NovelEnglishChapter 238 The Worst Timing
Eric stood watching Hadley intently, a quiet hopefulness glimmering behind his eyes, clearly waiting for her
response.
A slight discomfort crept through Hadley, and she fidgeted nervously in his hold, skirting around his question.
“Why don’t you try the pear first? It'll get too cold if you keep waiting. Letget you a spoon.”
Was Hadley avoiding him?
Yet Eric noticed immediately, clearly sensing the unease hiding beneath her evasion.
Still, she hadn't openly turned him down.
Holding her closer, he stubbornly refused to loosen his grip. “You're being evasive again. Is admitting you like
He bent toward her, stealing a gentle kiss. “Forget the spoon. I'll grab one myself. You took the tto cook
this, and | intend to enjoy every bite.”
Finally letting go, he headed toward the cupboard.
As Hadley watched him go, a wave of dizziness suddenly washed over her.
For a fleeting second, uncertainty tugged at her resolve.
She quietly wondered if things might actually work out, if Eric might keep caring about Joy, if maybe this could
be their chance.
Yet as soon as the thought came, her vision wavered, and her heartbeat quickened uncomfortably.
Reaching for support, Hadley leaned against the kitchen island, waiting anxiously until the spinning sensation
and rapid pulse faded away.
At Flynn Mansion.
Hours past midnight.
The harsh ring of Ernest's phone woke him from sleep. Quentin's nflashed urgently on the screen.
He answered quickly. “What is it?”
“Mr. Flynn!” Quentin’s usually steady voice cracked with anxiety. “The boy’s missing!”
Missing?
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Ernest pushed himself upright, his mind suddenly sharp and alert.
Fury flashed across his face, and he clenched his jaw, snapping into the phone, “You had one job-watching a
toddler and you couldn’t even handle that?”
His son had been temporarily staying with Quentin, and Ernest still hadn’t worked up the courage to explain the
boy’s existence to Linda.
On the other end, Quentin remained silent, taking in the scolding.
After a pause, Ernest exhaled deeply, attempting to regain his composure. It wasn’t entirely Quentin’s fault; he
had responsibilities of his own
Two professional nannies had been hired, rotating shifts specifically to keep close tabs on the three-year-old.
Ernest walked to the window. It was two in the morning. How could a three-year-old just vanish?
Quentin explained, “Around eight o'clock, the nanny tucked him in, and everything appeared perfectly normal.”
But when she checked on him a few hours later, the bed was empty!
In a panic, she had rushed straight to Quentin to report it right away.
Quentin immediately reviewed the security footage and alerted the guards. Disturbingly, the video showed the
toddler quietly slipping out of the house and wandering into the night. According to the tlogs, the child had
already been missing for over four hours.
Ernest stood frozen, gripping the phone tightly, shadows deepening across his face.
“Mr. Flynn,” Quentin added carefully, “I've already informed the police, and our security team is combing the
area now.”
In short, everything that could be done was already in motion.
Yet, no updates had surfaced.
Quentin grasped the seriousness of the situation and knew he had to inform Ernest right away.
“Tellexactly where you are.”
“Waiting just outside the front gate.”
Quentin instinctively headed straight to the Flynn estate after setting everything in motion, knowing that Ernest
wouldn't be able to stay idle in such a crisis,.
“I understand,” Ernest said with a brief nod. “Stay put. I'll join you shortly.”
Ending the call, Ernest hurriedly dressed and made his way toward the exit.
Just as he stepped into the hallway, Linda appeared unexpectedly before him.
“Linda.” Ernest halted abruptly, a flicker of worry crossing his face.
Their many years together had taught Linda exactly how to read him.
Fixing him with a steady, penetrating gaze, she asked calmly, “What’s so urgent that you need to rush out at this
hour?”
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< Chapter 238 The Worst Timing
Avoiding her eyes slightly, Ernest replied in a vague tone, “Quentin called, says he needsurgently
“Needs you for what, exactly?” Linda's skepticism was obvious
“Linda...” Ernest faltered briefly.
“Ernest.” Linda took a step closer, confronting him directly “Don’t avoid my question Look atproperly and tell
Ernest hadn't returned to his regular work in the family company yet, still stuck in rECOVERY
With Eric handling all business affairs and Linda managing household responsibilities, Finest kid no dear reason
to leave so suddenly in the middle of the night
Tonight felt different, and Linda sensed something far more troubling beneath the surface
Her suspicions, simmering quietly over the months, seemed on the brink of validation.
“Linda.”
His gaze flickered uneasily, but he knew the moment had come.
Keeping this hidden forever hadn't been realistic. Eventually, the child would return to their home, and Lindie
deserved to know the truth.
But things didn’t go as planned.
He had been waiting for the perfect opportunity to speak with Linda, yet unforeseen developments hat
compelled him to act sooner.
Though it might not be the ideal moment, the situation had left him with little choice but to proceed mnv
“I need you to hearout carefully...”
Reaching out, Ernest gently held Linda’s hand, sincerity evident in his eyes. “I'll explain everything honesty, but
first, promise you'll listen calmly until I'm finished.”
“I'm listening,” Linda replied, her eyes narrowing with suspicion. “Tellclearly what's happening”
Taking a deep breath, Ernest admitted carefully, “The reason I'm leaving is... because my child is missing”
“What?”
Linda stared blankly, as though Ernest's words had stripped all meaning from her mind. “What did you just sty
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmTaking another steadying breath, Ernest repeated slowly, “I said my child has gone missing, and 1 must find him
immediately.”
A dizzying rush filled Linda’s head, almost knocking her off her feet with its force.
Her knees buckled as she gripped her head, dangerously close to collapsing.
“Linda!” Ernest quickly moved forward to support her.
“Stay away!”
She violently shoved Ernest aside, backing away from him as though he were a threat she’d never seen den
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“You-you're telling me-you have a child?”
Ernest could only frown and nod silently, guilt clear in his expression.
Linda's eyes filled rapidly with tears, anger overwhelming her features.
Without warning, she lunged, gripping Ernest’s shirt tightly, her voice trembling with rage. “Your child? Did you
really just say your child?”
“Yes,” Ernest admitted quietly, dropping his gaze to avoid hers.
An uncomfortable silence settled between them.
Color drained from Linda's face as she bit fiercely into her lower lip, unaware of how deeply she’d drawn blood.
“Linda!” Ernest immediately reached out, concern etched into his brow. “Stop it! You're hurting yourself!”
“Oh, now you're concerned about me?” she snapped.
Pulling herself away from him, Linda laughed bitterly before lifting her hand and delivering a stinging slap to
Ernest's cheek.
The harsh sound lingered sharply in the air, leaving Ernest momentarily stunned by the blow.
“Ernest!” Linda’s gaze burned into his, her control nearly shattered. “You always insisted you'd never betrayed
me-always claiming innocence. And now there’s a child involved? How do you explain that to me? Tell me! What
exactly am | to you?”
“What's going on?” Disturbed by the noise, Nyla stepped out, rubbing sleep from her eyes. “You two arguing
again?”
“Nyla!” Linda immediately rushed to Nyla, burying herself in her comforting embrace. “You have to stand by me
this time!”
“Mr. Flynn!”
Quentin crushing urgently from below, interrupting the scene. “We've got an update about the boy!”
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