?Chapter 2948:


    Catching the tension on Ellis’s face, Hadley hesitated for a moment.


    With a soft voice, she said to him, “That’s not it.”


    Ellis blinked in surprise. “It’s not…?”


    “No.” Hadley shook her head again, her voice steady as she repeated, “Honestly, even if you two never made that bet…” Her eyes stayed calm as she said gently, “I’d already been thinking about finding a time to sit down and talk things out with you.”


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    She hesitated for a moment.


    “Eric and I have been through a lot. There were times I pushed him away, doubted everything, and feltpletely unsure…” Taking a slow breath, she searched for the right words. “But in the end, I realized…”


    There were things she still struggled to share with anyone else.


    “You…” Ellis fixed his gaze on her and asked, “You still have feelings for him, don’t you?”


    Hearing that, Hadley looked a little surprised and fell quiet for a few seconds. After a moment, she nodded. “Yes, that’s how it is.”


    A gentle frown crossed her face as she continued, “There’s someone else I care about. Being with you wouldn’t be fair to you. Even if we stayed together out of obligation, we’d never find happiness. Don’t you think so?”


    A storm of feelings welled up inside Ellis.


    The girl standing before him had the softest heart. He was the one who suggested their arrangement in the first ce… yet right now, she didn’t bring it up at all. Instead, she just said it wouldn’t be fair to him.


    “I get it.” Ellis managed a faint smile and nodded. “I understand. There’s no hope left for me now, is there?”


    He lifted his eyes, gazing at her without looking away for a second.


    Hadley didn’t say a word.


    In that moment, she sensed he was looking right through her, as if he saw someone from his past.


    “You remind me of her sometimes.” After a pause, Ellis said softly, “The first time I met you, I couldn’t help but think—if she were still here, she’d be just as full of life as you are.”


    He fell silent for a brief moment.


    With a gentleugh, he added, “Other times, I think you two aren’t alike at all. You’repletely different.”


    “Of course we’re not,” Hadley said. “We’re nothing alike, really. We’re two entirely different people…” Hadley thought of that brave policewoman who’d lost her life, and her voice brimmed with respect. “But honestly, it’s an honor if I even slightly resemble someone as remarkable as she was.”


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