She understood there was nothing she could do now. Ellis and his team had come with a single purpose—they were here to take Eric.

Her voice caught as she pushed the words out.

“You go with them first. Ernest and I will follow right behind.”

Eric’s lips curved into a small, reassuring smile.

“Okay.”

His eyes lingered on hers for a moment longer, silent and steady. Then, gathering his courage, he straightened and lifted his hands toward Ellis.

“Do what you have to.”

Ellis gave a quick nod to his team without a word.

An officer stepped forward immediately, securing cuffs around Eric’s wrists.

“Time to go.” The officer began leading Eric toward the exit.

“Eric!” Hadley lunged forward instinctively, unwilling to let him go so easily.

Ernest held her firmly, shaking his head.

“Hadley… chasing him now won’t help anything.”

Her thoughts scattered for a moment, leaving her mind blank. Still, she couldn’t deny that Ernest had a point—rushing in now wouldn’t fix anything.

“Alright.” She wiped at her tear-streaked face and spoke, trying to steady her voice.

“I just don’t understand. How did everything end up like this?”

Ernest stayed quiet, unsure how he could explain any of it.

For days, they had searched desperately for Eric, bracing for the worst… and yet the worst had arrived in a way he never expected.

Officers moved busily at the scene, their voices and footsteps filling the air.

The inner room swirled with activity as more officers came and went, handling tasks with quiet efficiency.

Hadley turned toward Ernest, her voice gentle but insistent.

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“Ernest… can I go in? I need to see.”

Ernest shook his head, frowning.

“No. It’s too horrific inside.” That had been the reason he stopped her earlier.

Hadley’s resolve, however, didn’t waver.

“But… I have to see…”

“No.” Ellis’ voice cut through the tension, firm and controlled. He had just returned from escorting Eric to the police car when he caught the tail end of their conversation.

Furrowing his brow, he shook his head at Hadley.

“This is a crime scene. Only authorized personnel can enter.”

Upon noticing her reddened, swollen eyes, his expression softened.

“We need to keep the scene intact. You’ll cooperate, right?” He gave a reassuring nod.

“Trust me, we’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Hadley parted her lips, but no words came out.

Suddenly, movement inside drew her attention.

Officers emerged, carrying stretchers draped in white cloth. The shapes underneath required no explanation. One stretcher, and then another, passed through the doorway.

As the door swung wide, Hadley’s eyes caught a glimpse of the interior.

.

.

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