“Not really,” the doctor replied quickly, shaking his head. “It’s only that…” The doctor had managed Hadley’s health for some time and knew her history well. “Miss Pearson’s nerves were damaged by the toxin she consumed before. That being said, she’s more delicate than most, physically speaking. Her collapse is partly tied to that.” After a moment, he added, “It’s really best for her not to push herself too hard or go through too much stress. That won’t help her get better.”

A heavy shadow crossed Eric’s face. Hadley still wasn’t out of the woods.

“I get it.”

“I’ll be going now.”

After showing the doctor out, Eric returned to the bedroom and sat at Hadley’s side, pressing her hand to his cheek.

It wasn’t long before Hadley slowly came to.

“Hadley…”

She blinked awake, and her expression darkened the moment she realized who was with her. She tried to slip her hand from his grasp.

“Hadley, wait!” Eric’s panic was clear as he dropped to one knee at the bedside. “Just listen. Yes, I went to the hospital last night, and yes, I went to see Linda. But it wasn’t because I was worried about her, or because I’m holding on to the past.”

Hadley fixed him with a tired, rasping voice. “Then why, Eric?”

“I went there because of you, Hadley.” Eric could not hide the uncertainty clouding his gaze. “I wanted to see for myself if she was still alive.” He sighed and continued, “I spoke with Cristian. If Linda hadn’t made it… things would have turned into a disaster.”

A murder accusation and a charge of assault were worlds apart.

“That’s not true!” Hadley’s glare was icy. “You really had to go all the way to the hospital yourself just to check? Wasn’t Phillips with her already? You could’ve just called.”

A moment of silence hung between them. Hadley’s questions left him scrambling for a response.

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“Yeah, you caught me,” he said quietly. “There was something else behind it.”

“What was it, then?” Hadley’s eyes narrowed, searching his face.

“Like I said, I did it for you.” Eric’s answer was simple. “I hoped she would admit to the police that what happened was an accident. If she cleared things up, maybe this could all end quickly.”

“No way!” Hadley interrupted, her voice firm and steady. “She would never help me. She’s doing everything she can to set me up, so why would she back me up?”

Her hand shot out, gripping Eric’s arm with sudden desperation. “Don’t tell me… the only reason I’m not behind bars is because you got her to cooperate. Did she agree?”

Hadley’s head shook, disbelief draining the color from her cheeks. “What did you do to change her mind?”

“Nothing.”

As her distress grew, Eric remembered what the doctor had cautioned. Any more pressure might push her over the edge.

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