Elissa’s lips parted slightly, the possibility catching her off guard. “Is it really that dangerous?”

“Can you say it isn’t?” he countered, his eyes locked with hers. “You don’t know what might happen next time. None of us do. And Locke… he’s just a child. He needs you whole.”

Then came the final push—subtle, steady, and laced with sincerity. “Elissa, let me take care of you,” he said softly.

Elissa lapsed into contemplative silence.

Ernest’s assessment cut through her defenses with unexpected force, striking at vulnerabilities she had attempted to conceal, even from herself. If his assertions held any truth, her situation was indeed precarious, necessitating protection she could not provide on her own. Yet here she was in Srixby, without a secure refuge—who could she possibly turn to in this hour of need?

Her father? Their strained relationship offered no practical support.

Her grandfather? He lay confined to a hospital bed, fighting his own battles. His fragile health would only worsen if he knew of her predicament, potentially derailing any progress he had made in his recovery.

Friends? The question itself revealed its painful answer.

Throughout her extended stay in Srixby, confined within the walls of her joyless marriage, meaningful connections had eluded her. Only Hadley had managed to break through her solitude, the sole true friendship Elissa had managed to nurture.

Yet despite their genuine bond, something within Elissa recoiled at the idea of burdening Hadley with her troubles. Hadley had her own complex life to navigate. True friendship, after all, was not meant to be a repository for one’s crises.

The inevitable conclusion weighed heavily on her.

Elissa’s gaze fixed upon Ernest’s face, her expression betraying the disorientation sweeping through her. Ernest’s evaluation of her circumstances rang disturbingly true as he spoke plainly. “Elissa, your situation requires my intervention.”

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A brief spasm passed over Elissa’s forehead. Despite the momentary wavering of her resolve, rejection formed on her lips. “No, such measures are unnecessary. The severity of it likely exists only in your imagination. Merely an isolated incident—excessive concern serves no purpose.”

“Elissa—” His voice carried a note of urgent warning.

“Further discussion is unnecessary.” Her tone left no room for argument.

Ernest tried to overcome her resistance, but Elissa remained steadfastly impervious to his reasoning. “The hour grows late. I shall not disturb Locke’s evening routine. Tomorrow will suffice for a visit. For now, I will leave.” Recognizing the immovable wall of her determination, Ernest reluctantly abandoned his persuasive efforts.

As darkness enveloped the world, Elissa’s unconscious mind once again betrayed her.

Dawn arrived, bringing with it the insistent chiming of the doorbell, forcibly dragging Elissa from the depths of slumber.

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She cast aside the bedclothes with irritable haste and propelled herself upright, only to have her legs collapse beneath her weight, sending her lurching dangerously forward.

“Ah!” The exclamation escaped involuntarily, raw with surprise and pain. The agonized sound tore from her throat as her hand shot out, desperately clutching the nearby chair to prevent a complete collapse.

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