After a brief pause, he turned to her and spoke quietly.

“Hadley, Eric is waiting just outside the door.”

Hadley’s eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face.

“Hadley.” Ernest took a seat opposite her, his voice gentle.

“I don’t know how much you’ve learned by now, but I think you should hear the whole truth from me. You see, Eric didn’t just lose his memories of you—he lost everything.”

The words hit Hadley hard.

“What are you saying?”

Ernest nodded, realizing she was genuinely unaware of the full extent. With a heavy sigh, he continued, making sure she understood.

“Eric’s surgery was risky from the start. He survived, but he never came to. There were moments when we weren’t sure he’d ever wake up.”

At that time, fear hung over everyone. The thought of Eric ending up in a coma forever, just like Ernest years before, was almost too much to bear. Ernest had braced himself for the worst outcome. He even prepared to bring Eric back into the Flynn family, should Ferris decide to turn him away. Eric was his brother, and that would forever remain unchanged.

Ernest clung to the hope that Eric would eventually pull through, and he’d be there to support him every step of the way. After all, Ernest had survived his own ordeal—he believed Eric could, too.

Fate was kind in one way—Eric eventually woke up. But the cruel twist was that when Eric opened his eyes, he remembered nothing at all. Not Hadley, not Ernest, not even his own self.

Hadley’s lips parted, all color draining from her face.

“Hadley.” Ernest spoke with a tenderness that matched the moment.

“Eric didn’t choose to forget you. The surgery took everything from him—all his memories, every single one.”

Tears spilled from Hadley’s tightly closed eyes, streaming down her cheeks. Now she understood.

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She had been completely unaware… She hadn’t been by his side. While Eric faced his darkest hour, she was far away in Ontmond. Even after she returned, she hadn’t truly seen him. She only managed a fleeting visit outside his VIP ward, unable to muster the courage to go inside.

“His sense of self, every bit of his past, even what happened later—none of it came back to him,” Ernest continued.

“Ferris was the one who filled in the blanks. Eric just followed along, not knowing any better.”

Ernest’s gaze held hers, steady and serious.

“Everything Eric believes now is what Ferris told him. You know how Ferris is—once he sets his mind on something, nobody stands in his way. He kept you away from Eric on purpose.”

Hadley sat in silence, absorbing every word.

Unsure what was running through her mind, Ernest gestured toward the door.

“Eric’s waiting outside. Do you want me to let him in?”

“Ernest!” Hadley caught his arm, her grip tight.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“What am I doing?” Ernest frowned, puzzled.

“I was going to call him in. You and Eric have things you need to address.”

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