?Chapter 696:


    Then—his phone buzzed. Quentin.


    He quickly answered,


    “Hello?”


    “Mr. Flynn, we found Miss Harris. She’s injured, but—” A brief hesitation. “She refuses toe with me. She won’t budge. We need you here.”


    Eric exhaled sharply, rubbing his temple.


    “Where are you? I’ll be there—hold on.”


    Just as the call ended, his phone rang again. Another call?


    A sharp gust of wind suddenly blew past him, carrying ice and snowkes straight into his eyes. He winced, instinctively squeezing them shut.


    His footing slipped. The phone flew from his grasp, crashing against the frozen earth.


    Eric’s breath caught as he watched its light flicker a few feet away. It was still ringing.


    Who could it be? Hadley?


    He reached out, his fingertips brushing the ice just inches away from it—but the phone was still out of reach.


    The ringtone stopped. Eric cursed under his breath, frustration curling in his gut. But then, the phone lit up once more.


    Eric’s heart pounded against his ribs. His mind raced. Was it Hadley?


    Was she in trouble? Had something happened? If she needed him, if she was hurt, alone, waiting for him— His jaw clenched at the thought. He had to answer.


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    Ignoring the stiffness in his muscles, he lunged forward, stretching his arm as far as it could go. But then, the ground beneath him shifted.


    He lurched downward, his feet desperately scrambling for purchase, but the loose, icy soil provided nothing to hold onto and he tumbled down the slope.


    Hadley was half-drifting between sleep and wakefulness when the sharp trill of her ringtone shattered the silence. Who would be calling at this hour?


    Joy?


    Blinking against the dim glow of the screen, she nced at the caller ID.


    Phillips?


    A strange shiver ran through her, snapping her further awake. After the exhausting chaos of the night, could she not get even a moment’s rest? Suppressing the annoyance bubbling in her chest, she sighed and swiped to answer.


    “Yes, what is it?”


    “Hadley!”


    Phillips’ voice was urgent—too urgent. The tension in his tone hit her before his words did.


    “Mr. Flynn is injured—it’s bad. He’s being rushed to the hospital. I’m on my way to pick you up. Get ready, now!”


    The line went dead before she could respond.


    “Wait, what?” Hadley sat frozen, the phone still pressed to her ear.


    Eric? Injured? He was supposed to be out looking for Linda. How could he be injured? And seriously injured?


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