No matter what Linda did, the weight of what she had once given would always tip the scale. The Flynn brothers might confront her, but they would never truly hold her accountable.

“I’m sorry, Hadley,” Ernest said softly, the apology almost lost beneath his sigh. “Going forward, I’ll take full responsibility for anything related to Linda. I want you and Eric to focus on your own lives—no more interference from her.”

Rising to his feet, he took a step toward her. “Hadley,” he said, looking her straight in the eye. “Those four years you suffered… I can never undo them. But I can say this—I’m sorry. Deeply, truly sorry.” Follow current nov?ls on find?novel.net

Without another word, Ernest lowered his head and bowed. It was a silent gesture, heavy with guilt, failure, and regret.

“No, Ernest!” Hadley shot to her feet, rushing forward to steady him. “Please don’t do that!”

Having grown up under the Flynn family’s roof, she couldn’t accept such a formal apology, not from him.

“Hadley,” Ernest said gently, his tone filled with sincerity. “I know you’re no longer in need financially… but when you and Eric marry, the Flynn family will still honor you properly. You’ll have a wedding worthy of you—elegant and unforgettable. That I can promise.”

Her lips trembled. “Ernest…” she whispered, her voice cracking as tears spilled freely down her cheeks.

“If you need someone to blame, then let it be me,” he said firmly. “If this leads to a split between you and Eric… and if something happens to him because of it, I’ll never be able to live with that.”

The memory of Linda’s wild, spiteful expression flashed in his mind, and his shoulders slumped with a weary sigh.

“Everything Linda said—she let it out just to get under your skin. That’s all it was. If she comes back with more, don’t give her the satisfaction of believing a single word. Not one word. And if you and Eric truly fall apart because of this, that’s exactly what she’s hoping for. That’s her endgame. You have to see that, Hadley. Please, don’t let her win.”

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The emergency room doors burst open just as the doctor came out.

“Doctor!” Both Ernest and Hadley froze and rushed to meet him. “Please tell me my brother’s alright,” Ernest said, his voice tight with worry.

“There’s no need to panic. Mr. Scott is safe for now.” Still, the doctor’s uneasy look told a different story.

“The fainting spell was triggered by intense emotional stress, which caused his blood vessels to dilate,” the doctor said, eyeing them carefully. “I don’t know what led to it, but he can’t go through something like this again.”

He spoke with added weight this time. “We were lucky. There wasn’t any internal bleeding, but luck won’t always be on your side.”

A heavy breath escaped the doctor. “Mr. Scott is stable at the moment. Once he regains consciousness, you can take him home.”

“Thanks, doctor.”

“We appreciate everything you’ve done.”

Once the doctor walked away, Ernest and Hadley exchanged a glance. Both were still rattled, the fear not yet out of their system.

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