Something shifted within his chest, his throat constricted painfully, and he forced himself to swallow past the sudden tightness. Taking Hadley’s hand in his, he wavered uncertainly. “Hadley, if… what I mean to say is, if…”
He stopped mid-sentence, shaking his head with visible frustration. “No… Forget what I was about to say.”
“What exactly are you trying to tell me?” Upon seeing him stumble over his words, Hadley’s brow furrowed with growing impatience. “Why must you leave everything half-spoken? Just voice whatever’s on your mind!”
“Well…” Eric hesitated, dreading the possibility of triggering her anger, and finally managed to speak. “I wanted to ask you something—if I emerge from the surgery without complications, would you…”
He drew several deep, steadying breaths, summoning tremendous courage from within. “Would you consider granting me, granting both of us, another opportunity to make things work? Please?”
After voicing his vulnerable request, Eric held his breath, studying Hadley’s face intently, terrified of missing even the slightest nuance in her response.
However, Hadley remained frozen in stunned silence, simply staring at him without offering any answer.
Several seconds ticked by slowly, yet to Eric, each moment stretched like an entire lifetime.
Eric released an awkward chuckle, desperately attempting to break through the oppressive silence. In truth, he had already braced himself for exactly this type of reaction. He didn’t allow anger to consume him, though.
Eric simply couldn’t shake the overwhelming thought that he should never have posed such a question, realizing he possessed no legitimate right to make such a request of her. Hadley’s genuine concern for his well-being had triggered his impulsive behavior, and he felt utterly foolish for entertaining such hopeful thoughts.
“Don’t mind me. Just head back inside now,” Eric said, gradually releasing his grip on Hadley’s hand and forcing a broad smile. “My departure is long overdue.” He retreated a step, offered a casual wave, and then spun around abruptly, pulling the door shut behind him.
The gentle click of the lock settling into place resonated through the silence, causing Hadley’s eyes to flutter as she released a soft, weary sigh.
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She recognized that Eric must be drowning in disappointment, given that she had failed to provide any answer to his heartfelt question.
Hadley exhaled quietly, her attention fixed on the closed barrier between them, whispering to the empty air, “Perhaps now, such a thing wouldn’t be entirely impossible?”
Still, uncertainty plagued her thoughts, as disappointment had visited her far too many times in the past.
Meanwhile, in Xagristan, at the site where the aircraft had met its tragic end, Ernest finally arrived on the fourth day following the catastrophic event.
Authorities had established a secure perimeter around the area, and from his position beyond the police barriers, he could observe the debris field scattered across the landscape.
His assistant had thoroughly reviewed the official records of both confirmed casualties and those still unaccounted for. Both Elissa and Locke appeared on the missing persons registry.
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