He had inadvertently left her at the sanatorium.
“Damn it.”
With a grimace, he shut his eyes, chiding himself for his oversight.
Glancing at his watch, he noted that more than two hours had elapsed.
Surely, she wouldn’t still be there, would she?
It seemed unlikely anyone would wait that long.
“Linda!” Eric spoke hastily. “I need to leave now. Make sure you rest up!”
“Eric, wait.”
Linda attempted to hold him back, to no avail.
Her pulse quickened.
Had Eric mentioned that Hadley had signed the divorce papers? Were they really going through with the divorce after all this time?
Linda’s expression tightened with worry, her thoughts clearly troubled. As Eric rushed down the stairs, he frantically scrolled through his phone for Hadley’s number.
When he tried to call, he was met with her voicemail immediately.
His brow furrowed in determination as he attempted the call once more. Yet, each attempt led to the same unanswered result.
Eric’s voice tightened with irritation, and his brow creased.
“Could her phone be dead?”
Frustrated, he jammed the phone into his pocket.
“Never mind. She’ll be fine.”
Hadley was capable of looking after herself. Surely, if she grew tired of waiting, she’d find her way home, wouldn’t she?
The day had worn on him, and fatigue was setting in. What he yearned for now was a soothing shower and some downtime.
Just as Eric was about to put away his phone for good, he paused.
“This is more trouble than it’s worth,” he muttered under his breath.
He then decided to make one last call to Silver Villas.
The line rang unanswered until it eventually cut off.
“What now?”
Eric’s scowl intensified. Had Hadley not yet returned home? It was late-impossible she was still at the same place, right?
Surely, she wasn’t that overly optimistic, was she?
In a fit of frustration, he threw his phone onto the couch. He was done trying to sort this out.
He made his way upstairs, longing for the comfort of a hot shower. As the warm water cascaded over him, his thoughts invariably drifted back to Hadley.
The hour was late, and she was alone.
Despite his reservations about her, he acknowledged his failure to fulfill his promise.
“What a nuisance!”
Grumbling to himself, Eric shut off the shower, quickly toweled off, and got dressed.
He threw on some clothes, snatched his car keys, and hurried down the stairs.
While driving, he made a call to the sanatorium.
“Could you please check if a young woman named Hadley is still there?” He spoke to the nurse, who usually cared for Nyla.
“Certainly, Mr. Flynn.”
There was a short pause as the nurse left to check.
“Mr. Flynn, I’m afraid we don’t have anyone here by that name. It’s just our medical team and caregivers now.”
She wasn’t there? Had Hadley managed to leave already?
“Alright, thank you.”
After hanging up, Eric didn’t hesitate and drove directly to Silver Villas.
Upon arrival, he called out, “Hadley!”
Eric swung the front door open, only to be greeted by darkness, with no trace of Hadley anywhere.
Could she have already gone to bed?
He made his way toward the corner of the ground floor, where the servants’ quarters were located. “Hold on, which room does she use?”
However, before he got there, a light flickering from the bathroom caught his eye.
Was that Hadley inside?
Peering through the slightly open bathroom door, he saw a glimpse of the scene within.
There sat Hadley on a stool, her socks removed, examining her feet attentively.
“Thank goodness,” she breathed a sigh of relief. “No blisters.”
The challenges she had faced had hardened her resilience, forming an invisible armor around her. A two-hour walk was trivial for her.
She then gently soaked her feet in a basin filled with water.
“Ouch! Hot, hot, hot!”
From the doorway, Eric watched, his expression a mix of concern and curiosity.
Yet, Hadley didn’t withdraw her feet; instead, she sighed in satisfaction.
“This is really soothing. Perfect.”
“Hadley!” Eric called out from the door.
Eric’s shout echoed sharply, causing Hadley to stiffen.
As he advanced toward her with clear irritation, Eric’s frustration was evident.
He jabbed a finger in her direction.
“Where have you been? Didn’t I say to stay put?”
Caught off guard, Hadley’s initial irritation quickly morphed into amusement.
She burst into laughter, unable to contain herself.
Eric halted, his eyes widening as his anger intensified. “What’s so funny? If you had stayed put, would I have had to scour the city for you? And why is your phone off?”
“Right.” Hadley’s laughter faded into a serious expression as she nodded. “Indeed, it’s my mistake. I shouldn’t have walked home myself. I really should have just sat there and waited a couple of hours for you. My apologies. Truly, I’m sorry.” Her tone was thick with sarcasm.
“Are you suggesting this is my fault?” Eric examined her intently, his demeanor cold yet mocking. “Do you consider yourself more significant than Linda?”
Linda, his sister-in-law, was cherished by Ernest.
For Eric, his life had always revolved around his brother and the Flynn legacy. Protecting Linda for his brother’s sake would always remain his priority.
Eric’s tone hardened. “You are the one who should be unquestioningly supporting Linda. Remember, you owed her…”
He was on the verge of bringing up Linda’s miscarriage from four years ago.
Hadley had reached her limit with the discussion. “I’m not accusing you, really. How do you turn this into a complaint from me when I’m just stating facts?”
She stopped, her fists tightening in silence.
“I apologize for taking your time. It’s late, and you probably need some rest.”
Before Eric could reply, Hadley stood up to get some more hot water to continue her foot soak. She paid no attention to him.
Eric released a dismissive snort. Arguing seemed pointless; she was home unharmed, after all. Yet, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he’d been played.
As he was about to exit, a realization stopped him.
Did she just mention that she walked back?
He spun around sharply, his finger directed at her feet. “Just stop with the act.”
Confused, Hadley looked down at the basin and then at him, puzzled by his accusation.
Eric’s gaze intensified, dripping with scorn. “You’re telling me you walked all the way back here? And you think soaking your feet will make me buy that story? You believe this little display proves anything?”
She walked back?
It would take hours to walk from the sanatorium to Silver Villas.
Wasn’t it possible for her to hail a taxi if she was too impatient to wait for him? Surely, she could have managed that. And now she said she walked all the way back?
His skepticism was clear. Did she actually expect him to fall for that? She was clearly trying to elicit his pity with this exaggerated tale-a crude strategy. She hadn’t yet given up on manipulating him.
“Do you really think this sad story will sway me?” Eric scoffed, dismissing her attempt. “That’s not going to happen.”
With that, he pivoted and strode away, not sparing a glance behind.
Left in his wake, Hadley was momentarily speechless, and then a surge of anger washed over her. She gasped for air, incredulous at his audacity.
The following day brought a call from Lennon, who requested her presence at Galant. She was informed that her costumes were prepared and awaited her fitting.
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