“Why…” Hadley whispered in a shaky voice.

Linda’s lips curved into a slow, triumphant smile. “Why now? I already told you. Because Eric knows.”

Hadley stared at her, stunned. The words echoed in her mind. She flinched again.

Of course. Linda had already said that.

Hadley’s thoughts tumbled backward, sorting through fragments she hadn’t made sense of before. Her lips parted. Her voice barely came out. “When… when did he find out?”

“Well…” Linda raised her hand and examined her fresh manicure, her tone light, almost amused. “He’s known for a while now. Well before they found the clot in his head, if I remember right…” It had already been some time.

Hadley’s fingers curled into fists. A cold heaviness settled in her chest. Her body began to tremble. So he’d known. All along.

She shut her eyes, trying to retrace the moments. When had he learned?

Of course.

Her lips curved into a faint, bitter smile.

Back then, she’d noticed the shift—how strangely Eric had acted around Linda.

She’d asked him if something was wrong. He brushed it off like nothing. Now she understood. It was because he had learned the truth about the living expenses.

And he never said a word. He carried it in silence, pretending like he didn’t know.

Hadley’s chest ached, the pain sharp—like needles burrowing deep.

“Hadley.” Linda’s voice cut through the fog, sharp and deliberate.

She tilted her chin, smiling with slow, smug satisfaction.

“You only accepted him because you believed he didn’t know. That was your comfort, wasn’t it?”

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She gave a bitter chuckle. “Maybe he hadn’t, but he does now. And yes—it was me. I’m the one who cut you off. I hated you. I really, truly did.”

Her eyes flashed—wild and seething.

“From the moment you stepped into the Flynn family, I couldn’t stand the sight of you. Everything they had—it should’ve been mine. I’m the one who deserved it all. The name. The attention. The life.”

Her voice wavered with fury. The hatred was thick enough to choke on.

She leaned forward, her gaze narrowing into a sneer. “And you? What are you? Some stray they pitied and took in? You live on scraps. You think that makes you my equal? Pathetic.”

Hadley stood tall, her gaze steady. This wasn’t unfamiliar. She’d seen Linda like this before—bitter, venomous, hollowed out by envy.

This was the Linda Harris she had always known. And this—this was Linda’s true nature.

“So you’ve dropped the act,” Hadley said quietly. Her voice was low, but it cut like glass. “No more pretending. Just the truth now?”

“Hmm?” Linda paused—and then let out a sharp laugh. “Ha! Yes, this is me. What can you do about it?” She leaned back with a shrug, smug and unapologetic. “You think Eric doesn’t know?” Her smile widened, unconcerned.

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