Chapter 544

Chapter 544:

Golf, in particular, had been one of Nyla’s requirements.

Though Hadley rarely played these days and felt her skills were only passable, she could manage comfortably enough in casual settings.

After watching her swing, Eric’s eyes widened slightly in pleasant surprise. “Not bad. You’re better than I expected.”

Hadley lifted an eyebrow, casually shrugging. “It’s been a while—I’m rusty.”

Just then, Marshall approached from a distance, accompanied by a pair of men clearly waiting for Eric.

Hadley glanced toward Eric and nodded gently. “They’re waiting. You should go.”

“Yeah, it’s okay.” Eric didn’t rush to meet them. Instead, he gently removed the towel from his neck and leaned closer, carefully wiping away the fine sheen of sweat from her forehead.

“Dry yourself off,” he said softly. “You’ll catch a chill when the wind picks up.”

Eric squeezed her hand lightly, nodding toward a nearby resting area. “If you get tired, you can just relax over there.”

Nearby, a lounge offered a comfortable spot with a pleasant view of the course—perfect for unwinding while she waited.

“Alright,” she said, waving him off. But Eric still lingered.

He hadn’t always been this clingy. Was Eric getting older, or was something else changing in him? The way he fussed over every small detail suddenly reminded Hadley of her grandmother—warm yet endlessly nagging.

“Wait here for me,” Eric said warmly, pulling his hand back without protest. “I’ll take you somewhere nice for lunch later.”

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Hadley made a face, clearly displeased. “Eating surrounded by a bunch of scheming businessmen? I’ll lose my appetite.”

“Relax, it’ll just be you and me.” Eric chuckled, genuinely amused by her response.

Her frankness. He found her blunt honesty refreshing.

“I’m going,” Eric replied, smiling fondly as he turned away.

“Okay, go already!” she said, waving him off impatiently.

Once he was gone, Hadley swung the golf club a few more times but quickly lost interest. With a small sigh, she headed toward the lounge.

Eric, glancing back every so often as he talked business, noticed she’d stopped playing sooner than expected. A quiet satisfaction settled within him. Was she bored because he wasn’t by her side? Had Hadley grown that accustomed to his presence already? The thought brought an involuntary smile to his lips, but his amusement was then shattered by a sudden, deafening bang!

Then came another, louder explosion.

Eric spun around, his heart slamming against his chest. In the distance, flames surged upward, thick smoke spiraling into the sky from the direction of the lounge!

In that instant, Eric’s world narrowed to a single, terrifying thought—Hadley was inside that lounge.

His breath hitched, his pulse thundered, and before anyone could stop him, he flung the golf club aside and bolted toward the lounge.

“Eric—!”

Marshall barely managed to call out before Eric had already vanished into the chaos.

The scene ahead was utter mayhem.

“What happened?” someone shouted amidst the panic.

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