Love in a spotlight

"Hey!" Johnson barked, signaling his men to move in. But they hesitated, exchanging uneasy glances with Caleb, Barron, and Gabriel.

Johnson's face turned redder with rage. "What's wrong with you?" he spat.

One of his men approached him, whispering something in his ear. Johnson's expression faltered, and he shot Caleb a wary glance.

"Shit," Johnson muttered, his confidence deflating.

With a last, venomous look at Abigail, Venessa, and Harper, Johnson turned and stormed off, his men following closely behind.

The moment Johnson stormed off, Abigail's legs gave out, and she began to faint. But Caleb was swift to react, turning just in time to catch her in his arms.

He held her close, his eyes filled with concern. "Abigail, are you okay?" he whispered, his voice soft and gentle.

Abigail's eyes slowly fluttered open, and she gazed up at the white ceiling. She tried to sit up, but a wave of dizziness washed over her, forcing her to pause. As she struggled to regain her bearings, her gaze fell upon the syringe still clutched in her hand.

A familiar voice broke the silence, and Abigail turned to her left. Caleb was sitting beside her, his eyes fixed on her face as he held a phone in his hand.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his brow furrowed with concern.

Abigail's voice was barely above a whisper. "Y-Yes." She looked around the room, trying to remember what had happened. "Where's Harper?" she asked, a hint of worry creeping into her voice.

Caleb's expression turned slightly annoyed, and he stood up, towering over her. "You should worry about yourself right now," he said, his tone firm but gentle.

"Don't worry, my friend sent them home," Caleb reassured her.

Just then, the door burst open, and Ethan and Julian rushed in, their faces etched with worry.

"Are you alright?" Julian exclaimed, rushing to his sister's side and enveloping her in a tight hug.

Abigail smiled weakly, trying to reassure him. "I'm fine," she said.

Ethan turned to Caleb, a look of gratitude on his face. "I think I've seen you before. Thank you so much for taking Abigail to the hospital today," he said, his voice sincere.

Caleb nodded humbly, his expression stoic.

Julian stood up, echoing his friend's thanks. "I'm Julian, Abigail's brother," he said, extending his hand. "Thank you for taking care of my sister."

Abigail watched the exchange, a hint of confusion on her face. "It was not a big deal," she said, waving her hand dismissively. "Why are you guys acting so weird?"

Barron, the doctor in charge, walked into the room, his eyes widening slightly as he took in the gathering of men. However, he quickly composed himself, maintaining his professional demeanor.

He approached Abigail's bedside, his eyes scanning her face. "Please, take rest properly. I think you've been working too hard and not getting enough sleep," he advised, his tone gentle but firm.

"Thank you, Doctor," Abigail replied, her voice weak but grateful.

Barron smiled. "You can call me by my name. I'm a good friend of Caleb's," he said, glancing at Caleb, who shot him a warning look, as if cautioning him not to reveal too much.

Caleb excused himself and stepped out of the hospital building, his phone ringing as he walked. He answered, speaking in hushed tones for a few minutes before hanging up.

As he turned, he saw Gabriel getting out of a car, a mischievous grin spreading across his face.

"Hey, man! Why didn't you tell me you had a girlfriend?" Gabriel asked, his eyes sparkling with amusement.

Caleb's expression turned tired, his eyes rolling in exasperation. "She's not my girlfriend," he muttered.

Gabriel's grin widened. "Oh, really? Then why didn't you introduce us? What's her name... Abigail?"

Just as Gabriel spoke, a voice from the side repeated the name. "Abigail?"

Caleb turned to see Julian standing beside him, his eyes fixed intently on Caleb's face. The air seemed to vibrate with tension as Julian's gaze bore into Caleb's.

Ethan walked up to the counter to settle the hospital bills, but the receptionist surprised him with a smile. "It's already been taken care of," she said.

Ethan nodded, intrigued, and walked back to Abigail's room. "Hey, someone's already paid the hospital bill," he told her.

Abigail nodded, a hint of curiosity on her face, but didn't ask any questions.

Together, they walked out of the hospital building and made their way to the parking lot, where Julian was waiting for them in Ethan's car.

Abigail pulled out her phone and dialed Venessa's number. "Hey, how's Harper?" she asked, relief washing over her as Venessa reassured her that Harper was fine.

Venessa, in turn, asked about Abigail's health, and Abigail quickly calmed her friend's worries.

As soon as Abigail hung up the call, Julian spoke up from the driver's seat. "Is the guy who brought you to the hospital a good man?" he asked, his eyes watching Abigail's reflection in the rearview mirror.

"Yes," Abigail replied simply.

That night, Abigail lay awake, her mind racing with worries. She couldn't shake the feeling that Harper might still be in danger, that Johnson's threats might not be empty. Despite her exhaustion, sleep eluded her, her thoughts consumed by concern for her friend's safety.

The next morning, Harper arrived at Abigail's place, her eyes red-rimmed from crying. As soon as she saw Abigail, she burst into tears, overcome with emotion.

Abigail quickly reassured her that she was fine, but Harper couldn't shake off the guilt and worry that had been plaguing her.

As Harper calmed down, Abigail gently asked, "Harper, what's really going on between you and Johnson? You can tell me the truth."

Harper hesitated, her voice barely above a whisper. "Johnson's been threatening to cancel Mason's scholarship if I don't get back together with him. And... and he said he'll tell our parents and your friends about our secret vacation to Malaysia if I don't comply."

I'll figure something out. Don't worry, Abigail. I won't let that jerk bring you down," Haper said, determination etched on her face.