?Chapter 742:


    Hadley turned just as Eric approached, his arm sliding around her shoulders, his touch warm despite the icy air. “Why aren’t you waiting inside? It’s freezing out here!”


    Hadley hesitated for a fraction of a second before offering a small, unreadable smile. “It’s fine. I wasn’t waiting long.”


    “Come on. Let’s go inside!”


    “Okay.” With that, she let him lead her inside—but her thoughts were still lingering outside.


    Outside, the wind howled, carrying thick snowkes that drifted relentlessly,yering the city in pristine white. But inside Silver Vis, warmth cocooned the space, wrapping it in quiet stillness.


    Eric pulled Hadley into his arms, his grip firm yet gentle. She had been clinging to him more than usual these past few days—not that he minded. If anything, he relished it. If life could always be like this—just the two of them, close,fortable—he wouldn’t ask for more.


    He tucked the nket around her, smoothing it over her shoulders before leaning down to press a soft kiss against her temple.


    “Hadley.”


    “Hmm?” She was already half-lost to sleep, her voice thick with drowsiness. One armzily lifted before flopping back down—a feeble attempt at shooing him away. “No more! Let me sleep!” What did she think he was going to do?


    Eric let out a quiet chuckle. After a beat of silence, he asked, “If you had to choose—red, blue, yellow, or white… which one’s your favorite?”


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    Hadley barely stirred, but one eye peeked open, clouded with drowsy suspicion.


    “Why?”


    “No reason. Just answer.”


    She let out a slow exhale, her voice soft with fatigue. “Red.”


    The answer came without hesitation—not because she was humoring him, but because it was simply true.


    Eric’s gaze flickered toward her, a small smirk tugging at his lips. Just like that winter coat she always wore—the one that suited her so effortlessly. The one that made her impossible to overlook in a crowd.


    “Red, huh.” He murmured the word under his breath, rolling it over in his mind. “Got it.”


    The warmth of the moment stretched between them, settling into a quiet certainty. And then, the thought crept in—marriage.


    It wasn’t the first time it had crossed his mind, but tonight, it took root. She had been his once—but their first marriage had been built on all the wrong things.


    He had asked before, but she turned him down. And looking back… he understood why. Because he hadn’t made it feel like it mattered.


    He had treated it like a logical step rather than a sacred promise. That wouldn’t happen again. This time—it had to be perfect. Every detail thought through. Every moment earned.


    And the ring… Hadley loved red, so it wouldn’t be just any diamond. It would be a red one.


    By noon, Hadley returned from the cafeteria, carefully bncing a tray with a warm meal for Elissa.


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