Her journey wasn’t over yet. She still had another flight—this time to Ontmond. She decided that everything could wait until she met Savannah.
Dragging her luggage behind her, she made her way to the airport hotel, needing to rest before the next leg of her trip.
Several hours slipped by before Hadley boarded the plane bound for Ontmond. The journey was long, draining every ounce of energy she had left.
Upon arrival, she headed straight for baggage claim, eyes scanning for one particular item—the urn containing Elissa’s ashes.
As soon as she reached the airport’s main exit, she powered on her phone. In a matter of seconds, Phillips’ messages came flooding in.
Hadley skimmed through them quickly. Her eyes widened in disbelief. A violent shiver tore through her body as if her nerves had lost all control.
“Eric…” The name barely left her mouth, more a breath than a word.
The messages were clear—Eric’s condition had taken a turn, and it had happened at Velacca. That must have been just moments after she had cleared security.
“This can’t be,” Hadley whispered, raising a trembling hand to shield her eyes.
Where did things stand now? Was Eric still fighting?
Glancing at the timestamps on Phillips’ messages, a cold weight settled in her chest. More than thirty-two hours had slipped by since he last reached out. That could only mean one thing: Eric’s surgery was already over.
However, Phillips hadn’t followed up—no word, no update, nothing.
Tightly shutting her eyes, Hadley clung to her phone like it was the only thing grounding her. She couldn’t bring herself to imagine what might have happened.
Without warning, her phone began to ring. Savannah’s name lit up on the screen.
“Hello?” Hadley answered the call, her voice shaking and her lashes still wet.
“Mrs. Brown.”
“Hadley?” Savannah’s voice came through, laced with worry. “Have you already arrived? I’m at the terminal, but I don’t see you anywhere…”
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A moment passed before her tone shifted. “I spotted you! Don’t move. I’ll be right there!”
“Alright.”
After ending the call, Hadley kept her gaze forward. Just ahead, Savannah emerged from the crowd, rushing in her direction.
“Hadley!”
“Mrs. Brown.”
By the time Savannah reached her, emotion had already taken hold—her eyes glistened with unshed tears. Her voice barely held together as she asked, “Where’s Elissa?”
“In that one.” Hadley motioned toward the smaller suitcase. She had brought two—one packed with her essentials, and the other carrying Elissa’s ashes.
A quiet breath escaped Savannah as her eyes filled. She lowered herself slowly, her hands landing gently on the suitcase. With trembling fingers, she brushed over the surface, whispering, “Elissa, you’re home… You’re finally back where you belong.”
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