Chapter 247

**Chapter 0247**
**Judy’s POV**

My phone rang, breaking the rhythm of my sparring lessons with Matt. I quickly grabbed my phone from my gym bag, which was sitting under a tree. When I checked the caller ID, my heart raced.

I was at the hospital, feeling a tightness in my throat. It was Eliza on the other end of the line. My heart raced as I pressed the green talk button and held the phone to my cheek.

“Hello?” I said, trying my best to sound calm, even though I felt anything but.

“Hey! It’s me,” Eliza replied, her voice warm and friendly.

I took a deep breath, relieved to hear her. “How are you?”

“I’m okay,” she said. “Just a little tired. How about you?”

I paused, unsure of how to answer. “I’m… doing alright, just worried about you.”

Eliza chuckled softly. “I appreciate that. I’m in good hands.”

I smiled, feeling a bit better. “That’s good to hear. Just take care of yourself, okay?”

“Of course,” she said. “I’ll call you later.”

“Alright, talk soon,” I replied, my heart finally starting to settle down.

“Hey, Judy. It’s Elizabeth,” she said on the other end of the line. “I’m calling about Nan Rugby.”

“Hi…” I replied, swallowing the lump in my throat. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes,” she assured me.

Everything is great. She came through nicely. She’s awake now and is on antibiotics. She will be leaving tomorrow afternoon to go home. Will you be able to escort her?

“Of course,” I replied quickly.

“I’ll be there tomorrow. Thank you so much,” she said.

“Of course. I’m glad I could help her,” Eliza replied thoughtfully. “See you tomorrow.”

With that, she hung up the phone. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

I didn’t realize what I was holding.

“Everything okay?” a voice nearby asked.

I turned around, my heart racing in my chest. My eyes widened when I saw Gavin walking toward me. I had no idea he was back home.

When his eyes met mine, a small smile appeared on his lips. I noticed a look of concern in his eyes as he studied my face, but overall, he seemed happy to see me. Was I being too sensitive?

to see each other in a while. Was it possible he was happy to see me? Maybe there was more to this moment than I first thought.

We had hardly crossed paths in days, and now, here we were, finally face to face. This was our first chance to reconnect after so long.

“Maybe I was a fool for not talking to each other,” he thought.

“Yeah,” he replied, trying to hurry as he shoved his phone into his pocket. “It was just Elizabeth…”

“How’s Nan doing?” he asked.

I stopped just an inch away from him. “I heard she had food poisoning,” he said.

My cheeks turned red. Did he check on Nan’s condition? Or had Taylor told him? I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat.

“Yeah, she did. But Eliza said she’s going to be fine. She made it out of surgery and she’s awake now. She’s resting and should be ready to come home tomorrow.”

He nodded, thinking about what she said.

“You should have her stay with you at the mansion,” he suggested, catching me off guard. “She lives alone, right? Maybe it would help her to be close to someone in case she needs something.”

I paused for a moment to consider his idea.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure if Nan would want to stay at the mansion with Chester around. He was the reason she turned to drinking in the first place. I didn’t want to share this information with Gavin, though, because…

It wasn’t my story to tell, and I didn’t want to get Chester in trouble. So, I pressed my lips together and nodded.

“I’ll ask her,” I told him.

—

**Chapter 0247**

He gave me a look.

Gavin gave a small nod, his eyes locked on mine.

After a moment of silence, he cleared his throat and shifted in his shoes, looking a bit uncomfortable and boyish. It was oddly cute, and I had to bite my lower lip to stop myself from smiling.

He started to speak, “So, I’ve been thinking and—” but was cut off by a voice nearby.

“Daddy!”

We both turned to see Irene walking towards us. I had to hold back a groan. I knew I should have prepared for this.

I knew that Irene wouldn’t be far behind. Whenever Gavin talked to me, she always interrupted. Lately, that seemed to be all she did. She was determined to make sure I had no time alone with her father. And it was definitely working.

My chest tightened when I saw her. I expected her to look at me with the usual smugness she often wore, but instead, she had a red face and puffy eyes. My heart sank. Something was really wrong this time; she didn’t look okay at all.

She looked uncomfortable, and it was clear she didn’t like interrupting us. Her arms were wrapped around her body as if she were trying to keep herself together. A tear rolled down her cheek, but she quickly wiped it away with her hand.

Her fingers trembled as she sniffled, and her eyes looked down sadly.

**Chapter 04**