If she agreed to remain, would he truly release her when the time came? Still, she couldn’t deny that the prospect of staying with Locke pulled at her heart with overwhelming force.
The sharp chime of the doorbell cut through the tension.
Kira opened the door. “Miss Pearson, what a pleasant surprise!”
“Hello, Kira. Is Elissa somewhere upstairs?”
“She’s currently in the sunroom, speaking with Mr. Flynn.”
“Then I’ll wait here for a few minutes.”
Ernest caught the sound of Hadley’s voice and turned toward Elissa. “Hadley has arrived. The two of you should speak privately.”
He pivoted toward the door and called out, “Hadley!”
“Ernest?” At the sound of his voice, Hadley spun around to face him. “If you and Elissa need to finish your conversation, I can wait outside.”
“We’ve concluded our discussion.” Ernest motioned toward the sunroom. “Please, go to her. She likely needs your support at this moment.”
“Of course.” Hadley nodded, puzzled by his words. What had happened to make Elissa need her support so urgently?
Hadley remained completely confused. Yet the moment she crossed the threshold, everything clicked into place.
“Hadley!” Elissa seized her hand and rapidly shared every detail of what had just happened.
After hearing the full story, Hadley understood why Ernest had insisted Elissa needed her support.
“What’s going through your mind?” Hadley studied Elissa’s face carefully.
Elissa shook her head, uncertainty clouding her features. “I cannot abandon Locke.”
Elissa found herself torn between impossible choices.
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Hadley grasped the situation with perfect clarity. For any mother, no force on earth proved stronger than the pull of her child. “Will you accept his conditions?”
Elissa faltered, the decision weighing heavily on her conscience. “I must speak with my mother about this first.”
Savannah had journeyed thousands of miles from Ontmond to offer support and help her daughter break free from this nightmare. Elissa knew such a momentous choice demanded more than her solitary judgment.
“I’ll accompany you,” Hadley volunteered without hesitation.
“Can you spare the time?” Elissa hesitated to burden her friend, though she desperately craved companionship to bolster her failing courage.
“I can make time.” Hadley slipped her arm through Elissa’s. “I came to see how I could help before your departure. Supporting you through this conversation with your mother serves that purpose perfectly.”
Meanwhile, at Scott Group headquarters, Eric had been working relentlessly since arriving at three o’clock that afternoon. Despite his recent absence, he had never relinquished his executive authority. Rather, he had strategically delegated responsibilities to Gifford.
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