Chapter 361

As she stepped outside, the midday sun bore down on her, and she lifted a hand to shield her eyes.

The truth was, money wasn't the only thing stopping her. Therapy meant peeling back layers of the past—digging up wounds she had spent years trying to bury.

And that? That was a door she refused to open. Not now. Not ever.

By five in the afternoon, Hadley was free to leave. Since she had only recently joined the studio, she hadn't been given any performance slots yet.

For now, that meant finishing on time, slipping out of her practice clothes, and heading toward the subway station without a second thought.

"Hadley!"

She turned at the sound of her name, spotting Denver jogging toward her, his signature bright smile in place.