?Chapter 1255:


    After finishing their meal, Eric took her back to Milnd Road. When the car pulled up in front of her apartment building, Hadley quietly unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out without waiting for him.


    “Thank you for the ride,” she said calmly.


    “Hadley.” Eric got out right after her, reaching for her wrist and pulling her gently into his arms.


    Looking down at her, he said, his voice hoarse, “It’s been the whole evening… Can you give me an answer now?”


    All night, Hadley kept dodging Eric’s questions. Every time he tried to talk about their rtionship, she steered the conversation elsewhere.


    “You’re avoiding it on purpose,” Eric said, a trace of hurt in his voice. His eyes stayed locked on her animated expression. “You made me a promise. You can’t just take it back.”


    “Let go first. Then we’ll talk…” Hadley urged. She tried to wriggle free, but he didn’t budge.


    “No,” Eric firmly shook his head. His brows drew together, and his gaze was dark and unrelenting. “If I let go, you’ll run. Just say what you need to say. Once it’s clear, I’ll let go.”


    He was being stubborn. And clever about it, too. Hadley knew she couldn’t dodge it forever. With a quiet sigh, she leaned into him and tilted her head up a little.


    “Yes, I did say that. But what I meant was giving you a chance, not that I’d be with you right away.”


    Eric nodded, and his gaze softened. “I know. Just hearing that is enough for me. You used to like me so much… I’ll do everything I can to make you feel that way again.”


    Sweet words always sounded nice. If she were still 20, Hadley might have melted on the spot. She might have hugged him tight, moved by those promises. But now, her hands curled into fists at her sides, and a dull ache formed in her chest.


    In fact, her eyes clouded with doubt. Could things ever really go back to the way they were?


    At that moment, in Hadley’s apartment, Ernest sat across from Elissa. He hade that evening because of Locke, who had stubbornly insisted that Elissa be his governess.


    Ernest had already exined the reason for his visit. After hearing him out, Elissa looked conflicted. Clearly, she didn’t want to agree.


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    “Mr. Flynn…”


    Just as she was about to turn him down, Ernest sweetened the offer.


    “If you agree, I’ll give you full-time employee benefits at the Flynn Group.”


    “What?” Elissa stared at him, stunned. Had she heard that right?


    Everyone in Srixby knew how hard it was to get into the Flynn Group. And now he was offering her an official position?


    Ernest continued, “Locke’s still young. You’d only need to spend an hour with him after school. You’d have weekends off. The sryes with full benefits. And I’ll arrange a staff dorm for you as well.” The conditions were hard to turn down.


    There was something else weighing on her, though. Elissa had been staying at Hadley’s ce. Hadley didn’t seem to mind, but Elissa felt uneasy about troubling her friend.


    Still, could she just ept this so easily? The offer felt too generous.


    She already owed Ernest too much—money, favors, and more. And now this?


    Elissa bit her lower lip. “Mr. Flynn, I really appreciate your offer. But I’m sorry. I can’t ept it.”


    Still a no?


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