Chapter 781

Chapter 781:

“Hadley!”

“It’s not impossible…” Ignoring his protests, Hadley continued with a teasing smile, “Isn’t that how Ernest first fell for Linda?”

“Ha.” Eric laughed, frustration bubbling up within him. “Sounds plausible, but it’s utter nonsense!”

He clasped her hand, their fingers intertwining like vines.

“Jealous? Aren’t you? I rather enjoy it when you’re jealous.” Jealousy signified that she cared about him.

Hadley smiled back, her eyes locked onto his with unwavering intensity. “Is it amusing to play games with me?”

“What?” Eric was momentarily stunned, grappling with her words, his mind racing.

Hadley kept her smile intact. “I mean, you always claim to like me… Is it entertaining to toy with my feelings? I’m not a little girl anymore; I won’t buy it like I used to, you know.”

In an instant, Eric’s gaze darkened like a clouded sky. “You’ve… never taken my words seriously?”

“NO.” Hadley shook her head, her tone crisp and clear. “It’s all just smoke and mirrors, ah…”

Before she could finish, he tightened his grip around her wrist, perhaps a bit too forcefully.

Hadley winced, surprise flashing in her eyes as she glared at him.

Eric was wrestling with himself, his expression a cocktail of anger and amusement. “Smoke and mirrors? All the kindness I’ve shown you—was that just an illusion too?”

𝙋𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣: ⲅⱥ𝗅𝗇𝗈ν𝖊𝗅𝘀・ⅽ𝗼𝗺

“Kindness?” Hadley curled her lips into a cold smile, too weary to dance around the truth. She cut straight to the chase. “I ran into Addy today.”

Shock and panic flickered in Eric’s eyes like a candle in the wind. “This is what you call kindness? This is what you define as love?”

“Hadley…”

A tremor of anxiety struck Eric, filling him with sudden panic. This turn of events was completely unexpected.

Holding Hadley’s hand tightly, he looked to her for understanding. “I’m sorry, I… v-”

“Just stop.” Hadley’s eyes met his firmly, her look intense. “I’m sick of those meaningless excuses.”

“They’re not excuses!” In desperation, Eric brought her hand to his lips, scrambling mentally to safeguard his brother’s secret while trying to soothe Hadley’s feelings. “I couldn’t get the information… I was scared you’d be upset, that’s why I lied!” He preferred Hadley to see him as incompetent rather than dishonest.

“This is my fault. I didn’t give you what you needed. It’s all on me.”

Hadley hardly glanced at him. “Is that so?”

“Yes.” Eric moved closer, kissing her forehead softly, his voice shaky. “This is my fault. If you’re angry, go ahead and lash out at me, punish me in any way you see fit… Just please, don’t talk about breaking up.”

Hadley remained silent.

Could she really accept that Eric was unable to track a simple phone number? She doubted it. He likely just didn’t want to assist her. Or perhaps there was more he wasn’t telling her.

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