A wave of unexpected sympathy for Linda washed over Hadley.

“Heh.” A hollow laugh escaped Elissa’s lips. “It strikes me suddenly how pathetic she must be—every bit as pitiable as I’ve become.”

When their gazes connected, the same realization dawned on both women simultaneously.

“She certainly is.” Hadley reached for a tangerine from the bedside table, her fingers working methodically to remove the peel as she shook her head. “However, her circumstances differ fundamentally from yours. No matter how much we might pity her current predicament, she orchestrated her downfall.”

Sure enough, it looked like Linda had everything one could wish for.

For over ten years, she had positioned herself at the core of the Flynn family. Both Ernest and Eric seemed tethered to her, always rushing to meet her every whim.

Even so, not a single one of them truly cherished her—not the way she wanted it.

Did she deserve sympathy? In some respects, perhaps.

Hadley peeled the tangerine and gently handed Elissa a slice, then another. While doing so, she said, “Her case isn’t the same as yours. She’s suffering now because of the choices she kept making.”

Linda had always known what was out of reach. Still, she clung to those illusions until they led her to ruin.

Her downfall came not from others, but from her wanting far too much.

“And you…” Hadley shifted her gaze toward Elissa, catching a trace of her younger self in the girl’s expression. “You did nothing wrong. But Linda… Linda will have to carry the weight of what she’s done.”

“I know,” Elissa said gently, her voice uncertain as she touched her temple.

“But isn’t she sick now?”

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“Sick?” Hadley’s brow creased with doubt.

She chose her words carefully, unwilling to make claims without proof.

Back when she ended things with Eric, she had hinted that Linda’s so-called “illness” might be just another one of her schemes.

Eric had insisted there was an official diagnosis.

Maybe there was. Even then, Hadley found it hard to believe. And she still did.

“Could be,” Hadley said vaguely. “But that’s not your burden to carry.”

“I suppose you’re right,” Elissa muttered. “I’ve got enough problems as it is. I just want her to stir up enough trouble to shake things loose.”

In her mind, if Linda kept creating chaos, then maybe Ernest would finally give up and release her from this mess.

By the afternoon, Hadley had made her way back to Jewel Avenue.

Earlier, the servants sent from Lion Bay had arrived. Along with them, every last item Locke owned had been carefully packed up and delivered.

Since this wasn’t Locke’s first sleepover, Hadley didn’t really have to guide the servants step by step to make sure everything found its proper place.

By nightfall, Locke came straight from school.

Both Hadley and Joy stood waiting to welcome him home.

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