?Chapter 972:


    With Linda, her being a girl sparked a guardian instinct—if she had asked for the moon, Eric would have scoured the earth to fetch it!


    Ernest mirrored that devotion.


    As they matured into the years when hearts start to stir, whispers took flight.


    Talk of the Flynn brothers vying for the same girl zed through the rumor mill.


    That was when it hit Eric that a girl too entwined with two eligible guys fueled chatter.


    Back then, his care for her was innocent, with no hidden motives. Still, that didn’t stop the gossip.


    Eventually, it reached N, and the family’s pir wouldn’t abide the blemish.


    Having buried her son and daughter-inw, she guarded her grandsons fiercely. So, she summoned the trio.


    “Linda, be straight with me—who do you like, Ernest or Eric? Don’t worry, just be honest.”


    “I…” Linda’s eyes darted to Ernest, and then Eric, before she murmured, timid, “Ernest. It’s Ernest.”


    “Alright, clear enough,” N said with a soft breath, turning to Eric.


    “You heard her, Eric. You know what’s next?”


    “Yes, Grandma, I do,” he replied, nodding with quiet resolve. From that moment, the lines were etched—Linda and Ernest became a couple.


    Hadley nodded after the recounting, her look tinged with pity. “Buting up short against your brother? That’s not a raw deal. Try to see it positively.”


    Eric let out a dry, frustrated chuckle. “What’s there to sulk over?”


    “Precisely,” Hadley shot back, digging into her meal without pause. “The wheel turns—your lucky streak’s hit earlier than you figured.”


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    “No…” Eric sighed, at his wits’ end. “I’veid it all out—how are you still missing the point?”


    “I’m not,” she said with a nod. “You’re telling me Linda passed on you as kids before you could even have a chance to confess.”


    Eric fell silent. “Is that really what I said? Didn’t I make it clear there was never anything romantic between us? Confess? I never even thought about it…”


    “Here’s your chance to consider it,” Hadley said with a grave tone, breaking it down for him. “You had a soft spot for her back then, but it got buried before you could even process it. With more than ten years tying you together, stirring up those dormant sparks would be effortless—your happy ending is practically within reach.”


    “Is this yourtest tactic for turning me down?” Eric looked at Hadley, caught between amusement and frustration.


    If she hadn’t rejected him so many timestely—or if he weren’t so drawn to her now—he might’ve already lost his temper.


    “Stirring up dormant sparks? A happy ending?” He gave a low chuckle. “Yeah, I’ve got some dormant sparks stirring up now, and I want my happy ending with you. So why won’t you let that happen? Why can’t we have our own happy ending?”


    Hadley froze, her lips parting in surprise.


    Eric narrowed his eyes. “I shouldn’t have said anything. Just making things harder for myself. Now, eat.”


    He grabbed his fork and continued to serve her food.


    Hadley eyed the piece of meat he offered. “Isn’t that too fatty?”


    Eric scowled. “Where’s the fat? You won’t even touch a little bit, will you?”


    With a sigh, he picked up a knife, sliced off the fat, and popped it into his mouth like it was nothing.


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