Inside the quiet confines of the south wing.
Hadley immediately gathered all the household servants together, questioning them thoroughly about every detail of Eric’s daily routine—his eating habits, his sleep schedule, his medication regimen, and countless other aspects of his care.
Then, drawing from the detailed instructions the doctor had provided, she began making careful adjustments and meticulously explaining each change to the staff members.
Even though she had moved out of this place, the servants didn’t dare become careless or disrespectful simply because of her current uncertain status in the household.
“Does everyone understand what I’ve explained?” she asked, scanning their faces carefully.
“Yes, we’ve got it all,” came the first response.
“Absolutely, Miss Pearson, everything’s crystal clear,” another servant confirmed.
Eric positioned himself against the wall nearby, a gentle smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
As he watched her take charge and bustle around with such focused determination, he found himself caught up in a beautiful but fleeting illusion—for just a moment, it felt as though she had never really left this place—and his life—at all.
The whole scene felt exactly like something out of a dream he’d been having for months.
“That covers everything I needed to go over,” Hadley announced when she finished delivering her comprehensive instructions; then she walked directly toward where Eric was standing.
She lifted her face upward, studying his features with intense concentration. “I have to head back to my place now.”
And just like that, Eric’s beautiful dream shattered into a million pieces. The smile that had been warming his face froze in place, and he managed a stiff nod. “Of course, I understand completely. I—”
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“There’s no need for you to send me home,” Hadley interrupted, already anticipating what he was about to offer. She shook her head firmly. “Tamara will drive me back, so don’t put yourself through any unnecessary trouble. What you need to do is get some proper rest.”
With those words hanging in the air between them, she turned on her heel and headed toward the exit.
Eric immediately hurried after her, matching her stride for stride. “At least let me see you safely to the car.”
Hadley released a resigned sigh. “Fine, if you insist.”
When they reached the entryway, she held up her hand to stop him from going any further. “This is plenty far enough.”
“Oh… right.” Eric nodded, though his eyes were swimming with obvious reluctance to let her go.
As she bent down to change into her outdoor shoes, he finally worked up enough courage to voice the question that had been torturing him. “Do you think we might… see each other again soon?”
Hadley’s hands stilled for exactly two seconds, and she drew her eyebrows together in a slight frown. “Take better care of yourself from now on, and please try not to let your temper get the better of you so easily.”
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