Chapter 273

Chapter 273:

The crowd erupted into delighted gasps, murmurs, and whispers. A scene like this in the middle of the night? It was like something out of a drama.

Hadley, however, felt the blood drain from her face. “Eric! Put me down this second!”

“That’s not going to happen.” He didn’t even glance at her. “You never listen to me—why the hell should I listen to you?”

“You—!”

Her entire body tensed with rage. It was beyond frustrating—how was it possible for someone to be this impossible?

She struggled against his grip, thrashing in his arms. “Let me go! Put me down right now!”

“Quit squirming.”

Eric let out a heavy sigh, realizing she’d only end up hurting herself if she kept struggling. Begrudgingly, he set her back down.

The second her feet hit the pavement, she shoved him aside and sprinted back toward the line—but the opportunity was already lost.

Many others stood nearby, hovering at the edges, their eyes fixed on the scene as they waited for their chance to make a move.

The moment Eric whisked her away, the line shifted forward without hesitation. Her place was gone.

If she wanted to queue up again, she’d have to start from the very back. And with only twenty units up for grabs… she didn’t stand a chance anymore.

Hadley was furious. Eric was the root of all her troubles.

Whirling around, Hadley lunged at him, clutching his shirt. Her eyes, red and furious, bore into him.

“Why are you doing this to me? Can’t you just leave me be?”

Her daughter was on the verge of undergoing surgery. Though unspoken, the fears were real; Mathias had warned her—surgery was always a gamble. No surgeon could promise a flawless outcome.

m𝓸r𝓮 𝓾ρda𝓽es 𝓲𝓷 𝓰a𝓵novels.c𝓸m

And if, heaven forbid, something went wrong with Joy—

Hadley needed to ensure that Joy received her Minnie doll before the operation.

“You caused this mess!” Tears streamed down Hadley’s cheeks as she shook uncontrollably. “Everything’s ruined! I don’t want to see you ever again! Just get out of here!”

In a fit of rage, she pummeled him with her fists and kicked furiously. Eric made no move to retaliate—not because he would never strike a woman, especially not his woman, but because he was utterly taken aback.

He hadn’t foreseen Hadley breaking down over a toy.

It was merely a toy, yet her tears flowed as though she had lost someone dear.

“Hadley, please, calm down,” he said, trying to console her.

“Get out of my sight! I don’t want you here! Please, just let me be!”

“Hadley…”

Realizing she was beyond consolation, Eric decided to act. He scooped her up in his arms, cradling her like a child. Hadley was dumbfounded.

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