The Last Time I Cried Your Name novel Chapter 542

Jackson led General back inside. The nanny was busy scrubbing down the dining area, dealing with the aftermath of Abacus's lunch, when the landline in the living room suddenly rang.

He walked over, glancing at the caller ID. It was an unfamiliar number, bearing a foreign country code.

A sudden realization hit him, and he snatched up the receiver.

"Petty? Miss, is that you?" Jackson's voice broke, choked with emotion.

A very soft voice drifted through the line. "Jackson, it's me. How is the baby?"

Jackson’s brow furrowed in deep heartache.

Going abroad for treatment had required an incredible amount of resolve, and calling home to check on her son would undoubtedly stir up painful emotions.

She must have seen the news and panicked over her baby's welfare. Otherwise, she never would have risked making this call.

He gripped the receiver tightly. "Galen just left with the little master. He took him out for a drive. Please, don't worry."

"And as for the Young Master's situation... you shouldn't worry about that, either."

He relayed everything Galen had explained, word for word.

But the other end of the line fell completely silent.

So silent it was as if she weren't there at all.

Several heavy seconds passed after he finished speaking before he finally heard that familiar, subdued tone. "I understand."

After hanging up, Jackson sat on the sofa in a daze, completely unaware of when Jay had walked in.

He quickly stood up, asking if he had eaten lunch yet.

"I've eaten. I just came back to grab some fresh clothes for the boss," Jay replied, pausing at the foot of the stairs. "Who was on the phone?"

Jackson rubbed a weary hand over his face. "It was the missus."

Jay asked, feigning nonchalance, "Did she ask about the boss?"

The man on the bed’s eyes snapped open.

The violent surge of emotion was instantly suppressed, turning his dark gaze incredibly intense and bottomless.

Arthur silently rolled his eyes.

He had been screaming at him, and the brat had acted completely aloof. But the second he heard Petty's name, he reacted like a starving dog catching the scent of fresh meat. Pure, unfiltered instinct.

Franco closed his eyes again, though the hands tucked beneath his head clenched into tight fists. His voice, however, remained perfectly steady. "Did she ask anything?"

Jay delivered the blow with a straight face. "She only asked about Abacus. Nothing else."

Arthur discreetly observed Franco's completely impassive face.

He was a good actor.

Arthur couldn't resist twisting the knife. "It's only natural for a mother to care about her child. It wasn't you she was looking for, so what are you getting all worked up for?"