?Chapter 2947:
“You stay out here. Don’te in after us.” Hadley spoke up, her tone steady. “If you’re not leaving, then stand by the door and wait. Did you hear me?”
Eric watched her, then shot a wary nce at Ellis. He couldn’t shake the worry that Ellis might try something sneaky.
Still, he couldn’t bring himself to disregard what Hadley said.
“Did you hear what I said?” Hadley’s brow creased, impatience flickering in her eyes. “Are you just going to ignore me?”
“I heard you.” With his head lowered, Eric muttered a reluctant agreement. “Alright. I got it.”
Hadley didn’t say anything else to him. She turned to Ellis and said, “Let’s head in.”
“Okay.”
One after the other, they stepped into the café.
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“Hadley!”
Feeling restless, Eric watched her walk away and called out, “I’ll be waiting for you at the door!”
Hadley didn’t say a word. She hesitated for a second, then headed straight in.
Ellis let out a quietugh and trailed right behind her.
The ss door slid shut behind them.
“What?”
Eric stood by the door, his expression tense. Was Ellis actuallyughing at him just now?
“Mr. Scott!”
Momentster, Xander came hurrying over, Eric’s clothes bundled in his arms.
“Mr. Scott! Where did Hadley go?”
“She’s over there.” Eric nodded towards the café.
“You caught up with her—good.” Xander let out a relieved sigh. “Alright, Mr. Scott, hurry up and change into these.” He lifted the clothes for Eric to take.
“Tsk!”
Eric’s brows drew together. He brushed them off with clear irritation.
“I can’t! There’s no time. Hadley told me to stay put and wait for her.”
What if he left to change, and Hadley walked out before he got back?
Xander stared in disbelief.
Eric sure knew how to be “obedient.”
Xander pressed his lips together, trying to hold back augh.
“Mr. Scott,” Xander suggested, “it gets tiring just standing here. Why don’t I bring you a chair?”
“Alright…” Eric gave a small nod, just about to agree.
“Hold on!” He changed his mind on the spot. “Never mind, forget it!”
“Why not?” asked Xander.
Eric frowned and replied, “Hadley just told me to stand right here and wait. I’ll just stay put.”
Xander stared in disbelief once more.
To anyone watching, Eric looked a bit clueless.
Eric stood facing the café, watching as Hadley and Ellis sat down across from each other. But he couldn’t make out a single word they exchanged.
“Are you ready to fill me in now?” Hadley took a sip of her lemon water. “So, what exactly happened today? Was this something you and Eric agreed on? Or was it Eric who put you up to it?”
“You really don’t know?” Ellis sounded surprised. “He never mentioned anything to you?”
“I haven’t even had a chance to ask him yet.” Hadley shook her head. “I can probably guess.”
“Alright, I’ll exin it to you. He and I ended up making a bet…” Ellis walked her through everything, exining it from beginning to end. “So, that’s the whole story…”
He lifted his hands in surrender, giving Hadley a resigned, slightly regretful look.
“So after everything, you still picked him.”
Atst, Hadley understood. So that was how it was.
Honestly, that was exactly the sort of thing Eric would pull. She shook her head, feeling at a loss, not even sure how she should react.
“Hadley…” Ellis looked at her, his expression a little tense. “Mind if I ask you something?”
“Sure.” Hadley gave a nod. “Go on, I’m listening.”
“It’s just that…”
Ellis hesitated for a long while before finally asking, “Tell me honestly. Did you pick him because he’s Joy’s real father?”
A mix of tension, uncertainty, and faint hope flickered across his face.
“We haven’t been together long, so it’s not like our feelings run that deep yet. I understand why you chose to see Eric first.” He paused, then added quietly, “If that’s how it is, I’ll talk to him myself.”
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