He broke off suddenly.

“What about Linda?” Elissa caught the unfinished thought. “Are you saying she might not live that long? Is that what you mean?”

Ernest stayed silent, though his meaning was written plainly on his face. The possibility of Linda meeting an untimely end had crossed his mind. If her health took a turn for the better, he already had plans to handle things differently.

Still, none of that mattered to Elissa.

“So, when is she going to die?” she mocked, a cruel smile tugging at her lips. “Come on, tell me! Give me the date!”

Her words left Ernest at a loss. His brow knotted, and he had no answer. He chose to act instead, wrapping his arms around her. “We’re leaving. If you want to fight, let’s do it at home.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you!” Elissa dug in her heels, her voice ringing with defiance.

Struggling proved useless; Ernest didn’t budge an inch, no matter how she pushed and squirmed. The man standing before her was no longer frail or uncertain. Years of physical therapy and expert care had rebuilt his strength.

With a firm hold on her, Ernest turned to Quentin. “Bring the car to the front. We’re leaving now.”

“Right away, Mr. Flynn.”

Meanwhile, at a convenience store near the hospital, Hadley loaded her arms with vanilla ice cream and paid at the counter. On her way back, she nearly collided with Eric, who looked to be in a hurry.

“Hadley?” Eric paused, concern in his eyes. “Are you by yourself? Isn’t Elissa with you?”

Hadley blinked, caught off guard. “Why are you asking?”

“Well,” a hint of worry crept into Eric’s reply, “Ernest called me just now, looking for Tamara. He sounded urgent. I wasn’t sure what was going on, so I told him. I got worried after I hung up, so I came here too.”

The thought of Hadley’s possible involvement unsettled Eric. He didn’t want any trouble coming Hadley’s way.

Hadley’s eyes widened. “Wait, did Ernest say anything else? Is he already here?”

“He probably beat me here. He sounded impatient,” Eric said with a hesitant nod.

A sinking feeling gripped Hadley. She imagined Ernest showing up at Jewel Avenue, discovering both her and Elissa were missing, then piecing things together and tracking down Tamara, Elissa’s ever-present companion. Without wasting another second, Hadley dashed into the lobby, heading straight for the elevator to the OB-GYN floor.

“What’s going on?” Eric hurried after her, keeping pace.

Before either of them could reach their destination, the elevator doors slid open with a soft chime, revealing Ernest, cradling Elissa tightly in his arms.

“Elissa.” A heavy feeling settled in Hadley’s chest.

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