Truth be told, Hannah’s declaration the night before hadn’t truly registered with him in the heat of the moment. However, once he’d returned home (the event organisers insisting that it was best he forget about presenting the award and just attend to his bruises), taken off the torn shirt and started seeing the coverage flood in, the scuffle completely overshadowing the event itself, the reality of the situation began to settle in.

The fact that Hannah might be serious about what she said didn’t sit well with Ward. After all, his intentions had been pure – he knew she was being roughed up by Kendrick and he’d swooped in to defend her. That guy was bad news.

But what if yet again he had misread the situation? he wondered now. What if what went down was simply a private matter, a heated exchange between a couple in a relationship – and it really was none of his business? And his jealousy toward Kendrick had maybe distorted his perception.

Nah, he wasn’t stupid. Ward knew a narc when he saw one and could only hope that Hannah saw it now too.

It wasn’t like Ward hadn’t tried calling her at least ten times since. And while he was trying to play it cool on the outside, now as he sat here in his agent’s office being admonished, he had to admit that he was worried.

Not necessarily about the intense public scrutiny or potential aftermath, but that he had ruined his relationship with Hannah. That there was a real possibility that she truly had washed her hands of him this time and might well go back to Kendrick regardless. That he had got it all completely and terribly wrong.

Again.

The thought made him feel sick.

‘Oh, well isn’t that just the freakin’ cherry on top … ’ exclaimed Bernie, throwing his hands up in the air and bringing Ward back into the present. ‘And after all of the good work she did. Jesus, do you have any self-awareness at all? Are you able to even fathom that your actions have consequences?’

‘Of course I do,’ he retorted, jumping out of his chair defensively. ‘I just couldn’t stand by and let her be roughed up like a ragdoll, OK? She doesn’t deserve that, don’t you get it? She’s special, Bernie. She’s—’

Emotion was thick in his voice and Ward’s impassioned reaction was not lost on Bernie, who had known his client for more years than he could honestly remember. And now recognition dawned.

‘Aw crap,’ Bernie said, shaking his head. ‘Why didn’t I see this before? That’s it, isn’t it? You have something going on with Hannah? This is all some crazy love triangle shit, isn’t it?’