Chapter 549

Chapter 549:

“Calm down, Linda!”

The momentum sent Linda stumbling backward. The cup of steaming milk in her hand slipped, tilting violently.

“Linda!” Ernest’s breath caught. He had only meant to stop her—he hadn’t meant for this.

Panic shot through him as he wheeled forward, reaching out toward her. “Are you alright? Let me see—did your arm get burned?”

Linda sat there on the floor, her gaze unfocused, staring blankly at the spilled milk.

Then, a hollow laugh escaped her lips—soft, bitter, devoid of warmth.

“Ernest…” Her voice cracked. “How could you do this to me?”

She scrambled to her feet, clutching her burned arm. Without sparing him another glance, she turned and bolted out of the room.

“Linda!”

Ernest pushed his wheelchair forward, trying to go after her—but how could he possibly catch up?

Frustration clawed at him. With a sharp breath, he snatched up his phone and dialed.

“Quentin, it’s me.”

That night, Srixby was coated in a thin veil of sleet, the air damp and…

Heavy with gloom.

After returning from the golf course, neither Eric nor Hadley had any intention of stepping outside again. They had settled into a comfortable routine—after dinner, Hadley connected her phone to the TV, picking up where she had left off in her show.

As the minutes passed, restlessness stirred within Eric. He shifted closer, pressing warm, lingering kisses from the crown of her head downward.

Read the rest on g𝒶l nov els.𝓬𝓶

“Hadley,” he murmured against her skin, his voice low and coaxing.

“How about tonight? It’s been days.”

Before she could even react, the doorbell rang.

Hadley bit back a smile. “Guess that’s your answer.”

She nudged him lightly. “That’s definitely for you. Go see who it is.”

Reluctantly, Eric untangled himself from her warmth and got up.

Who the hell could it be at this hour? And in this weather?

With a scowl, he strode toward the door and swung it open.

“Linda? What—”

Before he could say another word, Linda rushed inside. Her eyes were red and swollen, her face pale from the cold.

The second she saw Eric, her composure crumbled entirely—tears streamed down her face.

“Eric…”

Linda took two firm steps forward and collapsed into his arms. Eric stiffened. His arms shot up instinctively, his entire body turning rigid with shock.

“Linda, you—”

His voice was strained, confused. His mind scrambled for the right words.

“Who is it?” A cool, composed voice cut through the moment. Hadley walked over, arms crossed, her long hair cascading over one shoulder, a slow, knowing smirk playing at her lips.

Eric immediately panicked. Cold sweat prickled at his skin. “Hadley…”

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