That night felt longer and colder than any before. Elissa was still lost somewhere out at sea.

When dawn finally arrived, Eric came back completely worn out. He had been out all night, and there was still no sign of Elissa. Ernest had not budged from the bridge, standing firm even though everyone tried to convince him to leave.

The search continued, but each passing hour chipped away at their hope.

Eric climbed the stairs and quietly opened the door to the master bedroom. Inside, he found the room cloaked in darkness.

Hadley rested against the headboard, her eyes shut as she drifted in and out of uneasy sleep. Her dreams were anything but restful. Her mouth hung open slightly, and her breathing came in short bursts, as if she were fighting for air inside a nightmare.

In her dream, she sank deeper and deeper into dark water, panic flooding her senses as terror and despair closed in.

“Hadley?” Eric settled beside her and reached for her hand. He softly tapped her cheek. “Wake up! Come on, Hadley!”

Still caught in the nightmare, she did not respond.

“Wake up!”

“Ah—” A strangled gasp escaped Hadley as she suddenly bolted upright, her breath ragged and sweat clinging to her skin. She shivered as an icy chill settled over her.

Eric gathered her into his arms without hesitation.

“Eric…” She clung to him, her eyes dazed and searching. “You’re back? What about Elissa? Did you find her?”

“Not… yet.” Eric’s forehead creased with worry when he spoke those two weighty words.

Hadley grew quiet, her voice caught in her throat. For a moment, she stared at him in disbelief, then her eyes lowered and tears began to slip down her cheeks.

Clutching his shirt with desperate hands, she bent her head, sobbing in silence. Eric bent down and pressed a kiss to her hair, holding her tightly against him. He could feel her body shaking harder and harder with each passing second.

Additional chapters at g ln ov els .?

“Hadley…” He gently lifted her chin, hoping to comfort her somehow, but no words came out, and all he could do was watch the tears fall.

Hope for Elissa now seemed barely alive. If Hadley needed to cry, he would let her.

Suddenly, the sound of Eric’s phone shattered the quiet in the room.

“Who’s calling?” Hadley reacted instantly, reaching for his phone before he could. When she saw Phillips’ name flash on the screen, she answered right away. “Hello?”

There was a pause before Phillips spoke. “Hadley…?”

“Eric’s here, too. Just tell us what happened.”

Was it about Elissa? Was it something good—or something much worse?

Neither.

“It’s about Ayla… She regained consciousness.”

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