Chapter 753

Chapter 753:

Hadley followed his gaze, her expression neutral as she gave a small nod. “Oh, I see.”

Eric smirked. “Did you notice the girl next to him?”

Hadley glanced at him, her expression unreadable. “I see her. Why?”

For a brief moment, a thought crossed her mind—did Eric recognize Astrid as the one who had kidnapped her that day?

Apparently not.

“The girl’s last name is Jenkins,” Eric said, his tone casual, though his eyes narrowed slightly in thought. “Can’t quite recall her first name, though.” Mostly because he didn’t care to remember.

“Her father is a professor and the dean of a prestigious physics department. Her mother runs a successful supermarket chain. Their family is well-off—on the same social level as Denver’s. A suitable match.”

Hadley smiled faintly. “Indeed.” Eric certainly did his homework.

What a perfect match, indeed!

Hadley’s mind drifted for a moment, back to another story—one far different from this carefully arranged pairing. Years ago, Cade had been nothing more than a…”

Hadley’s thoughts returned to the past, to the days when Cade had been nothing more than a struggling university student, barely scraping by, on the verge of dropping out. Then, he met Selene Duffy.

Although a woman, Selene had a sharp business mind. At the time, she owned a modest store—but she ran it well, turning a solid profit.

They fell in love at first sight. And while Cade devoted himself to his studies, Selene used her earnings to support him.

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Their wedding, their home, their first car—everything had been funded by Selene’s hard work. Through those years, Cade immersed himself in academia, chasing his PhD and eventually securing a position at the university, while Selene built her business empire.

What started as a single store grew into a supermarket, and then multiple chains. Eventually, they had a daughter—Hadley.

Life had been on an upward trajectory—stable, promising—until the day Selene’s sister, Noreen, showed up. In tears. Pregnant with Cade’s child. With her arrival, everything shifted.

“Hadley? Hadley?” Eric’s voice cut through her thoughts. He waved a hand in front of her, his expression tight with concern. “What’s wrong? You look… off. Are you upset that Denver has a girlfriend?”

Hadley blinked, snapping back to the present. “What? Why would I be upset over that?” she said smoothly, turning her gaze to him. “It’s nothing like that. That girl… Her face looks familiar, but I just can’t think of where I could have met her.”

“Familiar?” Eric followed her line of sight, raising an eyebrow at Astrid. “Once they’re all made up, those girls start to look the same.”

He reached for Hadley’s hand, his fingers brushing over hers—pale, soft, slender. Delicate and beautiful.

“But you,” he murmured, his voice warm. “You’re different. You’re more beautiful than all of them.”

A faint flush rose to Hadley’s cheeks. She nudged him lightly, deflecting. “The salmon is really good. Go get some more.”

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