?Chapter 2724:


    “That sounds perfect.” Eric’s eyes remained fixed on her face while a tender smile curved his lips.


    Despite the gravity of his circumstances, his entire bearing radiated calmposure—not a single sign of panic or mental deterioration marred his steady presence.


    “Oh, I almost forgot,” Hadley continued with animated enthusiasm as she unzipped her bag and extracted a small rectangr package.


    Eric’s eyes focused on the object.


    “A shaving razor?”


    “Exactly.”


    Hadley lifted the lid to reveal the contents.


    “You mentioned that your current de had lost its sharpness, remember?” Her original intention had been to supply him with fresh recement des.


    “I was nning to go to the grocery store, but then I discovered this unused set at Ernest’s ce, so I decided it would serve you better here.”


    “Is that so?” Eric’s eyebrows drew together in mock concern, though amusement danced in his eyes.


    “Ernest has those particr tendencies—when something disappears from its designated ce, he immediately notices and demands recement… Won’t he be frustrated when he discovers his property has vanished?”


    “Don’t concern yourself.” Hadley dropped her voice to a conspiratorial whisper, her hand fluttering up to partially conceal her mouth.


    “He’ll never discover it’s missing… And even if he somehow does, his anger won’t be directed toward me. He’ll suffer in silence rather than confront me about it, so I refuse to lose sleep over the matter!”


    “You’re right.” Eric’s eyebrows lifted in acknowledgment, apanied by an appreciative grin.


    Ernest would never allow himself to express anger toward Hadley, regardless of the circumstances.


    “I have wonderful news to share with you… Last evening, Joy…” Hadley’s voice took on the gentle cadence of a storyteller as she painted vivid pictures of their daughter’s recent adventures. Eric absorbed every word with rapt attention, his gaze radiating paternal love, punctuating her narrative with soft murmurs and knowing smiles.


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    In the adjacent observation room, Ellis upied a cramped monitoring chamber equipped with a one-way mirror, his position allowing him to scrutinize every nuance of Hadley’s behavior during the visit.


    Her features glowed with pure happiness, herplete attention devoted exclusively to the man sitting across from her… Eric’s expression transcended anythingnguage could adequately capture.


    Could these two people truly be just former spouses who no longer had any feeling for each other?


    Ellis pressed his spine against the chair’s backrest, his fingers curling into a rigid fist that betrayed his internal turmoil. The painful realization crystallized in his mind: she remained deeply, irrevocably in love with her former husband.


    Despite his masculine perspective, he recognized that the expression of devoted, genuine love revealed itself identically in every person’s eyes, transcending all other considerations.


    Exactly the way Hadley gazed upon Eric in this very moment.


    Ellis allowed his eyelids to fall shut, supporting his suddenly heavy head with his palm.


    Mere days earlier, he had confidently assured his mother that encountering Hadley had only strengthened his determination to pursue her relentlessly.


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