?Chapter 156:


    Hadley’s heart pounded against her ribs. Her tongue felt heavy, but she forced herself to speak. “It’s me.”


    A brief silence followed. Then, the man’s voice came through again, this time filled with a mix of shock and something dangerously close to excitement. “Hadley? Is this really you?”


    She gripped the phone tighter, her other hand pressing hard against her knee. “Yeah. It’s me.”


    His reaction was immediate. “Can’t believe you actually called me!” His voice wavered slightly before he caught himself. “Wait—do you need something?”


    He seemed to realize how that sounded and quickly backtracked. “I don’t mean you can’t call unless you need something! That’s not what I meant. You can call me anytime. Whenever. I’ll always pick up.”


    The way he stumbled over his words made Hadley’s eyes sting. Her fingers curled into her palm, shaking just a little.


    She didn’t waste time on pleasantries.


    “I need money. A loan. Will you lend it to me? I can’t promise to pay it back quickly, but I will.”


    “Money?” He faltered for a second, clearly caught off guard, but there was no hesitation in his answer. “Of course. How much?”


    “Five hundred thousand.”


    Hadley gave him the number without wavering.


    “Come again?” The man was clearly taken aback. His voice shot up slightly as he blurted, “Hadley, why do you need that kind of money? What happened?”


    Hadley’s expression hardened. She had no intention of exining.


    “Are you lending it or not? If you’re not, I won’t waste your time.”


    “Wait!” He rushed to stop her before she could hang up. “Just—don’t hang up yet! Let’s meet in person.”


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    Meet up? What for? Hadley frowned, immediately wary.


    “Hadley…”


    He must have sensed her hesitation because his voice softened. “I’ll give you the money, I promise. It’s been years. I just want to see you. That’s all. We’ll meet, and I’ll hand the money over. Fair enough?”


    Hadley weighed her options. She had no desire to see him again, but five hundred thousand wasn’t a small amount, and her child’s life depended on it.


    After a long pause, she gave in. “Alright.”


    “I’ll text you the time and ce. Just don’t back out on me.”


    “I won’t.”


    A few dayster, Hadley arrived at a private club in the city. It was an exclusive spot—quiet, discreet, the kind of ce where people went when they didn’t want to be seen.


    The irony wasn’t lost on her. He was the one who wanted to see her, yet he was also the one going out of his way to stay under the radar. Hadley showed up ten minutes early. Since entry was restricted to members, she had to give his name at the front.


    “This way, please.”


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