The War God Alpha's Arranged Bride (Evelyn and Alexander) novel Chapter 324

**Steps Along Forgotten Roads**
**By Sophia Reed**
**Chapter 324: Irene’s Broken Heart**

**Judy’s POV**

The sound of my phone ringing shattered the rhythm of my sparring session with Matt, pulling me abruptly from the focus of the moment. I fumbled to retrieve my phone from the depths of my gym bag, which lay nestled beneath the shade of a sprawling tree. When I glanced at the caller ID, an icy grip of anxiety clutched at my heart. It was Eliza, calling from the hospital.

With my pulse racing, I swiped the green button and pressed the phone against my cheek, trying to maintain a semblance of calm.

“Hello?” I managed to say, forcing my voice to sound steadier than I felt inside.

“Hey, Judy. It’s Elizabeth,” came her voice, warm yet professional on the other end. “I’m calling about Nan Rugby.”

A wave of relief washed over me, but I still felt the knot in my throat. “Hi…” I replied, swallowing hard. “Is everything okay?”

“Yes, everything is great,” she reassured me. “She pulled through nicely. She’s awake now and on antibiotics. She’ll be discharged tomorrow afternoon to return home. Will you be able to escort her?”

“Of course,” I said without hesitation, relief flooding my voice. “I’ll be there tomorrow. Thank you so much for letting me know.”

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

With that, she hung up, and I exhaled a breath I hadn’t realized I had been holding.

“Everything okay?”

I spun around at the sound of a familiar voice, my heart racing anew. My eyes widened as I saw Gavin approaching, a figure I hadn’t expected to see again so soon. I hadn’t even known he was back home. His gaze met mine, and a small smile crept onto his lips. There was a flicker of concern in his eyes as he studied my expression, but predominantly, he appeared genuinely pleased to see me. Was it foolish of me to think he might be happy to see me? Perhaps there was more to this connection than I had initially believed?

After all, we had barely crossed paths in days… this was our first real opportunity to converse, and maybe I was being overly sentimental.

“Yeah,” I finally managed to say, tucking my phone into my pocket. “It was just Elizabeth…”

“How’s Nan doing?” he asked, stepping closer, his voice low and intent. “I heard she had food poisoning.”

Heat rushed to my cheeks; had he checked on Nan, or had Taylor filled him in? I swallowed again, feeling the lump return, and nodded slowly.

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

He nodded, his expression thoughtful.

“You should have her stay with you at the mansion,” he suggested, catching me off guard. “She lives alone, right? It might be good for her to have someone nearby in case she needs anything.”

I pondered his suggestion for a moment. Would Nan even want to stay at the mansion, especially with Chester around? He was the source of her struggles with alcohol in the first place. I hesitated to share that information with Gavin; it wasn’t my story to tell, and I didn’t want to drag Chester into the conversation unnecessarily.

So, I pressed my lips together and nodded instead. “I’ll ask her,” I replied.

He offered me a small nod, his gaze unwavering as it lingered on mine.

After a heartbeat of silence, Gavin cleared his throat, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, suddenly looking a bit uneasy and boyish. It was an unexpectedly endearing sight, and I had to bite my lower lip to suppress a smile.

“So, I’ve been thinking and—” He began, but his words were abruptly cut off by a familiar voice nearby.

“Daddy!”

We both turned to see Irene striding towards us, and my heart sank. I should have anticipated her arrival. If Gavin was talking to me, it was only a matter of time before she would swoop in to interrupt. It seemed that was her new specialty—ensuring I had no moments of solitude with her father.

However, as she approached, my chest tightened at the sight of her. I had expected her usual smugness, but instead, her face was flushed, and her eyes were puffy. My heart plummeted; something was clearly wrong. She wrapped her arms around herself, as though trying to hold together the pieces of her distress, and a single tear escaped her eye. She quickly wiped it away with her fingers, but the sniffle that followed sent a chill through me.

Gavin’s expression shifted from annoyance to concern as he turned fully to face his daughter.

“What’s wrong?” he asked, his brow furrowing with worry.

She sniffled again, her voice barely rising above a whisper. “C… Can I talk to you…?” She glanced at me briefly before looking back up at him. “Alone.”

Gavin hesitated for a moment, the tension palpable in the air, but he nodded without hesitation. “Yeah, of course, Sweetie,” he replied gently.

He gestured for her to lead the way towards the house, and she nodded, casting me one last glance before turning to walk away. I was left standing there with Gavin for a fleeting moment, but I could sense his mind was already elsewhere.

“Go on,” I encouraged him, offering a reassuring smile that I hoped conveyed my understanding. “It’s okay. Be with your daughter. I should get going anyway.”

He nodded, still looking torn. “Okay,” he said. “I’ll see you later?”

I nodded, forcing a smile that felt more like a mask. He didn’t seem to notice the strain in my voice or the facade I was putting up. Instead, he hurried after Irene, leaving me to stand there feeling foolish and abandoned.

Later, when I returned to the mansion, I could hear raised voices emanating from the kitchen, the tension thick enough to slice through. One voice was unmistakably female, and I would wager anything that it was Harper. The other voice, cold and detached, was undoubtedly Chester’s.

As I approached the kitchen door, their argument became clearer, and my heart raced as I hesitated just outside.

“You knew her for like two seconds, and you barely even spoke to her,” Harper hissed, her voice dripping with venom. “Are you seriously considering throwing me away for a tramp you just met??”

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