?Chapter 82:


    Eric watched as Hadley regained herposure, noting how she recoiled from his touch. He pondered if she really found him that repulsive.


    At this point, scolding her wasn’t an option… She had just saved his grandmother.


    Eric managed to hold back his irritation from her earlier recoil, grabbed a cup, filled it with water, and offered it to her. “Here, you should rinse out your mouth.”


    “Thank you.”


    Hadley epted the cup gratefully and proceeded to rinse at the sink. Watching her from the side, Eric paused before saying, “You don’t need to thank me. In fact, I owe you thanks. Really, Hadley, thank you.”


    “Huh?”


    Hadley turned slowly, almost as if she couldn’t believe what she heard. What did he just say?


    “I’m saying thank you,” Eric responded, trying to ease the tension.


    “For what you did for Grandma.”


    Understanding dawned on Hadley, and she offered a slight smile. “It’s nothing. I didn’t do it for you. N took care of me for five years. Helping her was the least I could do.”


    Putting aside the past four years, Hadley knew how much she owed to N for weing her into her home when she had no one to turn to. It was a logical response. Yet, Eric sensed that Hadley was maintaining a distance between them.


    He had always desired this separation. But now, it unexpectedly irked him.


    “You’re entitled to your feelings, but expressing thanks is my prerogative.”


    He looked at Hadley thoughtfully. “What do you need? Name it, and I’ll provide it as a gesture of my gratitude.”


    “There’s no need…”


    “Come on, tell me!”


    Eric’s patience was waning. “I hate being in someone’s debt. Just tell me what you want!”


    Lаt??t chɑpt?rs ?n g??lnοv?ls.??ο??


    Hadley understood then. Eric feared she might see this as an opportunity to reattach herself to him. His offer was a way to settle any perceived debt and ensure she remained distant.


    “Alright, then.” Hadley finally made up her mind. “Let me think for a moment.”


    She pondered what to request as a thank-you gift.


    “How about this?” she proposed confidently. “Treat me to the donuts from Grandma’s Kitchen.”


    “What?”


    Eric, surprised, thought he might have misunderstood her.


    He looked at her quizzically. “Are you sure?”


    Did she really just ask for donuts when she could obviously have asked for more?


    Grandma’s Kitchen was a cherished, quaint bakery in Srixby, famous for its small batches of morning treats. They baked only a few each day, and once they were gone, patrons had to wait until the following morning.


    The scarcity of these treats made them quite expensive.


    Hadley had been away for four years and had missed these delicacies. Even now that she was back in Srixby, she couldn’t afford them on her own.


    .


    .


    .