“I’ll go to work. There’s too much piled up to ignore,” he said.

“Okay.” Hadley gave him a small smile. “Just don’t forget—your health comes first. Take breaks when you can.”

“Anything you say, I’ll do.”

Together, they left the emergency room and got into the waiting car.

As the vehicle rolled forward, Hadley remained silent, her eyes fixed on the scenery rushing past the window. Eric reached over and took her hand gently.

Silence stretched between them.

Hadley’s lashes fluttered briefly before her eyes drifted shut, heavy with exhaustion and memory.

One by one, the moments from those four years in Blathe resurfaced—faint, flickering, and unkind. Official source is FιndNovel.net

“Hadley.” Eric leaned closer, drawing her against him, his arm wrapping around her shoulders.

He spoke in a low voice, just above a whisper. “I mean it. I’m sorry… for everything.”

Apologies like his couldn’t undo the hurt she had carried all this time. Still, he had nothing else to give her but those few words.

Not a single sound came from Hadley.

Her eyes remained shut. Though they brimmed with tears, none dared to fall.

There was a time when Eric couldn’t be bothered to care about her.

She had endured everything in silence, choosing loyalty to the Flynn family over her own pride, never daring to consider revenge—even in her weakest moments.

Eventually, it seemed like she had finally found a place in his heart. But he was never hers alone.

A part of his heart would always remain with Linda.

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The saddest part? Hadley couldn’t even complain about it. She understood all too well—she couldn’t rewrite the sequence of people who had entered Eric’s life. And what he owed Linda… that was a burden he would carry forever.

Even now, if she longed to make things right, she knew it would be futile. No outcome would bring her peace.

This was where they stood now.

Too many wounds remained, festering between them, unspoken and unresolved.

Was it even possible to move forward together and pretend the past hadn’t left its scars?

Perhaps the kindest conclusion for both of them was to let go and walk away.

Still, Eric wasn’t well.

Progress had been made with his treatment, but the fact remained—he fainted again today.

Hadley couldn’t shake the doctor’s warning from her thoughts. It clung to her like a shadow.

Freedom had never been hers. Whether someone loved her or not, she had always lived within the boundaries others drew for her.

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