“Come on.” Ernest gestured toward the door, his mind fixed on keeping Eric as far away from Hadley as possible. “Let’s step outside and talk.”

Eric looked puzzled. “Why? Can’t we eat breakfast first?”

“Just do as I say,” Ernest snapped, his tone icy.

“Alright,” Eric replied, trailing after him while the scent of breakfast drifted in from the kitchen.

He couldn’t shake the feeling that Ernest was being deliberate, probably to keep whoever was upstairs from running into him.

Eric had amnesia, but it wasn’t dementia.

He still knew the basics.

For instance, when a man refused to introduce his woman to his family or friends, there was only one explanation.

He savored the pleasure she brought him but never wanted her woven into his life.

In other words, the man never intended anything long-term, and his so-called feelings were nothing but pretense.

Wasn’t that exactly why Ernest kept that girl hidden from him?

Eric’s frown deepened as he silently criticized.

He had never imagined Ernest could be that kind of person.

But it also made perfect sense.

Ernest had someone he loved.

Even though the one he loved was no longer alive, Ernest clung to hope despite knowing the truth, continuing his endless search.

Lost in thought, Eric’s expression shifted through several emotions.

Ernest, unaware of what Eric was pondering, studied his worried face with curiosity.

“Why the long face? Are you chewing on a wasp?”

Eric remained silent, his gaze fixed on Ernest with unwavering intensity.

He couldn’t believe Ernest was actually cracking jokes at a time like this.

The lightness in his voice revealed just how little that girl upstairs meant to him.

“No.” Eric shook his head, the words scraping against his throat. “I’m just hungry.”

What else could he possibly say?

He had stumbled upon Ernest’s most intimate secrets. Even as a brother, passing judgment wasn’t his right.

Besides, given Ernest’s position in the world, what difference did any of it make?

If Ernest desired it, countless women would eagerly fall into his arms.

Hadley’s face materialized in his mind’s eye…

His brow furrowed as he wondered whether she had truly found happiness in this arrangement with Ernest.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips before he could stop it.

Ernest raised an eyebrow. “So hungry you’re sighing over it? Alright, quit the dramatics. We’ll get you something to eat.”

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