A quiet warmth passed between them as their eyes met and they shared a smile.

Meanwhile, near the doorway, Eric had made his way back. Returning here hadn’t been part of his original plan. His destination was supposed to be Srixby. But on his way to the airport, something pulled him back toward the hospital, and he couldn’t help but walk through those doors again.

What he stumbled upon was a quiet moment—Hadley and Zane, talking and laughing like they’d known each other forever.

In that instant, her words from mere hours ago came flooding back.

“Let’s each walk our own path from here.”

“He is a good man. It’s not out of the question. If things align, I might explore something deeper with him.”

Those hadn’t been empty words—Hadley meant every syllable.

She was ready to move forward. A fresh start was already on her horizon. In fairness, her instincts when it came to people were usually sharp. Whether it was Denver or Zane, they were both decent men.

The only time she had made the wrong call had been with him. For an entire decade, he had failed her.

That realization struck deep, twisting Eric’s chest with an ache he couldn’t ignore.

Without warning, Eric wrenched his eyes away from the sight and spun around, picking up his pace as he moved toward the exit.

His retreat felt like surrender. Everything behind him—left in a flurry of panic and escape.

Lingering any longer might have pushed him toward something reckless, and he knew it. But he didn’t dare cross that line.

He had already shattered Hadley’s chance at happiness once. She could have ended up with Denver, but he ruined that. Letting history repeat itself wasn’t an option this time.

As soon as he burst through the hospital’s main entrance, Eric’s vision blurred, and he squeezed his eyes shut, overwhelmed.

“Mr. Scott?” Phillips trailed close behind, catching up fast. The look on Eric’s face told him everything he needed to know.

With no time to waste, Phillips reached into Eric’s coat pocket, pulled out the pill bottle, and pressed it into his hand. “Take this. You need your meds.”

“Mm.”

With practiced ease, Eric took the bottle, twisted the cap off, dropped a pill into his hand, and swallowed it without hesitation. Months of repetition had turned this into a familiar ritual.

Nearby, Phillips observed him with a furrowed brow. Concern was etched into his face—he didn’t know how to help anymore. Eric’s condition was clearly slipping, and it showed more each day. Things were undeniably heading downhill.

While they waited to board their flight, Phillips received an unexpected call from the hospital.

“Hello?” He threw a glance toward Eric, who appeared to be dozing off, and lowered his voice. “Is this regarding the test results? Mr. Scott is asleep right now. You can speak with me first.”

“Yes.” The doctor on the line was well aware that Phillips was more than just an assistant—he was always by Eric’s side. “Mr. Brown, after reviewing everything… we strongly recommend that Mr. Scott undergo surgery as soon as possible.”

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