“Yes!” Hadley pulled at him. “Get up! Listen to me!”

“Fine…” Brady muttered, reluctantly letting go of Eric and standing.

“You…” Hadley hesitated, looking at Eric. “Are you alright? Are you hurt anywhere?”

“Hadley!” Brady cut in. “Why do you care about him? Don’t worry. I held back. No real damage—just giving him what he deserves.”

“Shut up!” Hadley turned on him. “He saved your life once… You can’t talk about him like that.”

She was referring to the time when Brady had been hidden by Noreen in the mountains of Dracnesse Town to avoid surgery.

Although Eric’s actions were for Joy’s sake, without him, Brady would have been the one bitten by the venomous snake.

Brady frowned and fell silent.

“Hadley.” Eric stood, wiping blood from his lips, forcing a faint smile. “I’m okay… Don’t let someone like me drive a wedge between you and your brother.”

“Well…” Hadley paused. “Make sure you see a doctor for that…” She gestured to his bloodied mouth. “Get it properly checked.”

“I will.” Eric nodded, still smiling.

“We… we’re going inside.” Hadley took Brady’s arm. “You… take care of yourself.”

“Alright.”

She glanced back at Eric, offering a soft smile. “Goodbye.”

“Okay.” Eric, hands in his pockets, watched her closely. “Goodbye.”

“Don’t just stand there.” Hadley pulled Brady’s arm. “Weren’t you here to see me? Let’s go in.”

“Yeah, fine.”

The siblings turned and walked through the gate together. Eric stood rooted in place, unwavering.

Ltτ ch?ɑρτ?rs ιn glov?l.?оm

He watched Hadley’s figure fade, murmuring, “Hadley, goodbye.” In his heart, he wondered if their paths would ever cross again. Her silhouette shrank, vanishing through the doorway, out of his view.

Eric gave a wry, silent smile.

She was barely gone, yet he already felt her absence keenly.

Suddenly, his vision blurred, and he pressed a hand to his temple.

“Mr. Scott.” Phillips, sensing the gravity of the moment, stepped forward. “Should we head to the hospital?”

Eric’s headaches had grown more frequent lately. He had mentioned a hospital visit days ago, but life had been too chaotic. Phillips urged, “You need a full check-up.”

Eric knew he couldn’t ignore his health—his life wasn’t just his own; his family relied on him.

He nodded. “Book a doctor’s appointment for tomorrow.” He had a board meeting later that day.

His siblings would be there too.

Skipping such a crucial meeting would raise questions…

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