?Chapter 1348:


    “Sir, you’ve barely regained consciousness, and the anesthesia still clouds your system. You must rest…”


    “Move aside!” Ericmanded, his voice surprisingly strong despite his condition.


    “Sir…” Phillips fumbled for words when the door creaked open. Relief flooded his features—reinforcements had arrived!


    “Hadley!” Phillips eximed, desperation evident in his voice. “Thank goodness you’re here! Please help me here!”


    With deliberate movements, Hadley closed the door and strode purposefully into the room.


    “Hadley.” Eric’s throat constricted as he drank in her presence, his intense gaze never leaving her face.


    Her silent presence worked like a spell, immediately subduing his restlessness.


    “You’re… here?” His voice softened. “How’s Joy? Weren’t you supposed to be with her? Is her check-up finished? What did they say?”


    Hadley approached his bedside and paused, studying his face in measured silence.


    He was conscious atst. And yet, his first concern wasn’t for himself, but for Joy…


    Hadley extended her hand, her fingers wrapping gently around his forearm to stabilize him. “Your surgery concluded less than six hours ago. The anesthesia still lingers in your system. You need to stay in bed. Lie down.”


    Eric tensed momentarily under her touch, but then his features softened into a genuine smile.


    Hadley was actually worried about him!


    “Oh, okay.” He yielded to her guidance, sinking back against the mattress. “I’ll do whatever you say…”


    Secondster, he attempted to rise once more. “But Joy…”


    “She is fine.” Hadley firmly guided him back down, her palm against his chest. “She’s resting in the adjacent room. Still asleep, with Melba watching over her.”


    “Did they give her any medication?” His voice carried a hint of anxiety.


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    “No.” Hadley shook her head. “The doctor assured me she just needs rest. She’s already on prescribed medications, and adding more would onlyplicate things.”


    “That makes sense…” Eric pressed for specifics about Joy’s examination results, but his shoulders gradually lost tension as Hadley exined. Finally, he surrendered to fatigue. “I’ll rest for now. So when she wakes, I can be with her.”<fn76ce> This content belongs to findnovel</fn76ce>


    “Okay.” Hadley released his arm and assessed his heavily bandaged left hand. Her brow furrowed as she reached for a pillow, carefully positioning it beneath his injured limb. “Your hand should be elevated—doctor’s orders.”


    She had arranged it before leaving earlier, but he must have knocked the pillow off when he woke up.


    “Alright.” Eric settled against the headboard, his unwavering gaze tracking her every movement.


    “Do you need some water?” Hadley asked, deliberately ignoring the intensity of his stare. “I’ll fetch some. Thirst typically follows when anesthesia begins to wear off.”


    “Yes, my throat feels like sandpaper,” he admitted.


    From his corner, Phillips watched the exchange with quiet resignation. He couldn’t help but think darkly that Eric would probably drink actual poison if it came from her hands… His presence had clearly be superfluous.


    With a discreet sigh, Phillips slipped out of the room, leaving the pair to their strange dance of mutual concern.


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