?Chapter 145:


    Eric exhaled slowly, willing himself to keep his patience. His tone softened as he called her name.


    “Hadley?”


    At that, she stirred.


    Her chin lifted slightly, and through tear-streakedshes, her gaze met his.


    The moment their eyes locked, Eric felt the breath catch in his throat.


    His fingers twitched as he reached out.


    “Rx,” he murmured. “I won’t touch you.”


    Hadley closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment as Eric carefully slipped his fingers beneath the mask and lifted it away. The mask slipped away, uncovering her face beneath it.


    And there she was. Hadley.


    Eric clenched the mask in his grip, his eyes shutting for a brief moment as everything clicked into ce.


    That strange feeling of familiarity when he first saw her on stage. That unshakable pull toward her, no matter how much he tried to…ignore it.


    Of course, it made sense now. Hadley was a dancer.


    And he had been too blind to see it.


    “You…”


    Eric shot to his feet, his initial shock melting into raw frustration.


    He pointed straight at her. “Hadley, what the hell are you doing in a ce like this? Do you even understand what kind of ce this is?”


    Hadley smirked,pletely unfazed by his outburst.


    She had been expecting this. From the moment she realized Eric frequented Gnt, she knew this confrontation was inevitable.


    She got to her feet, dusting herself off before meeting his re head-on. “Mr. Flynn, youe here all the time. If anyone knows what kind of establishment this is, it should be you.”


    Your next adventure is at g  al n ovels . con


    Eric’s jaw tightened. “And you knew that, yet you still chose to be here?”


    Hadley tilted her head slightly, feigning innocence. “Why not? If you’re allowed here, why wouldn’t I be?”


    “Ridiculous!”


    Eric’s voice shot up, his anger boiling over. A vein pulsed at his temple.


    “I’m here to enjoy the performance! What’s your reason? You’re putting yourself up for sale! Hadley, my family took you in and raised you. Do you have no sense of dignity or self-respect?”


    Dignity and self-respect?


    Hadley’s hands tightened into fists, a sharp pain twisting inside her as if something deep within her was unraveling.


    She had long been deprived of the luxury of clinging to ideals like honor and dignity. Those were things she had sacrificed long ago during her struggle to stay alive. Survival was all that mattered now.


    “Say something!”


    Eric’s voice sliced through the silence, sharp with usation. He took her refusal to answer as an admission of guilt, his tone growing even harsher. “You told me you wanted to stand on your own. Is this what…”


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