On the other end—two calls from the same sanatorium.

“Miss Pearson, Mrs. Flynn’s condition has worsened!”

“Mr. Scott, Mrs. Flynn’s condition has worsened!”

“I’ll be right there!”

“I’ll be on my way!”

They ended the calls at the same time.

Hadley turned to Brady.

“Brady…”

“I heard.” He waved her off quickly.

“Go, Hadley.”

Nyla had basically brought Hadley up. They shared no blood, but to Hadley, Nyla was family—always had been.

“But what about here…” She hesitated, glancing back.

“It’s fine. Everything’s under control now,” Brady said.

“You’ve done enough. Leave the rest to me.”

“Alright, okay!” Time was slipping away. Hadley paused for a breath, gave a quick nod, and ran. Eric trailed after her.

Hadley didn’t realize he’d gotten the same call. She snapped, “I told you not to follow me!”

“I’m not following you!” Eric lifted his phone, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.

“I just got a call from the sanatorium. I’m going to see my grandmother. Did you… get the same message?”

Oh.

It hit her then. How could she have forgotten? Nyla had raised Eric too—long before Hadley had come into the picture. He might not remember it, but someone must have told him by now. He knew everything. Everything but her and their past.

“You’re heading to the sanatorium?” he asked, trying to connect the dots. Ernest wasn’t around. Of course Hadley would step in for him.

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“Then let’s not waste time. We’ll go together.”

She said nothing, but her reluctance spoke for her. Still, what choice did she have?

“Fine!” She straightened her shoulders and picked up her pace.

“Let’s move!”

Tonight, the Hayes estate was packed with guests. The entire villa complex’s parking lot had filled up fast. Hadley would have had trouble getting her car out. Eric, on the other hand, had no such problem.

By the time they reached the gate, his driver had already pulled up.

“Come on!” Eric flung the door open.

“We need to hurry. Just get in!” He raised a hand over her head as she climbed in.

“Oh! Okay!” She didn’t stop to argue. She ducked into the seat without a second thought.

At the medical facility, an unforeseen crisis unfolded for Nyla that evening. While dining, she accidentally inhaled a piece of food, lodging it deep in her windpipe.

The blockage was too far down for conscious extraction, necessitating anesthesia for removal. However, Nyla’s preexisting heart condition added significant risk to the procedure, requiring formal consent from her family.

Eric and Hadley arrived promptly, and the doctor quickly explained the situation.

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