?Chapter 237:


    “Mr. Lewis.” Hadley entered, still wearing her bag. “What’s going on? I need to prep soon. There’s a new dance tonight—”


    “Hadley…” Lennon’s face bore a look of distress. “You’re not on the roster to perform tonight.”


    Hadley stopped in her tracks. “What? Why? Is there a problem with my performance?”


    This confusion was justified. Since her start at Gnt, Hadley had adhered wlessly to all their protocols. Never had Lennon hinted at any issues with her performances.


    Lennon exhaled deeply, shaking his head. “No, you’ve done nothing wrong.”


    To say she had done nothing wrong was an understatement. Under Hadley’s tenure, Gnt’s poprity had surged, a fact clear to all observers.


    “So, what’s the issue?” Anxiety crept into Hadley’s voice.


    “It’s Mr. Flynn.”


    At that name, Hadley felt a chill.


    Eric.


    “What is he up to now?”


    Lennon offered a helplessugh. “You know how Mr. Flynn is. He doesn’t provide reasons. He just instructed that as of today, you’re off the performance schedule.”


    As the reality set in, Hadley’s posture deted, her face turning pale. Lennon observed her reaction with a mix of concern and curiosity.


    “He didn’t tell you?”


    “No,” she replied tly, her head moving in a slow shake.


    Why would he? Cutting her off from her livelihood was hardly a topic for casual conversation.


    “That’s odd…” Lennon’s voice dropped to a murmur. “I always thought Mr. Flynn looked after you quite well…”


    Hisugh came out strained and uneasy.


    Clearly, he feared Eric. The loss of Hadley was detrimental to Gnt, yet challenging Eric Flynn was unthinkable.


    “Look, Hadley, try not to read too much into this,” Lennon said, trying to reassure her. “Mr. Flynn probably thinks he’s protecting you. He believes you shouldn’t be working so hard. Isn’t it better to have someone looking out for you like that? A man of his means—don’t you think he could easily support you? You deserve some leisure…”


    Hadley barely heard him.


    One fact dominated her thoughts—she could not afford to be without this job, not now.


    The costs for Joy’s medical care were mounting. Although Colleen was handling the surgery bills at the moment, Hadley still needed to sustain her daily financial support for her daughter.


    “Mr. Lewis, is there really no way I can continue to perform? I don’t need someone else to support me.”


    Lennon exhaled heavily, his expression somber. “Hadley, you must understand—Mr. Flynn’smands are final here in Srixby. No one opposes him.”


    So that was it.


    It was clear there was no use debating with Lennon; he wasn’t to me. She needed to deal with this directly.


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