Chapter 230

**Chapter 230**
**Judy’s POV**

“Are you serious right now?” Harper asked, clearly shocked by Chester’s words.

Chester nodded and let out a sigh.

“Yes, Harper. I’m sorry,” he said, looking genuinely remorseful.

Harper stood still, her face bright red with a mix of anger and hurt. Chester had just murmured something to her and then walked back inside, leaving her standing there. My heart ached for her; I knew how much she liked Chester. It was clear to me from the way she looked that she was deeply affected by what had just happened.

Every time he was around, I felt the weight of my feelings. I understood how painful it was for someone you cared about not to want you back. It hurt when the guy you liked easily let you go. Still, I couldn’t help but wonder if Nan was okay.

“I’m sorry…”

“I told Harper, not sure what else to say.

“I just don’t get it…” she whispered, looking down at her feet. “Everything was fine. Then that girl walked in and…” Her voice faded away.

I could see the confusion on her face, and it felt heavy in the air.

“Do you think they are seeing each other?” I asked. I knew Chester went on a date the other day. Could that be it?

I shook my head. Nan would have told me if she had gone on a date with a man. She always shared that kind of news.

I’m curious about the story she didn’t mention. It makes me wonder what it could be.

“I’m not really sure,” I said, deciding to keep it simple.

Harper nodded and wiped away her tears. She turned away, clearly trying to gather her thoughts.

“I’m just going to go inside. If you need anything… I’ll be in my room,” she murmured.

Without saying anything else, she walked into the mansion. I watched her for a moment before letting out a sigh.

I took my phone out of my pocket and looked at the screen. There were no missed calls or texts. I felt disappointed and upset. I had hoped Gavin would reach out to me, but he hadn’t.

I was upset that Nan hadn’t texted me after she left. I wanted to hear from her to know she was okay.

I pulled up her contact on my phone and pressed it to my cheek. The phone rang several times before I finally reached her voicemail.

“Hey, Nan. Please…”

“Call me,” I said into her voicemail. “I’m worried about you…” I added before I hung up.

With a sigh, I walked back inside. The mansion felt quiet, and the kitchen was completely empty. I noticed the stillness around me.

Chester had gone to bed for the night. The food he cooked for us stayed untouched on the counter. I wasn’t very hungry, but I thought I might want it tomorrow. So, I covered the container with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge.

I opened the fridge and took a quick look inside. Then, I grabbed a sponge and cleaned the counters. I wasn’t sure what else Chester and Harper had done while no one was around earlier, and thinking about it made me feel a bit uneasy.

After finishing cleaning the kitchen, I headed to my room. I felt sad because Nan had left so suddenly. I was really looking forward to our girls’ night together.

I went to the bathroom, brushed my hair back into a ponytail, and washed my face.

I wiped off the leftover makeup from my face. Then, I picked up my toothbrush and squeezed some toothpaste onto it. As I brushed my teeth, my mind started to wander for a few minutes. It was such a strange and unusual reaction for Nan to have.

I remembered the party and how upset she was. She hadn’t talked about it since, but she did mention something about wanting to find her mate.

I stopped everything as I looked at myself in the mirror. The toothbrush hung from my mouth as I thought about the situation.

Could Chester be Nan’s partner? The idea made my stomach feel uneasy, and my eyes widened in surprise. It seemed possible when I thought about how they both acted around each other. But did that mean Chester knew about Nan?

Chester decided to go on a date with another woman, even after he had just kissed Harper in the kitchen earlier that evening. This made me wonder if Chester was really as harmless as I had believed.

I spat out my drink in surprise.

I rinsed the water and toothpaste out of my mouth and cleaned the toothbrush before putting it back in its holder. After that, I grabbed a hand towel and wiped my lips, then placed the towel back on the rack. I let out a sigh and leaned against the counter, feeling a little tired.

I felt a wave of dizziness wash over me. Everything was getting to my head, and all I wanted was to get some sleep. After taking several deep breaths, I turned away, switched off the bathroom light, and stepped into my room. It felt lonely in there.

I was starting to get used to Gavin spending his nights here, even though it felt unusual at first.

As I sat there, I checked my phone one last time. There were no missed texts or calls. I sighed and decided to call Nan.

I tried calling her again, but I only got her voicemail… again. I placed my phone on the charger on my nightstand before I crawled into bed. I really hated being alone at that moment. I wished I could reach out to Gavin, but I felt hesitant.

I knew he was busy, and I wished I could reach Nan. Unfortunately, she wasn’t answering my calls.

I had no idea what was happening, but I hoped I could figure it out in the morning.

I struggled to fall asleep for a while, but eventually, I drifted off.

The next morning, I woke up feeling restless and a bit numb. I picked up my phone to check for any missed calls, and my heart skipped a beat when I saw a notification.

I saw a text message from Gavin. It was sent early this morning. I nervously bit my lower lip as I opened the message.