Frighten her? Ernest’s jaw tightened. In his mind, it was Elissa’s lingering ties to her ex-husband that left him unsettled, a thorn of unease pricking at his heart.
“Fine,” he conceded, his brows knitting together as he withdrew his hand with a nod. “Then Hadley can stay with you.”
He gestured toward the corridor with a subtle sweep of his hand. “There is nothing here worth lingering for. Let’s go.”
“Okay,” Hadley replied, her voice calm but firm. She gave Elissa’s arm a gentle tug and murmured, “Shall we?”
“Yes,” Elissa whispered, her eyes downcast as she nodded, resignation settling over her like a heavy cloak. What choice did she have? The path forward felt as inevitable as the tide.
They left the hospital and slipped into the car.
Elissa clung to Hadley’s hand, her eyes rimmed with crimson and glistening with unshed tears. She bit her lip, her voice barely a whisper, quivering with suppressed emotion.
“He has crossed a line!”
“I know…” Hadley sighed, her nod heavy with understanding. “I didn’t know Ernest had this side to him.”
In Hadley’s memory, Ernest had always been a paragon of grace and charm, his words as warm as a summer breeze, his demeanor polished to perfection.
He was nothing like Eric, whose temper flared like a storm, unpredictable and raw.
Yet, it seemed the calmer the facade, the more jarring the revelation of what lay beneath.
Hadley’s brow creased as she let out another sigh. “What is your take on the situation now?”
“My take?” Elissa echoed, a wry smile tugging at her lips, tinged with bitterness. “You’ve seen Robin’s state. I can’t add to his burdens.” Whatever Ernest desired, Elissa felt bound to comply, no matter how unreasonable his demands appeared.
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“And…” Hadley’s voice softened, laced with concern and a touch of sorrow. “What about your feelings for Ernest? Where do you stand with him now?”
“I don’t know,” Elissa admitted, her voice heavy with anguish and uncertainty. “I lean on him, that much is true, but the Ernest I thought I knew… he is only part of the man he is.”
She shut her eyes for a fleeting moment, as if to block out the turmoil. “I’m not sure if a bond like ours can truly endure.”
Hadley fell silent, at a loss for words. Chapters first released on F?ndNovel.net
Her thoughts drifted to Linda, still confined to the hospital.
Perhaps, Hadley mused, she and Elissa were fated to tread a path far from the light of untroubled joy.
Suddenly, the car slowed, easing to a stop by the roadside.
“What is happening?”
Hadley and Elissa exchanged bewildered glances before peering out the window, curiosity mingling with unease.
Outside, Ernest leaned down and rapped gently on the car window. “Hadley,” he called, his voice smooth yet tinged with urgency.
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