“Colleen was on a late shift last night. I figured we could swing by the hospital and pick her up when she gets off later. You good with that?”

“No problem.” Hadley gave a short laugh. There was no reason to say no.

Still, something inside her shifted the second she heard the word “hospital.” Hadley found her mind wandering. Eric was still confined, still recovering in that hospital room.

Brady called her name, breaking the silence. He looked like he had been thinking the same thing, but took a moment before saying anything.

“About Eric… nothing’s come out in the news. Looks like the Scott and Flynn families worked hard to bury the story.”

Despite that, he had picked up a few bits here and there.

“He pulled through the operation, but no one really knows how he’s doing now,” he added.

No details had leaked out. The Scott and Flynn families had locked things down so tightly that even friends were kept at arm’s length. Brady gave a helpless shrug. “Can’t even get near his room.”

Whatever Eric was going through, they were determined to keep it behind closed doors.

Only the doctors and nurses directly involved in Eric’s care had any real information, and they were all warned to keep their mouths shut. Even Colleen, despite working in the same hospital, knew very little—just the floor he was on inside the VIP wing.

Hadley gave a quiet nod. She didn’t press for more. The truth was, she had already heard from Ernest earlier.

“Eric’s out of surgery. Still unconscious.”

That was all Ernest said—brief and to the point, just like always. Since then, neither Ernest nor Phillips had sent anything else. She had no clue if Eric had regained consciousness.

“You look worn out,” Brady said gently. “Try to get some sleep. I’ll wake you once we arrive.”

? ? : ?ν﹒

“Okay.” Hadley settled into her seat, closed her eyes, and let the hum of the car lull her into rest.

Their car eventually pulled in front of the hospital. Without wasting time, Brady turned toward the emergency entrance to pick up Colleen.

“It’s always packed in there. You can stay out here, Hadley. I won’t be long.”

“Alright.” Hadley agreed and took a seat on one of the benches in the garden area, deciding to wait there instead of inside the car. Moments later, her phone vibrated in her hand.

A new message had just come through—from Brady.

“Hey, there’s a slight delay. An emergency case just came in from a car crash. Colleen has to take the patient to the OR and complete the transfer before she can leave. Sorry. Are you in a hurry? Want me to take you home first?”

“I’m good. I’ll wait.”

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