When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 253

Jude had been there that day. It wasn’t just Judy who felt something. Even he was moved, though he’d never admit it.

Christopher put everything on the line to protect Judy. He was smart, too. That kind of devotion got to her, fast. Before long, they were spending every day together. When Christopher finally healed, Judy started teaching him, at first in little hints, then more openly.

She taught him everything about the casino, all the tricks and secrets she knew. Nothing was off-limits. She understood why Christopher was really here. He wasn’t just looking for thrills.

She also knew that him putting his life on the line for her had nothing to do with love. His goal was clear right from the start. Judy had seen the worst of people in this place. Even though she’d never tasted real love, she still knew that a man’s feelings were the last thing you could trust.

Still, even knowing all that, she wanted to help him. She wanted to help him get out, to give him a shot at what he wanted.

Jude tried to talk her out of it. He told her not to risk her own future, her safety, for a man who would just leave anyway. Judy always said she understood, but she never stopped being good to Christopher.

By the time Christopher had learned everything there was to know about gambling, Judy scraped together a stake for him and brought him back to the tables.

“Win your way out. That’s all you have to do,” she told him.

Judy believed he could do it. As long as nobody messed with the games, he was good enough to win it all.

Christopher looked at her, trying to read the cool, unreadable look in her eyes. His voice was low. “If I leave… what about you?”

“That’s not your problem,” she said.

“It is. I want to be with you.”

But when Judy faced Christopher, she couldn’t bring herself to hurt him. They worked together, without needing words. Judy had taught Christopher all the ways the casino cheated, and now he used it to take them down. He broke their setup easily.

For the first time ever, the house lost. The whole casino went silent. It was like the entire Underground City had turned to stone.

The rules here weren’t meant to be broken. Christopher’s victory shook the place to its core. Getting rid of him would have been easy, but if they did, the illusion of power they’d built would crack.

The second Christopher finally walked out, pockets heavy with winnings, Judy was grabbed.

Jude was there, watching as they dragged her away. He knew there was almost no hope for her.

By the time Christopher found out, Judy had already been tortured within an inch of her life. The only thing keeping her alive… was the child she was carrying.