Chapter 545

Chapter 545:

“A gas leak—and some idiot lit a cigarette!”

The explosion had torn through the lounge, ripping the doorframe from its hinges and reducing the outer glass wall to razor-sharp shards.

Fire licked hungrily at the wreckage, thick smoke curling into the sky.

Hadley…

Eric’s stomach twisted violently.

His heart pounded against his ribs as he pushed through the crowd, sheer desperation driving him forward.

“Eric, stop!”

Marshall finally caught up to him, seizing his arm with all his strength. “You can’t go in there!”

“Let. GO.”

Eric’s voice was low, deadly, his entire body coiled with urgency. “Hadley’s in there!”

“I know, but you can’t just charge in alone.”

Marshall’s grip tightened as he stared at Eric, stunned by his sheer recklessness. “Since when did you become so irrational? What exactly do you think you’ll accomplish? You want to get yourself killed?”

Before Eric could respond, a voice from the crowd suddenly cried out.

“Look!”

“What is that?”

“Oh my God! Someone got blown away by the blast!”

“Can you tell who it is?”

A heavy silence fell over Marshall. His throat went dry as dread gripped his chest. Could it be… Hadley?

Eric’s entire body coiled with tension, his fists clenched so tightly that his knuckles turned white. His glare burned into Marshall. “Are you still going to stop me?”

Marshall hesitated, guilt flickering in his eyes. With a reluctant sigh, he finally loosened his grip.

But then—he froze. His gaze locked onto something just beyond the panicked crowd.

His expression shifted from fear to shock. Without thinking, he grabbed Eric’s arm again.

“Marshall!” Eric roared, his patience snapping. “I swear if you don’t—”

“Look!” Marshall cut him off, frantically pointing ahead. “It’s Hadley! It’s her!”

Eric’s breath caught. His mind blanked for a second, his vision narrowing to where Marshall was pointing.

And there she was.

About ten meters away, Hadley stood on her toes, peering over the crowd—completely unharmed. She held an ice cream cone in one hand, brow furrowed as she listened to people murmuring about the explosion. With a mix of curiosity and mild concern, she turned to someone beside her.

“Where are the firefighters?”

“They’ve been called, but it’ll take a little time for them to get here.”

“Yeah.”

The distant sound of sirens suddenly cut through the chaotic atmosphere, growing louder with each second.

“They’re here!”

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