In a final act of desperation, he unbuttoned his collar and pulled out a string from around his neck. A peach pit whistle dangled from it. He pressed it to his lips and blew.

A sharp, clear note pierced the air.

Hadley’s shoulders quivered, her heart skipping a beat. It was the whistle she had once given him with love.

In a breath of silence, she finally turned to face him.

Through the crowd, she saw Eric, restrained by security, struggling and shouting, “Hadley! Come back! Wherever you’re going, I’ll follow!” He just knew they had to be together. They simply had to be.

Hadley gazed at him, acutely aware that a single step toward him would ensnare them in an unending dance of eternal pain. Steeling herself, she shook her head and said softly, “Go back, Eric.”

With that, she spun on her heel and fled inside the plane.

Eric stood rooted to the spot, disbelief washing over him as she vanished from sight. She was gone—truly gone. Despite seeing him standing there and begging her to stay, she had chosen to walk away.

A sudden rush of heat surged to his head, as though his heart had betrayed him.

No! A piercing agony, like a relentless auger, tore through his skull.

“Sir! Are you okay?”

“Mr. Scott!” Phillips darted back, catching him just as he faltered. “I’ve just learned…”

“Enough,” Eric rasped, gripping Phillips’ arm, his head shaking with effort. “She is gone… she is gone.”

Phillips stood aghast, words failing him. Before he could probe further, Eric’s grasp tightened, his body quaking.

“Mr. Scott!”

“Phillips…” Eric’s voice was a mere whisper, yet it carried an unshakable resolve. “Tell Hadley… ensure she knows…”

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Phillips froze, grasping Eric’s intent. His eyes brimmed with tears as he nodded fervently. “I will!”

He then turned to the bodyguards, his voice sharp. “Hurry! Fetch the car! Call the hospital! Alert Mr. Ferris Scott!”

“Yes, sir!”

Eric’s vision dimmed, the world spiraling into chaos. The pain in his head was unbearable, as if his very skull might shatter. His eyes fluttered shut.

He couldn’t reconcile himself to it. After more than a decade, was this truly the end? Without so much as a farewell, Hadley had cast him aside, leaving their story unfinished.

As he crumpled, Eric clung to Phillips’ arm, desperate to voice one final thought.

Phillips’ words tumbled out in a torrent. “Mr. Scott, rest easy! I’ll bring Hadley back! She’ll return—she must!”

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