Turning to her without hesitation, Ernest chimed in, saying, “Hadley, what do you think? You’ve always liked that house. It’s peaceful, well-built, and though it’s not as big as the main house, it’s got its charm. If you’d rather be here, I’m more than willing to trade places.”
Hadley chuckled at the idea and gave a dismissive wave.
“It’s not small at all. And there’s no way I’d let you move out for my sake.”
Ernest was the current head of the household, so it didn’t seem right to displace him.
“Then it’s settled?” Nyla brightened, pressing a kiss to Joy’s cheek.
“This is perfect! Now I’ll get to see my Joy every single day!”
Nearby, Locke placed a hand over his chest, giving Hadley a solemn nod.
“You can count on me. I’ll make sure Joy’s in good hands.”
“You are the sweetest, Locke!” Hadley beamed at him.
“So we’re all in agreement?” Ernest turned to her with a nod.
“I’ll have Quentin handle the arrangements. You and Joy can settle in within the next couple of days.”
Hadley paused, taking a brief moment to weigh it all, and then gave a gentle nod.
To her, it wasn’t that big of a shift. Just a change of address, nothing more.
After all, she had stayed in this estate before. It wasn’t unfamiliar.
Ernest had been completely behind the idea, and she knew why. They had one common goal—to keep Nyla smiling.
“Alright. I’ll leave everything in your hands, Ernest.”
When the day came, the move required several trucks just to get everything over. Most of it belonged to Joy.
Eric had spared no expense for his daughter. Every piece of furniture had been tailor-made.
Joy had grown attached to her things. Switching them out would have upset her, so they brought everything along—exactly as it was.
Before the move, Ernest had already made sure the house was scrubbed from top to bottom.
Discover where it all happens: g?lnσν?s?c?m
Even so, the moment Hadley and Joy arrived, another deep cleaning began right away.
For a while, the house buzzed with motion and noise.
Hadley stood with Melba, both of them watching the staff sort out the chaos, their attention pulled away from Joy.
Meanwhile, Nyla had arranged for someone to come and get her.
“Miss Pearson, I’m here on Mrs. Flynn’s request to bring Miss Joy over,” one of the household staff said politely.
Reaching down to smooth her daughter’s hair, Hadley gave a warm smile.
“Stay sweet and keep her company, alright? Her health’s not what it used to be, so don’t ask her to carry you or surprise her with hugs.”
Joy gave a firm nod.
“Locke already told me the same thing! I’m here to make great-grandma happy!”
“That’s my clever girl. Off you go.”
“Bye-bye, Mommy!”
The staff member Nyla had sent was more than capable of carrying Joy to the main house without trouble.
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