?Chapter 490:


    He stood there, waiting, half-expecting her to say something. To acknowledge him.


    But Hadley didn’t even spare him a nce. She stepped past him like nothing had happened.


    As she moved past, he caught her wrist.


    His voice was low, edged with tension. “Pick it up.”


    “What?” Hadley let out a quietugh. “Why would I pick up something I threw away? It’s disgusting.”


    “Pick it up!” Eric’s voice cut through the air, sharper this time, his gaze locking onto hers with unyielding intensity. “I said, pick it up.”


    “Ouch!”


    Hadley flinched as his grip tightened around her wrist. She shot him a re, yanking against his hold. “I won’t! You can’t make me!”


    Her eyes burned—fierce, unwavering.


    “Trash belongs where it belongs—in the trash!”


    Trash?


    Eric’s jaw tightened. Had she really just called the hair tie he gave her trash? His free hand curled into a fist at his side, frustration simmering beneath his skin.


    “That was a gift from me!”


    Hadley let out a sharpugh, her sneer cutting. “You think it’s appropriate to give us both the same gift? Does Ernest know? That you gave his wife and me the exact same thing?”


    She pointed at the trash can, mockeryced in every word. “I tossed it for your sake. Wouldn’t want Ernest catching on to your shady intentions and ruining his recovery, now would we?”


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    Eric’s fingers tightened around her wrist. Hard.


    Hadley sucked in a sharp breath, her wince barely concealed. It felt like he was moments away from crushing the bone.


    “Shady intentions?”


    His eyes burned—an unsettling mix of fury and something even colder. “Is that what you think of me?”


    “Am I wrong?” Her voice was steady, deliberate. “It’s not about what I think. If you don’t want Ernest to lose it, you should keep your dirty little secrets buried.”


    “Hadley!”


    Linda couldn’t hold back any longer. She stormed forward, her voice sharp. “Shut up!”


    Without hesitation, she raised a hand and pped Hadley across the face.


    “I won’t let you talk about him like that!”


    Hadley froze, the sharp sting still burning on her cheek. But the shock didn’tst long. Her instincts took over—her hand shot up, striking Linda just as hard.


    Linda staggered back, clutching her cheek in shock. Her voice wavered with disbelief. “You actually hit me?”


    “Humph!” Hadley scoffed, eyes cold. “Oh, so it’s fine when you hit me, but I can’t return the favor? Doesn’t work that way.”


    “I’m not letting this slide!”


    Humiliated and seething, Linda lunged at Hadley.


    “Ah!”


    Before she couldnd a blow, Hadley’s fingers tangled into her hair—yanking hard enough that it felt like her scalp might rip clean off.


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