?Chapter 1241:


    “Hadley.” Denver’s voice carried a thread of worry. “Are you unwell?”


    “How did you know?” Hadley’s brow lifted in surprise.


    Denver sidestepped the question, his tone soft but urgent. “How are you feeling? Is it serious? Are you still under the weather?”


    “It’s nothing serious,” Hadley said with a lightugh, brushing it off. “Just a pesky cold.”


    “That’s a relief…” Denver’s voice trailed off, a gentle sigh escaping before he circled back to Hadley’s earlier question. “Eric came to see me. He mentioned you were sick.”


    Hadley’s smile faltered, caught off guard. Eric had gone to Denver? “He was riled up,” Denver continued, “ming me, insisting Ie see you.”


    Hadley’s heart skipped a beat. Eric had been reckless, stirring up a storm!


    “Hadley,” Denver said, his words measured, as if treading on thin ice. “I told him I didn’t love you anymore, that we were through. I just called to give you a heads-up, so you’re not blindsided. I’ll let you go now. Rest up and take care. Goodbye.”


    “Goodbye,” Hadley echoed softly.


    She lowered her phone, her thoughts swirling like leaves in a gust. Eric knew she and Denver were over… but what was she supposed to brace herself for?


    Meanwhile, Denver clutched his phone, standing by the corridor’s window. The city’s night lights glittered outside, sharp and stinging to his eyes. He squeezed them shut.


    He still cared for Hadley—deeply. But he would keep that truth locked away, never letting it slip, never drawing near her again. Loving her was his own quiet burden. Letting her go had to be his alone too.


    In his mind’s eye, he saw her again, that first moment at Gnt—Hadley was so effortlessly radiant,manding the stage like a star breaking through dawn. It was the first time his heart had leapt at a single nce. He didn’t want to cling to her, to ripple the calm of her life. This, he believed, was the only way to honor that breathtaking spark of love at first sight. Their paths had crossed for a reason, and the affection he held for her deserved to end with grace, not regret.


    “Hadley…” Denver’s eyes remained closed, a single tear tracing his cheek as he whispered, “Goodbye.”


    Elissa guided Hadley back to her apartment on Milnd Road, steadying her with care. From a distance, they spotted Eric’s Bentley parked outside her apartment building, gleaming under the streetlights.


    “What is he doing here?” Elissa nced at Hadley, her voice tinged with confusion. “Didn’t you say he had left?”


    “I haven’t a clue,” Hadley murmured, her brow knitting as she shook her head.


    Inside the car, Eric caught sight of them. He stepped out, his gaze settling on Hadley as he approached. Her face had regained some color, though her eyes still shimmered faintly, touched by the lingering difort.


    Eric’s throat tightened, his Adam’s apple shifting as he spoke with a tender warmth. “You were in the hospital, and I was afraid Joy might get upset. I stuck around downstairs, just in case I was needed.”


    “Okay,” Hadley replied, her voice a touch raspy. “You were kind to worry,” she added. “I’m here now, and it’s nothing serious. It’ste, though—you should head home and get some rest.”


    “Alright,” Eric agreed with a nod, knowing he had overstayed his reason to linger.


    “I’ll be off, then.” He cast Hadley a lingering nce, eyes soft with unspoken thoughts, before turning to his car and driving away, the taillights fading into the night.


    As the car vanished, Elissa nudged Hadley’s arm, her voice teasing. “You think he was really just worried about Joy? No other notions floating around in that head of his?”


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