Chapter 730

Chapter 730:

“Don’t eat it all,” she protested, pulling the bowl slightly away. “Save some for me too.”

Eric scoffed, shaking his head. “You’re impossible. How about I have this bowl, and I’ll just make you some more later?”

Their playful back-and-forth echoed softly through the hallway. Then, Linda emerged from her room, suitcase in hand, dressed as if she were heading somewhere far away.

Linda’s pace slowed when her gaze landed on them—Eric and Hadley, standing side by side in front of their room, sharing a bowl of yogurt.

She had once been so certain—so sure—that Ernest had loved Hadley. But she had been wrong. The woman he had truly loved… had been someone else entirely. And they had a child to prove it.

In the end, Linda had lost not only to Hadley—but also to someone she didn’t even know.

“Linda?” Ernest descended the stairs, his sharp gaze immediately landing on the suitcase clutched in her hand. His steps quickened. “Where are you going?” He reached her in an instant, his hand closing around her wrist before she could move.

Linda tensed. “Let go of me.” Her voice wavered slightly, but her resolve didn’t. Her eyes, slightly red-rimmed, held a quiet storm. “I don’t belong here, Ernest. I never have. I’m just an outsider.”

Ernest’s brows furrowed, a flicker of something unreadable passing through his eyes. “Don’t be ridiculous…”

He hesitated. “No one sees you as an outsider. Locke is just a child—he’s only been with us for a short time—”

gⱯ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀.𝒸𝓞𝓂, 𝑀𝑜𝓇𝑒 𝒸𝒽𝒶𝓅𝓉𝑒𝓇𝓈

“Hah!” A bitter laugh escaped Linda’s lips. “Exactly. And yet, I’m the one who has to step aside for him. Isn’t that enough?”

“Linda…”

“Ernest, please.” Her voice softened, but her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. “I’m exhausted. I have a new assignment. I need time. Space. A chance to clear my mind and breathe.”

She swallowed hard, her expression unreadable. “For once, can you think about my feelings?”

Silence settled between them, thick and heavy.

“Alright,” he said, his voice low. “But wherever you go, let me know. Just so I know you’re safe.”

Linda let out a small, scoffing breath. “As if you don’t already know.” Her lips curled into a sad, knowing smile. “Every person on my team works for you, don’t they?”

She tightened her grip on the suitcase and walked away. Not once did she look back.

“Linda, wait!”

Eric stepped forward, his gaze shifting between Linda’s retreating figure and his brother. His jaw tightened. “Ernest, you’re just going to let her walk away like that?”

“And what would you have me do?” Ernest’s voice was steady but carried the weight of unspoken conflict. “Tell me, Eric—what should I do?”

A bitter chuckle escaped him, void of humor. “She doesn’t get along with Locke. Do you expect me to send my own son away?”

The answer was clear. That was never an option.

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