?Chapter 1326:


    “Why are you staring at me?” Linda scoffed, crossing her arms. “They wanted to leave. What do you expect me to do—chase after them?” Her eyes shifted toward Eric. “Did something happen between you and Hadley?”


    “No,” Eric answered, trying to keep his voice steady, though a trace of sadness lingered in his expression.


    “No?” Linda’s voice sharpened with disbelief. “Do you even know what she just said about you? She said you were disgusting!”


    Eric didn’t flinch. Instead, he gave a faint, bitter smile. “I did something that upset her. It was entirely my fault.”


    Linda stared at him. “You’re seriously still defending her?”


    “Ernest.” Eric turned to Ernest. “They couldn’t have gotten far. I’m going after them.”


    “Okay.” Ernest gave a nod. “Go.”


    “Alright.” Without another word, Eric slipped back into his car.


    “Eric!” Linda called out, urgency in her tone. “Don’t go—”


    “Linda.” Ernest’s hand came down gently on the armrest of her wheelchair, stopping her. His eyes locked onto hers, calm but heavy with meaning. “Just let it go.”


    “What?” Linda’s voice trembled. “Let what go?”


    “You know what,” Ernest said, his brows drawing together.


    “I don’t!” Linda snapped through clenched teeth. “What is it you’re actually trying to say? If you’ve got something to say, just say it already.”


    “Alright.” Ernest gave a firm nod, swallowing once before he spoke again. “Eric isn’t your second choice, Linda. He’s not a backup n or someone waiting in the wings. He has his own heart, and it already belongs to someone else.”


    The message couldn’t have been clearer.


    “You…” Linda’s words caught in her throat. Her face drained of color. “What backup? What are you even talking about?”


    Ernest let out a quiet sigh, barely audible, but his voice turned firm—stripped of patience.


    gα ? ησ ν?? ??s has it all


    “Maybe I’ve misunderstood. Maybe your feelings for Eric are real. But you’re not what he wants. Let him go, Linda. Hasn’t he endured enough already? He grew up surrounded by abuse and chaos. And even after he became part of the Flynn family, he kept putting everyone else first—me, you. He’s nearly thirty now, Linda. Don’t you think it’s time he started living for himself?”


    A sudden honk cut through the air.


    A sleek ck Bentley rolled to a stop along the curb, blocking the sidewalk where Hadley and Elissa were walking.


    “Hadley!”


    Eric stepped out quickly, his eyes locked on her. His expression held a fragile mix of hope and hesitation. Even the way he breathed seemed measured, like he was afraid of saying the wrong thing.


    “Did you leave because I didn’te fast enough? I’m so sorry, but I’m here now. Will you get in the car?”<fnf7de> Original content can be found at find?novel</fnf7de>


    Hadley tilted her head slightly, her gaze steady, lips curling into a faint smile. Her tone, however, was ice. “No. I left because I didn’t want you to give me a ride. I didn’t want to see you. I didn’t want to be in the same car or even breathe the same air with you.”


    “Hadley, please don’t—”


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