?Chapter 248:


    But this time, there was no denying it.


    Eric had made his position clear—he was retracting the divorce. If Hadley still cared for him, she’d have jumped at the chance to fix things, not shut him outpletely.


    “You…” N hesitated, her words hanging in the air. “Hadley, are you really sure?”


    “Yeah,” Hadley said, nodding firmly. “I’m sure.”


    “How can you say that?” N’s voice trembled with confusion. “You’ve loved him since you were fifteen.”


    Back then, all she ever talked about was Eric. The whole Flynn family knew how much she adored him.


    “I did,” Hadley replied, a wistful smile crossing her face as she shook her head. “But N, even the most intense love… it fades during those four years, eventually.”


    N’s chest tightened, caught off guard.


    Hadley’s voice was steady, almost detached. “Looking back, I’m not even sure I ever loved him, not the way I thought I did.”


    “What?” N’s words stumbled out, her disbelief clear.


    “I was too young to understand what love really meant,” Hadley whispered, her gaze distant. “You always talked about how you wanted me to be your granddaughter-inw. I convinced myself that was enough to make me love him.”


    “Hadley…” N’s face drained of color.


    Hadley wasn’t just rejecting Eric—she was erasing every trace of love she’d ever felt for him.


    “So, N.” Hadley exhaled deeply, pressing her lips together as if searching for the right words. “Divorce is the only option for me. It’s the only choice that makes sense.”


    In that moment, N realized there was really no more room for argument.


    She sighed, her shoulders slumping in resignation. “I understand.” With a tender motion, she reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of Hadley’s hair behind her ear. “Don’t worry. I may have spoken for him today, but that’s where I draw the line.”


    Hadley blinked, caught off guard, her gaze fixed on N in stunned silence.


    L?t?st ?h??ρt?rs ιn g??l??ov?ls.??0??


    “What’s with that expression?” Nughed softly, yfully pinching Hadley’s cheek. “I meant it. I want you to have a good life—a happy, fulfilling one.”


    Hadley felt a lump in her throat, her nose tingling with emotion. “Thank you, N.”


    “Ah, you silly girl. What’s there to thank me for?”


    N let go of her hand, exhaling quietly. “Why don’t you head to the kitchen? See if breakfast is ready.”


    “Alright.”


    Hadley stood and walked toward the kitchen.


    The moment Hadley was out of earshot, N’s smile vanished. Her face shifted, hardening with resolve, and her voice dropped to a whisper. “You can step out now.”


    The terrace curtain was pulled back, and Eric stepped into the room. He had been hiding there for a while now.


    This had been the n—N would speak to Hadley. But she’d only agreed to speak on his behalf once. After that, the rest was on him.


    .


    .


    .