?Chapter 945:


    “N—” Linda stepped in quickly, taking hold of N’s arm in an attempt to calm her. “Please, try to stay calm. Eric… he went to find Hadley.”


    “Find Hadley?” N echoed, confused and annoyed. “Didn’t she promise me she’d look after him? He wakes up and she leaves? Couldn’t she have humored him for a little longer?”


    Just then, a voice called from the hallway. “They’re back! Mr. Flynn and Miss Pearson just arrived!”


    “Eric!” N’s anger evaporated in an instant as she looked toward the door.


    And there he was—Eric, holding Hadley’s hand, grinning like he’d just won the lottery.


    Hadley, on the other hand, kept her head down, her eyes avoiding everyone in the room.


    Seeing the contrast between them, N felt a quiet ache in her chest. Her grandson’s eyes were full of lightpletely taken with Hadley. But Hadley? She might not feel the same.


    “Grandma,” Eric said, beaming. “Sorry I worried you.”


    “Oh, so now you realize that?” N huffed, ring at him even as relief flooded her expression. “Get back in that bed this instant! You just woke up and you’re already ying hero?”


    “I’m fine, really,” Eric said, tapping his chest with a cheeky grin. “Good as new!”


    “Stop pushing yourself! Lie down!” N barked, and then turned toward the hallway. “Someone get the doctor! Eric’s back!”


    “Already called, Mrs. Flynn!” a nurse replied from outside.


    Eric was gently helped back into bed, and momentster, the doctor arrived. After a thorough check-up, he nodded.


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    “Vitals are stable. His condition is generally good. However, he’s still weak and recovering. Since the injury involved head trauma, I rmend we do another CT and MRI, just to be safe.”


    “Please do what you need to,” N said at once.


    “Understood.”


    As everyone bustled around him, Hadley remained quietly at the edge of the room, half-shadowed by the doorframe. She hadn’t said a word, hadn’t moved. But when she heard the doctor’s assessment, she finally exhaled—the tension in her shoulders easing ever so slightly.


    He was safe. He was okay. And for now… there was still hope for Joy.


    Hadley then turned to face N, choosing her words with care. “It looks like everything’s under control now… so I think it’s best if I head out soon.”


    “Hadley…”


    N’s heart sank. She didn’t want her to leave—not when Eric was clinging to her like a lifeline. His attachment was painfully obvious.


    “Ouch!”


    All eyes turned to the hospital bed, where Eric frowned and raised a hand to his temple.


    “I don’t feel so good,” he murmured. “My head… it really hurts. Hadley, I don’t feel well.”


    That was all N needed to hear.


    She reached for Hadley’s hand, gripping it tightly. “For my sake, stay just a little longer,” she said, her voice soft but urgent. “Eric’s only just woken up—we can’t be sure he’s stable yet. Please.”


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