?Chapter 684:


    “She prepared dinner before she left. I’ve eaten already.”


    “Really?” Eric remained puzzled, watching her closely.


    “Then what has you so preupied right now?”


    Her attire,plete with an apron, signaled her current task in the kitchen.


    “I’ve prepared something special for you.” Hadley’s smile was warm as she spoke.


    “For me?”


    “Yes, just about ready,” Hadley replied, turning off the heat and removing the pot’s lid.


    Curious, Eric leaned in to see a single pear, still in its skin, steaming inside the pot.


    “Have you been coughingtely?” she inquired.


    “I read that steamed pears help soothe the throat,” Hadley exined as she donned oven mitts to carefully extract the bowl from the pot.


    “Let it cool a bit before you try it,” she said, setting the bowl aside to cool.


    Looking up, she noticed Eric’s astonished expression.


    “Is something the matter?” Hadley asked, a hint of concern in her voice.


    “You don’t like pears?”


    “No, it’s just…” Eric paused, and then stepped forward to wrap his arms around her in a grateful embrace.


    “Hadley, thank you for this. You really shouldn’t have gone to all this trouble for me.”


    Caught off guard by his reaction, Hadley chuckled softly.


    “It’s really no trouble at all, quite simple actually.”


    Eric’s smile was genuine, appreciating not theplexity of the task but the thoughtfulness behind it.


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    “Hadley,” he murmured, gently holding her chin.


    “Do you have feelings for me?” he inquired softly.


    He was aware of her past with Denver, wondering if she still held any affection for him.


    “Tell me, do you have even the slightest liking for me?” he whispered.


    Eric stood watching Hadley intently, a quiet hopefulness glimmering behind his eyes, clearly waiting for her response.


    A slight difort crept through Hadley, and she fidgeted nervously in his hold, skirting around his question.


    “Why don’t you try the pear first? It’ll get too cold if you keep waiting. Let me get you a spoon.”


    Was Hadley avoiding him?


    Yet Eric noticed immediately, clearly sensing the unease hiding beneath her evasion.


    Still, she hadn’t openly turned him down.


    Holding her closer, he stubbornly refused to loosen his grip.


    “You’re being evasive again. Is admitting you like me really such a big deal?”


    He bent toward her, stealing a gentle kiss.


    “Forget the spoon. I’ll grab one myself. You took the time to cook this, and I intend to enjoy every bite.”


    Finally letting go, he headed toward the cupboard.


    As Hadley watched him go, a wave of dizziness suddenly washed over her.


    For a fleeting second, uncertainty tugged at her resolve.


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