When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 233

Jude’s chair creaked as he pushed himself up with his cane, moving slowly. He was small and hunched, and had to tilt his head back just to meet Nelly’s eyes. The moment he saw her face, something flickered across his expression. She reminded him so much of someone he used to know. Not just her looks, but the way she talked—everything about her felt strangely familiar.

He blinked, almost dazed. “Hey, kid, what’s your name?”

Nelly felt a bit uneasy under his stare, but she answered anyway.

“You’re a Stewart too?” His rough voice sounded surprised, and for a second, his cloudy eyes brightened. Nelly’s eyes narrowed, and she gripped the edge of her shirt. Brody noticed and jumped in, trying to steer the conversation away. “Everyone comes to you, Jude, because you’re fair. You do business right. That’s why people trust you.”

Jude seemed to snap out of it. He grinned, flashing gold teeth. “Ben was here, all right. Three years ago.” He paused, looking at them with a hint of warning. “But you two, asking about him like this, aren’t you worried you might draw the wrong kind of attention?”

Nelly leaned forward, voice tight. “Where is he now?”

Jude took his time, almost enjoying the suspense. “If you want to see Ben, it’s easy. Just win. Keep winning, and you’ll see him in the end.”

Brody frowned, confused. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

Jude glanced at them both. “I know you’ve made it into the D-level winners’ bracket. Keep winning. Make it to A-level. You’ll find who you’re looking for there.” He stood, signaling the conversation was over.

Nelly tried to follow up, but Brody caught her wrist. “Thanks for the advice.”

He looked away, his voice softening. “Carrie’s still waiting for us at home…”

That name hit Nelly right in the heart. She bit her lip, her eyes shining with frustration. “I’m so useless, aren’t I?” she muttered to herself.

Maybe she had overestimated herself. If even Nicholas couldn’t find Ben, what chance did she have? But she didn’t want to give up. She wasn’t ready to back down.

Brody watched her for a moment, then gently patted her shoulder. The small gesture caught her off guard. She looked up and saw, for once, that the man who was usually so sharp was trying to comfort her.

“We’ll figure it out when we get there,” Brody said, his voice unexpectedly gentle. “And hey, even if we never manage to leave, with your lucky streak, we could just stay here, gambling and living easy. Wouldn’t be the worst thing.”