“Understood, Miss Pearson,” the housekeeper replied.

The rest of the day passed without incident, like any other. She stayed by Joy’s side the entire time, their routine undisturbed.

After dinner, Eric still hadn’t returned. Even after Joy had fallen asleep, there was no sign of him.

It wasn’t like him at all. No matter how busy his schedule was, he always made time for Joy.

Hadley knew why.

It had to be what Colleen told him. Whatever it was, it had taken root. Just then, the housekeeper approached with measured steps.

“Miss Pearson, Mr. Brown just called. He said Mr. Scott won’t be coming home tonight. He asked us to pack some of Mr. Scott’s clothes and his medication, and then send them to the office. He also said you might prefer to handle Mr. Scott’s clothes yourself.”

That last part didn’t surprise her. Eric was notoriously particular. He hated it when anyone touched his things.

He wouldn’t be coming home tonight?

Hadley stood still, letting the words sink in. Then, at last, she gave a quiet nod. “Alright.”

She turned and made her way to his room. Inside the walk-in closet, she pulled out a small suitcase and began selecting a few sets of clothes.

When she reached for the row of shirts, her hand froze in place.

This one…

Hadley stared at the shirt. A wave of familiarity swept over her. She brought it closer, and her eyes began to blur.

It was a simple light-colored shirt. The cotton fabric was plain. The stitching wasn’t perfect. There was nothing luxurious about it. She had sewn it by hand ten years ago and gifted it to Eric. Every thread was stitched with care. Back then, it was the best gift she could think of. To her surprise, it had been kept in pristine condition, sealed inside a clear garment bag. When she unzipped it, the shirt looked untouched by time.

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Hadley bit her lip and blinked hard. She never thought he would have kept it, let alone preserved it so carefully.

“Miss Pearson? Are you done?” the housekeeper called from outside the room.

Hadley snapped out of her thoughts and answered quickly, “Almost! Just a moment!” Chapters first released on find(?)ovel.net

“Alright, Miss Pearson. Take your time.”

After packing the clothes, Hadley zipped the suitcase shut and carried it out. She then handed it over to the housekeeper and asked, “Did you pack the candied fruit?”

“Don’t worry, Miss Pearson. It’s all in there,” the housekeeper replied with a smile. “Anything else you’d like to add?”

“No, that’s all. You can go now.”

“Alright.”

With that settled, Hadley went back to her room. She walked straight to the sofa and picked up a bag lying there.

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