in simple companionship. He could usually control his feelings, but her presence intensified his desire to remain near her. Even witnessing the earlier attempted assault had ignited anger and fear; he'd felt protective and a desire for retribution. He couldn't bear to see her harmed.

"Nothing," he said, kneeling. "It's justyour shoelace is loose." He carefully retied the lace of her left shoe.

A gasp rippled through the crowd—the film crew and even the fans outside the fence. They all recognized Brian, the entertainment industry's crown prince—more famous than many celebrities. Many secretly wondered which woman had captured his heart.