?Chapter 340:


    “Yeah, sure,” Denver said, watching as she quietly shut the door.


    He exhaled, running a hand over his face.


    It wasn’t frustration he felt. It was something heavier—helplessness, maybe. How was he supposed to help her fix this?


    “Barrie!” The thought struck Denver suddenly. Without hesitation, he turned and headed downstairs, pulling out his phone as he went.


    “Marshall, hey. It’s me. Are you with Barrie right now?”


    When Denver arrived, he found only Marshall and Barrie waiting. Marshall gestured for him to take a seat. “What’s going on?” he asked. Barrie put his ss down and turned to Denver. “Marshall told me you needed me for something. What’s up? If there’s anything I can do, just say the word.”


    “I appreciate it, man.”


    With time pressing and Hadley’s disappointed face fresh in his mind, Denver wasted no time.


    “I’ll cut straight to it. Here’s what’s happening…”


    Barrie listened closely, his expression growing tense as he took it all in. “So that’s how it went down?”


    He recalled how hard Eric had pushed to get Hadley out of Gnt and into nche’s troupe. But before she even had a real chance to prove herself, she was cast aside.


    “Barrie,” Denver’s voice was urgent. “Your mom and Ms. Nicolson are pretty tight, right? Do you think you could talk to her?”


    “Well…”


    Barrie hesitated to reveal that Eric had already cashed in that favor. Even so, refusing outright wasn’t easy. After a pause, he finally gave a nod. “Alright. I’ll bring it up with my mom and see if there’s anything she can do.”


    “Seriously, thank you!”


    “Hey…” Barrie shot him a look. “Hold off on that. No promises this will work.”


    Your escape begins at g?lnσν???s


    Barrie had heard from his mother that nche was known for her strictness. The only reason she had made an exception for Hadley was because of her undeniable talent and skill. But this time, it wasn’t about talent—it was about nche’s rules. This wasn’t going to be easy.


    Denver felt the weight of the situation pressing on him, but he held on to whatever hope he could. “No matter what happens, I appreciate you trying.”


    “Yeah, sure,” Barrie said as he got to his feet. “I’ll call her right now.”


    “Really appreciate it.”


    It wouldn’t take long to make the call.


    True enough, Barrie was back in no time, still holding his phone. “Alright, talked to my mom. Now we just have to wait and see what she says.”


    “Got it.”


    Denver gave a slight nod, though a faint frown remained. Then, turning to Marshall, he said, “Well, I should get going…”


    “Whoa, hold on!”


    Marshall stopped him before he could leave. “You’re already here—might as well stay for dinner.”


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