“Got it.” Brady gave a quick nod and walked away.

Now the room felt empty. Hadley picked up the glass of water from the table and took small sips, every now and then glancing out at the peaceful garden.

In that moment, she stopped short. Eric had appeared, quietly standing right in front of her. It wasn’t surprising to see him there. Naturally, Louise’s birthday meant the Hayes family would invite every famous name in town.

Eric, however, had shown up well before the crowd.

For a moment, he stood there in complete silence. Hadley wasn’t sure what to make of it. Not wanting to linger on whatever he was thinking, she shifted her attention away, picked up her own glass of water, and grabbed Brady’s as well. She stood, deciding to move somewhere else for a bit. With so much space in the room, if Eric wanted that particular seat, she had no problem leaving it for him.

Hadley stepped forward, then took another cautious stride.

Eric didn’t budge. He remained silent, almost frozen, as each second ticked by. Without warning, he pivoted and started after her. In a low, steady voice, he called out, “Hadley Pearson!”

Hadley flinched. This was the first time in five months she’d heard him say her full name. A strange and subtle feeling stirred inside her—something she couldn’t quite put into words. Meeting Eric’s gaze, she realized something about him felt… off. She kept quiet, waiting.

All at once, her mind went back to what she had said to Megan: “Alright. You have it. I promise. I won’t get close to him. I won’t start any conversations either.”

Her nerves coiled tight, Hadley rushed out of the room.

“Wait up!” Eric’s voice rang out as he hurried after her.

“Hadley! There’s something I need to tell you!”

Without thinking, he reached out and caught her wrist.

Fury sparked in Hadley’s eyes as she spun around, her voice sharp.

“Let go of me!”

New chapters now on gαlnσvls?c?m

Eric realized his mistake the instant she snapped at him. He quickly let go, mumbling, “I’m sorry!”

He stumbled over his words, clearly flustered.

“I didn’t mean to upset you! I just—”

Thoughts tangled in his head, and his sentences tumbled out in fragments. In a burst of frustration, he blurted, “I get it, what Ernest did wasn’t right… but you have to believe me, what’s acceptable for him just isn’t the same for you!”

Hadley froze, caught off guard. She hadn’t expected anything like that to come out of his mouth.

What was he even getting at? What was he even trying to say?

That unsettling vibe from Eric grew even more intense, sending a chill down Hadley’s spine.

“Hadley?” Brady’s voice called out as he stepped out of the restroom. He immediately noticed Eric standing in her way, with Hadley looking upset and on edge.

A surge of anger shot through Brady. He dashed forward, reached for Hadley, and gently pulled her behind him. Without a second thought, Brady’s fist shot out and struck Eric with a clean punch.

“Bastard!”

Caught off guard, Eric took the blow squarely, stumbling back several steps as the force knocked the wind out of him.

“You’ve got the guts to mess with my sister?” Brady rolled his wrist, glaring, the fire in his eyes not yet quenched.

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