Seducing My Ex's Father In Law Chapter 449

Chapter 449
Gavin’s POV

The rage that boiled inside me when I heard Irene’s confession was almost unbearable. I watched her retreat up the stairs toward her room, my eyes narrowing and my jaw clenching tightly. My fists clenched and unclenched as I struggled to calm myself down and avoid doing something I’d seriously regret.

“Gavin, try to calm down,” Judy said behind me, her tone low and cautious—like she was trying not to provoke the big bad wolf.

“Calm down?” I turned to look at her. The concern in her eyes made me pause for a moment, but the second I remembered what Irene had done, the anger surged back. “How am I supposed to calm down after learning what my own daughter did??”

She bit her lower lip, and my eyes drifted to her mouth before snapping back up to meet hers.

“Irene was in a really bad place at that time,” Judy said gently.

“And that makes it right?” I asked through gritted teeth, stunned that she was defending Irene. I’d nearly fired her because I thought she’d hurt my son. I did fire a maid after she confessed and banished her. If it hadn’t been for that maid… it could’ve been Judy. I was grateful the doctors saved Matt, but things could’ve turned out so much worse. “Whatever Irene was going through, whatever jealousy she felt, it doesn’t excuse what she did. She nearly killed Matt—and she probably caused that maid’s death, too.”

“We don’t know if she’s dead,” Judy said, trying to reason with me.

“But she could be—and that’s on Irene,” I snapped, my eyes blazing. “Why are you defending her right now?”

“I’m not… I’m just—” Her voice trailed off as she searched for the right words.

That’s when I saw it in her eyes.

“You knew it was her this whole time… didn’t you?” I asked, a sharp ache hitting my chest as I looked down at Judy’s small frame.

Judy glanced at the floor, nibbling her lip as she struggled to answer. But it wasn’t a complicated question—it was yes or no. She either knew, or she didn’t.
“Tell me the truth,” I demanded, my patience wearing thin. “Did you know, or didn’t you?”

Judy’s shoulders slumped as she gave a small nod.

“I knew,” she finally admitted.

“And you weren’t going to say anything to me?” I asked, unable to hide the hurt in my voice. “Were you planning to take the fall for it? Or were you just waiting for someone else to, like the maid?”

“I didn’t know the maid was going to take the fall,” she said quickly. “I was planning to take the blame myself.”

“Why?” I growled through clenched teeth, my wolf’s instincts pushing us closer to the edge.

“I was trying to protect her…” she admitted softly.

“Why?” I snarled again. “Why would you want to protect her after what she did??”

“Because she’s your daughter,” she replied, looking up at me—and my heart faltered. “She’s your daughter, and I didn’t want your relationship with her to be ruined because of me. She did this because she wanted me out of the picture—and it nearly worked. But in that moment, all she really wanted was her father on her side, and you chose her. I was trying to protect her… and Matt. If Matt ever found out what his sister had done, it would destroy him, Gavin. Completely. I couldn’t let that happen. I was going to take full responsibility… but then the maid confessed out of nowhere.”

My jaw tightened as I stared into her tear-filled eyes. She was telling the truth—and that’s what hurt the most. She cared more about me and my family than she did about her own innocence or reputation.

“Do you know why the maid confessed?” I asked, my tone low and tense.

Judy went quiet for a moment, and the silence said everything. My eyes narrowed, daring her to go on—because we both knew she knew exactly why.

“Ethan…” she finally said, her shoulders sagging. “He promised her a fortune and told her he’d protect her if she took the blame.”

My blood boiled at her words. I wanted nothing more than to punch Ethan in the face for the role he played in all of this.

“Then the maid’s okay, right?” I asked, scanning Judy’s face.

Her face paled, and she bit her lower lip again—a clear sign she wasn’t telling me everything.