Eric remained rooted in place, eyes fixed on the pair as they disappeared down the hallway. A frown crept onto his face as memories flashed back to Hadley’s tears. He could still see how she had broken down and sobbed so deeply.

The memory struck him like a heavy blow to the chest. Each breath came harder, a hollow ache growing inside him. But he could not understand the reason for it.

Eric’s frustration simmered as he fought the urge to go after Hadley, confront her, and demand an explanation. The problem was… Ernest had been beside her.

“Eric?” From beside him, Megan watched him closely, catching the subtle flickers of emotion on his face. She couldn’t make sense of it.

“Is everything okay? What’s running through your head?”

“It’s nothing.” Eric blinked and snapped out of the trance.

That response didn’t convince Megan. She gave a dry smile.

“If it’s nothing, then why do you look so torn up?”

A flicker of concern crossed her face as she pressed further.

“Did something happen between you and Hadley earlier? What did you two talk about?”

Pausing, Eric weighed her words. There was no denying that Megan had picked up on the tension.

“It wasn’t anything serious,” he said at last.

“We just had a mix-up. I jumped to conclusions. I assumed she cheated on my brother, and I was wrong.”

Stunned by his confession, Megan stood in silence.

Eric let out a sharp breath, his irritation still lingering.

“I didn’t think she’d react that strongly.”

Despite his tone, Megan wasn’t confused. That kind of reaction from Hadley wasn’t because of some misunderstanding. It was because she had finally pieced it all together.

Hadley knew now. Eric’s memory loss was no longer a secret.

What Megan didn’t expect was Hadley’s choice to keep her silence. Even after learning the truth, she still hadn’t said a word about who she was. It was baffling. Hadley’s restraint was beyond anything Megan anticipated.

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There had been a time when Megan feared Hadley would confront Eric with their shared past. If that had happened, Megan wouldn’t have had a clue how to respond.

Everything she worked so hard for… would have unraveled in an instant.

But Hadley? She had stayed quiet.

Hadley didn’t hold any affection for Eric anymore. That much was clear. Cold. Utterly detached.

Oddly enough, Megan saw it as a stroke of luck. To her, this was the most reassuring thing she could have discovered.

Megan pressed her teeth gently against her lower lip, thoughts spinning faster than she could keep up with. Given the circumstances, she figured whatever happened moving forward wouldn’t be her fault. After all, if Hadley had already let go, then surely it wouldn’t be wrong for someone else to step in and care for Eric. What one person cast aside without a second thought might just mean the world to another.

“Megan?” Eric turned his head, confused by her unusual quiet. His hand moved in front of her face as if to bring her back.

“Where did your mind go? You spaced out.”

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