?Chapter 2831:


    “Yes?”


    “Joy…” Her voice broke into a soft whimper.


    Eric’s grip on his ss tightened, his heart aching.


    “Joy will be fine. We’ll have news soon.”


    “Yeah,” she murmured, tears slipping down her cheeks.


    “Our family… we’ll all be together again…”


    Eric stood frozen, his body tensing at Hadley’s words. Was his hearing ying tricks on him?


    She mentioned a family—but what exactly did she mean? Did she mean the three of them: him, her, and Joy? But wasn’t she supposed to be tied to Ellis?


    “Hadley… what did you just say? Hadley?” His voice wavered as he turned to get a clearer look at her.


    Before he could press for an answer, Hadley slumped sideways and fell against him.


    Eric caught her just in time and saw that her eyes were closed, as if sleep had imed herpletely.


    Was she only rambling because of the alcohol? Or were those words fragments of a dream slipping past her lips?


    Surely she couldn’t have meant them… right?


    No. It had to be nothing more than his own desperate hope.


    Hadley remained in a deep sleep for hours, her body heavy from the alcohol she had consumed.


    By the time her eyes finally fluttered open, morning had already given way to the next day.


    Outside, rain tapped against the windows while gray clouds weighed down the sky.


    In the living room, N stayed seated, waiting in silence.


    At any moment, the kidnappers might decide to make their move and call for ransom. Ernest and Eric had chosen to stay home, bringing their work with them so they wouldn’t leave the family unattended.


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    In the dining room, Hadley sipped a ss of milk and forced herself to chew a few bites of food, treating every swallow like a duty.


    Footsteps hurried from the upper floor. Ernest and Eric appeared at the same time, moving quickly down the staircase.


    “What happened?” N called from the living room, while Hadley stepped out from the dining room at the same moment.


    “Did they finally reach out?”


    “Yes!” Eric said, his voice trembling as he gripped his phone tighter. His forehead was creased with tension.


    “Grandma, Hadley—the kidnappers just called!”


    “What exactly did they demand?”


    “They ordered us to gather the ransom and bring it to the ce they named!”


    “And what about the police? What did they say?”


    As the questions flew, two officers from the technical team assigned to Flynn Mansion stepped forward.


    “Mr. Flynn, Mr. Scott…”


    “There’s no need for formalities,” Ernest said, lifting a hand dismissively.


    “Just tell me whether you tracked them.”


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