“Ernest!” Hadley hurried over, concern written on her face.

Ernest approached at a steady pace, giving Hadley a quick nod. He kept his eyes on Elissa and said, “You look pale. Go get some oxygen in the oxygen room.”

Elissa averted her gaze, refusing to speak or even look at him.

“Please, listen to me,” Ernest coaxed softly, his tone gentle. “Think about the baby. If you don’t get enough oxygen, the baby could be in danger too.”

That made Elissa lift her head, her eyes darting to Linda, who was still watching from nearby. She reminded him, her voice sharp, “Your fiancée’s right there, watching your every move.”

Ernest stopped for a moment, letting out a weary sigh. He glanced at Hadley. “Stay with her, please.”

“I will.” Hadley nodded, stepping forward to help Elissa. “You need to look after yourself, Elissa.”

Elissa’s face was drained of all color. “I will,” she replied quietly.

Inside the oxygen room, Elissa stretched out on the bed while a nurse gently attached the oxygen tube. “Twenty minutes of oxygen. If you start to feel unwell, let me know.”

“Thank you,” Elissa replied.

Hadley took a seat at her side, worry etched into her features. “Will you be alright by yourself?”

“Don’t worry.” Elissa understood what she was really asking. “Go ahead. If Eric gets here, just call me and I’ll be right out.”

“Okay,” said Hadley with a nod before quickly getting to her feet and slipping out of the oxygen room.

Not long after, Eric arrived, his footsteps quick and anxious. He walked right past Linda, heading straight for Ernest.

Guilt weighed on him as he kept his eyes down. “Ernest…”

A cold, sharp laugh left Ernest’s lips, making Eric tense.

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Without warning, Ernest drew back his fist and landed a hard punch on Eric’s jaw.

Eric took the blow head-on, refusing to dodge. He swayed, barely managing to stay on his feet.

“Eric!” Hadley had just reached them in time to see the punch land.

“Stay where you are!”

“Don’t come closer, Hadley!”

Both men shouted her back in unison.

Eric managed a small, pained smile in Hadley’s direction. “I deserve this, Hadley. Please, don’t come any closer. I don’t want you to get mixed up in this.” He knew how angry Ernest was. The last thing he wanted was for Hadley to get hurt in the crossfire.

Hadley’s chest tightened, pain and worry twisting inside her.

Ernest let out another icy laugh. “You’ve got no one to blame but yourself, Eric.” Without a second thought, Ernest drew his arm back and threw another punch at Eric.

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