Eric noticed the way her expression shifted and got the wrong idea. He assumed she was feeling down because of Ernest’s deep love for another woman. To him, it made sense. Ernest had never let go of Locke’s mother, and anyone who had feelings for him would feel a little off seeing that unfold.

Eric’s voice faltered for a second.

“Did you happen to catch a glimpse of her, too? Was it Locke’s mother?”

“I can’t say for sure.” Hadley gave a slight shake of her head, her brows drawing together.

“She did resemble her a little…”

At the same time, Ernest had broken into a run, chasing after that familiar figure. He reached her just as the crowd thinned near the intersection.

“Elissa!” Ernest clutched her shoulder, breath uneven.

Before she could respond, Quentin moved in and stood in her way.

“Miss Holland, wait!”

Startled, the young woman took a step back.

“What is this? Who are you?”

That question hit Quentin hard, but not as hard as her face did. His eyes dimmed with quiet disappointment. He turned slightly, glancing at Ernest with a faint shake of his head.

Even so, Ernest didn’t budge. His gaze was locked on the woman in front of him.

“I don’t understand,” she said, scowling with confusion.

“Why are you both stopping me like this? Do I know you?”

Now that she was facing him directly, Ernest saw the truth.

This wasn’t Elissa. Not even close.

From his view through the restaurant’s glass, all he’d seen was her side profile—and it had struck him like a bolt of memory. The way her hair was styled, even her clothes, matched everything Elissa used to prefer. But now that she was standing right in front of him, the illusion shattered. This wasn’t her.

A shadow passed through Ernest’s expression. He shut his eyes for a moment, swallowing the weight of his own mistake.

?tst chαpt?rs in glnovels.c?

All this time, he’d been chasing a ghost. Elissa had vanished without a trace for more than six months. It didn’t make sense for her to suddenly show up on a random street in Srixby like nothing had happened.

The woman glanced between Ernest and Quentin, confused and irritated.

“Seriously, who are you? Why are you blocking me like this?”

No explanation came from Ernest. He simply turned on his heel and walked away, not sparing her a second look.

“Wait, what?” She blinked.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“My apologies,” Quentin said, giving her a small nod.

“We thought you were someone else. Sorry for the trouble.” Without saying more, he followed after Ernest.

“What?” Her lips pressed together as she stared after Ernest.

“Weird… that guy looks familiar, though. I swear I’ve seen him before…”

By the time Eric and Hadley stepped out of the pharmacy, Ernest had completely vanished.

Glancing over, Eric asked, “How are you planning to get back?”

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