He glanced up at the second-floor window again. Through the sheer curtain, he caught a fleeting glimpse of movement—her silhouette, unmistakably hers.

Then, without hesitation, the heavy curtains were drawn shut. The light vanished. Ernest stared for a moment longer, then exhaled slowly and shook his head with quiet resignation. At least, she was safe and sound.

Morning arrived quietly.

Hadley stirred awake—again too early. Half a sleeping pill wasn’t enough to carry her through the night anymore.

From inside the walk-in closet, she heard a hushed voice. “Alright, I understand… I’ll be right over.” Eric was on the phone with someone.

Hmm? With her eyes still shut, Hadley lay motionless, a faint scowl forming on her lips. Who was he calling? Where was he going this early?

It didn’t take much guessing.

She didn’t move, didn’t make a sound. A few minutes later, she heard the door click shut as Eric left.

Only then did she sit up, reach for her phone, and check the time—just before six.

Eric was nearly tireless in taking care of Linda. Th? link to the orig?n of this information r?sts ?n find?novel.net

There was no point trying to sleep, so she dragged herself to the bathroom. From a bottle labeled “hair conditioner,” she unscrewed the cap and carefully removed a small bottle tucked inside. She snapped a sleeping pill in half and swallowed one piece.

This time, she managed to sleep in. When she awoke again, it was past nine. The rest had helped—she felt a touch less hollow.

While freshening up, her phone rang. It was Elissa.

“Hadley,” she said, her voice apologetic. “I turned off my phone last night and missed your message. I’m sorry.”

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“It’s alright,” Hadley replied, stepping into the closet with her phone pressed to her ear. “Did something happen between you and Ernest?”

Elissa hesitated. “I… I don’t know how to explain it.” Her voice dimmed with emotion. “Would you even call it a quarrel?”

And slowly, in halting detail, she began to recount everything that had unfolded the night before.

Hadley listened in silence—growing more and more shocked with each word.

Ernest and Elissa had that kind of history? Hadley couldn’t quite put a label on it—destiny, maybe? A romance tangled in strange timing and deeper wounds.

She hesitated, searching for the right words. “What are you thinking of doing now?”

“I honestly don’t know,” Elissa admitted quietly. “My head’s a mess. I just need some time to figure things out.”

After the call ended, Hadley slipped out of her room.

“Mommy!” Joy toddled over, her hair a wild tangle of sleep, arms outstretched. “Good morning!”

“Morning, my darling Joy.” Hadley scooped her up with a smile.

“Should Mommy give you a pretty hairstyle today?”

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