?Chapter 1045:


    Hearing what he said, N froze, and her heart beat out of her chest. “Eric, Eric… my Eric is gone? Ah…”


    A wail tore through the air as N cried out, “My Eric! He’s been gone all this time…”


    Panic seized her, making it difficult to breathe. Her eyes rolled back, her body went limp, and she copsed into Ernest’s arms.


    “Grandma!” Ernest reached out just in time to catch N as she fell. His movement wasn’t steady due to his injured leg.


    Seeing this, Eric stepped in without hesitation. He leaned forward, and his long arms scooped N into an embrace, holding her securely against his chest.


    “I’ll call 911!” Ernest said urgently.


    “Okay!”


    Without wasting a moment, they split the task—one making the emergency call, the other tending to N. Quickly, she was rushed to the hospital.


    At the hospital, Ernest and Eric stood side by side.


    Eric’s face was etched with guilt. “It’s all my fault. This happened to Grandma because of me.”


    “Don’t say that,” Ernest said, his gaze meeting Eric’s. “It was my decision to bring you with me… You were just caught up in it. If there’s anyone at fault, it’s me, not you.”


    “No.” Eric shook his head slowly, his gaze fixed on the floor. “Before I met you, life was unbearable… I wasn’t even living like a real person. You gave me a chance to live with dignity. I can’t put the me on you. I made my own choices.”


    Ernest remained silent.


    He knew Eric well. His unwavering loyalty was the kind that couldn’t be bought or faked.


    Even during the years Ernest was in aa, Eric never once tried to take advantage of the situation or im the Flynn family’s power for himself. How could Ernest not trust someone like that?


    “That package…” Ernest finally spoke, changing the subject. “I’ve already asked Quentin to start an investigation. The person behind it… they’re the one who truly hurt Grandma.”


    Quentin made his way to the hospital, yet there was no sign of N emerging from the emergency room.


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    “Unfortunately, I have nothing significant to report so far,” he confessed. “The note was on in A4 paper, the kind you can find in any office supply shop. It was devoid of fingerprints. Furthermore, the sender opted to drop it at a courier station rather than arranging a home pickup. I’ve reviewed the CCTV footage at the station. The individual was masked, sporting a hat and gloves—meticulously dressed to avoid being recognized. Their entire appearance was deliberately concealed.”


    As Quentin concluded his briefing, he noticed Ernest and Eric sharing a nce filled with concern, their expressions marked by deep furrows in their brows.


    Silence enveloped the group. Suddenly, Eric’s fists tightened, his rage escting. He spat out one name. “Ferris!” There was no one else it could be.


    Ernest kept quiet, his silence not denying the suspicion. He knew about Ferris’ schemes to coerce Eric into rejoining the Scott family.


    “Is he trying to urge you?”


    “Urge? No, this is sheer coercion!” Eric responded with a scoff.


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