Chapter 487
Hadley shivered, an icy sensation crawling beneath her skin. Her gaze was distant, unfocused.
Dr. Perkins suddenly stood, closing the space between them. His voice was steady, reassuring. “Relax. You’re safe here. No one will hurt you.”
The weekend had arrived. Standing near the entrance to Mayfield Road, Hadley waited patiently for Eric to come pick her up.
Tonight marked a special occasion—the entire Flynn family was attending her show.
They had dinner scheduled at Winterley Restaurant before the performance, which started at 8:20 PM.
Within five minutes, Eric pulled up beside her.
Stepping out of the car, he looked slightly nervous as he asked, “I didn’t make you wait too long, did I?”
“Not at all,” Hadley replied, shaking her head lightly as she slid into the passenger seat. “Honestly, I had nothing better to do, so I arrived early. I know you’re trying to be thoughtful, but you didn’t need to trouble yourself picking me up—I could’ve managed on my own.”
They had discussed this over the phone earlier, but Eric had dismissed the idea outright.
Now, hearing her repeat it, a flicker of irritation crossed his face.
Eric paused, gripping the car door as his frown deepened slightly. “Hadley, picking you up isn’t an inconvenience. It’s something I genuinely want to do. Can’t you see that?”
Surely, as her boyfriend, offering her a ride was both a privilege and an unspoken responsibility, wasn’t it?
Although Hadley sensed his irritation, she neither fully understood its source nor felt inclined to dig deeper.
She offered a distracted nod and said casually, “Yes, I get it.”
But did she really?
Eric doubted it. Still, he shut the door after her and drove them to Winterley Restaurant.
Inside the restaurant’s private dining area, Nyla and the rest of the Flynn family were already seated comfortably.
“Hadley, over here—sit next to me!”
Nyla beckoned eagerly, guiding Hadley to the seat beside her, with Linda on the other side. Ernest and Eric took spots slightly farther away.
“It feels wonderful to see you two finally together,” Nyla said warmly, visibly delighted by the turn of events. “We’re meant to be family, after all! Let’s celebrate this special night with delicious food.”
Family?
Wasn’t that presumption a bit premature?
Keeping her doubts to herself, Hadley simply smiled in agreement. “I’m sure today will be special. It’s been years since I last visited Winterley Restaurant.”
Years ago, dinners at Winterley Restaurant with the Flynn family had been a common occurrence.
Yet somehow, four long years had passed in a heartbeat.
“Really?”
With an accusing look, Nyla glanced sharply at Eric. “Are you telling me you’ve never brought her here since she was back in town?”
“Well…”