?Chapter 1169:


    The clock had just struck six in the evening.


    Denver had finished his day at work and, keeping to his usual routine, headed straight to the hospital to see Hadley and Joy. But Hadley was nowhere to be found.


    “Where’s Hadley?” he asked, confused.


    Melba nced toward the next room, where Joy sat watching cartoons, and then leaned in close and quietly told him about what had happened with Brady.


    Denver was stunned. He hadn’t imagined something like this would happen.


    Hadley must be carrying an unbearable weight right now.


    “Do you know where she went?”


    Melba knew, as Hadley had made sure to inform her before heading out.


    “She went to the Jenkins residence,” she replied.


    “Do you know the address?”


    “Yes.”


    “Tell me.”


    “Okay.”


    Denver took the address and left in a hurry, not wasting a second.


    Barely moments after he left, Eric arrived at the hospital.


    He didn’t see Hadley anywhere and immediately asked the same question.


    Melba let out a quiet sigh and repeated what she had told Denver.


    “Got it!” Eric said shortly, already turning on his heel. “Stay with Joy and take good care of her.”


    “Mr. Flynn—” Melba was taken aback by how quickly he left. She hadn’t had the chance to tell him Denver was already on the way.


    By the time Eric reached the Jenkins estate, his sharp gaze swept across the grounds, searching for any sign of Hadley. But he saw no one.


    He reached for his phone to call her, but just then, the sound of an approaching car made him pause.


    He stepped back into the shadows as the vi gates opened and a car rolled inside.


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    Momentster, Hadley came running toward the gates, soaked by the pouring rain despite her umbre, panting for air.


    A sleek private car zipped by on Hadley’s left, but she was utterly lost in her own world, unaware of the danger.


    “Hadley!” Eric’s heart lurched, his eyes wide with panic, nearly bursting from their sockets.


    Before Hadley could blink, strong arms wrapped around her waist. In one swift motion, Eric yanked her back, retreating in a heartbeat. As they stumbled against the wall, Eric’s hand cushioned her back, shielding her from the rough surface.


    “Watch it!” the driver of the car barked, his voice dripping with irritation as he sped off into the distance.


    Eric gazed down at Hadley, his pulse still racing from the close call.


    Yet his voice was a gentle balm, steady and warm.


    “It’s alright now. You’re safe.”


    But Hadley seemed to float in a daze, untouched by the near miss. She slipped from Eric’s embrace and darted toward the vi gates. “She has gone inside!”


    “Hadley!” Eric’s brow furrowed as he stooped to retrieve the umbre Hadley had let fall in her haste.


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