Eric shrugged off his jacket and handed it to the maid. The maid offered a warm smile and motioned inside. “Miss Pearson and Miss Joy are in the dance room.”

“Alright.” He gave a brief nod and shifted his steps toward the dance room.

At Silver Villas, he’d had a special dance room set up for Hadley, where she was with Joy at that moment.

Joy was still quite young, so Hadley was keeping things light, teaching her only the simplest moves.

Especially after Joy’s recent surgery, it was more about play than precision.

Eric stopped just outside the door, listening to the bright giggles and the soft rhythm of Hadley’s voice mingling with their daughter’s laughter. A quiet smile curved his lips.

He knocked once. “I’m coming in.”

As he stepped inside, Joy rushed toward him with open arms. “Daddy!”

“Hey there, sweetheart.” Eric’s face lit up as he scooped the little girl up. “Whoa, you’re all sweaty.”

“Mommy says sweating is good,” Joy replied cheerfully, then pointed toward Hadley. “She’s sweating a lot too!”

Hadley approached, her movements fluid, and gently took Joy from his arms. “I’ve got her. She needs a bath and a fresh set of clothes, or she might catch a chill.”

“Alright,” Eric said softly, watching her closely.

Lately, she’d been this way—present in body, but distant in spirit.

“Let’s go,” Hadley murmured, wiping Joy’s damp forehead. “Time to get cleaned up, little one.”

She moved past Eric without so much as a glance in his direction.

By the time Hadley and Joy came back downstairs, freshly bathed and dressed, the sky had deepened into twilight, and the rich aroma of dinner filled the air.

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“I’m hungry!” Joy declared, rubbing her tiny belly. Her little legs moved quickly across the floor as she made a beeline for the dining room.

“Hurry, Mommy! Daddy’s waiting so we can eat!”

“I’m coming,” Hadley replied with a soft chuckle, trailing after her. The source of th?s content is find·novel·net

Inside the dining room, Eric scooped Joy up and gently settled her into her high chair, while Hadley took the seat across from their daughter.

Eric sat between them, perfectly positioned to tend to both mother and child.

“This is way too much pasta,” Hadley murmured as she looked down at her plate, brows knitting slightly.

“Then let me help,” Eric said casually, reaching over to take her plate. He spooned a generous portion onto his own and asked, “What about now? Think you can manage?”

“There’s still a bit too much.” Hadley hesitated, unsure.

“Just eat what you can.” He handed the plate back with an easy smile. “It’s not that much now. Whatever you don’t finish, I’ll take care of.”

Hadley didn’t respond. She simply bowed her head and began eating quietly.

“Oh, by the way…” Eric said after a moment, placing a bit of food on her plate. “I’ll need to make a quick trip to the Flynn Mansion later.”

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