Chapter 669: Chapter 669: Abandoning a City for One Person
Isabelle Willow turned around, ready to leave, but at that moment, a familiar deep voice suddenly reached her ears, "Who’s outside?"
Isabelle Willow, "..."
Quickly, someone walked out; it was Butler Thorne.
Butler Thorne seemed unaware that Isabelle Willow was outside. As soon as he saw her, he was startled and loudly said, "Madam Yara, why is it you?"
Isabelle Willow, who wanted to leave quietly, "..."
At this moment, steady footsteps approached, and Jude Crawford emerged.
Isabelle Willow lifted her cool almond-shaped eyes and immediately met Jude Crawford’s deep, narrow eyes. He was looking right at her.
In an instant, their eyes met, and their gazes exchanged looks.
The atmosphere grew heavy and oppressive.
It was then that Isabelle Willow was the first to break the silence. She gave a faint, gentle smile and greeted, "Hi, Mr. Crawford, long time no see."
Jude Crawford looked at her. So many years had passed - twenty years, in fact. She seemed unchanged but also different somehow.
Those passionate and toxic loves and hates from back then... before she jumped from Jill’s balcony, she had cut open her belly with a knife and taken out her child. That night she left, she snuck into his room with a pair of scissors while he was asleep, intending to render him useless.
Now, there were no traces of those days in her elegant features. Time had only added a serene grace and gentleness to her.
Jude Crawford looked at her, his chiseled face as calm as ever, merely moving his thin lips, "You’re not dead yet? I thought you had died long ago."
Butler Thorne looked at his master in surprise. His master had searched for Madam Yara for so many years, yet this was the greeting—"You’re not dead yet?"
Butler Thorne, "..."
Isabelle Willow actually felt relieved in her heart. She preferred it this way, the cold, distant approach, as if she were a stranger to him.
Isabelle Willow had long stopped thinking about their past. She no longer wished to cross swords with Jude Crawford, mainly because of their son, Hayden.
"Survived by sheer luck, I’m afraid I’ll disappoint you, Mr. Crawford."
"Since you’re not dead, why didn’t you come back?" Jude Crawford’s eyes were dark, so dark that they seemed to reflect no light, deep enough to be frightening.
What did he mean by this?
Isabelle Willow looked at him.
"After all, you are Hayden’s mother. Over the years, Hayden has missed you a lot." Jude Crawford spoke with a casual tone, as if explaining away his earlier question of why she didn’t come back.
Mentioning Hayden Crawford, Isabelle Willow’s clear almond eyes quickly became wet with tears. After Serena returned to Alani, the two women had many intimate conversations. Serena would tell her everything, piece by piece, about Hayden over the years.
When Isabelle found out that Hayden had sleep disorders and nearly died from dissociative identity disorder, her heart shattered.
Why didn’t she come back?
That was because... she really didn’t want to return.
Aethelgard, that place, Jude Crawford, this man, was an ache she could never reach in her life.
Here, she simply couldn’t breathe.
Jude Crawford watched her eyes redden, already knowing the answer.
Because he was here, she didn’t want to return.
Because of one person, she abandoned a whole city.
Jude Crawford pursed his thin lips, "Where are you going? I’ll take you."
He grabbed the car keys.
Isabelle Willow quickly gathered her emotions. She looked at the lavish private room with the lavishly dressed women, then looked back at him, "No need. You can go about your business."
Wasn’t he here to indulge? Why suddenly offer to take her home?
It was then that Jude Crawford’s thin lips curved into a shallow, mocking smile, "Do you think with my current health I can still be busy? Isabelle Willow, you can’t have forgotten the good deed you did to me twenty years ago, right?"
Isabelle Willow’s heart skipped a beat. Of course, she hadn’t forgotten how she once brandished scissors at him.
At the time, he bled a lot.
But, she didn’t know... whether or not he was capable anymore. Listening to his tone now, he seemed to... be incapable.
"Let’s go." Jude Crawford strode ahead.
Isabelle Willow watched his domineering figure that allowed no dissent and could only follow along.
...
Isabelle Willow got into the luxury car. Jude Crawford was driving personally, his hand clad in an exquisite watch resting on the steering wheel, movements fluid and natural.
The two remained silent throughout the journey, the atmosphere heavy.
When the luxury car finally stopped, Isabelle Willow was surprised. She had forgotten to say where to go, and he hadn’t asked.
Now, faced with the villa in front of her, Isabelle Willow didn’t know where he had brought her.
"Mr. Crawford, where is this?" Isabelle Willow asked.
Jude Crawford got out of the car, "My villa."
"... I won’t go in, I want to go back..."
"Come in. Hayden should be back soon. He really wants to see you." Without waiting for Isabelle Willow’s response, Jude Crawford went straight into the villa.
Isabelle Willow, "..."
When it comes to domineering CEOs, no one can surpass Jude Crawford!
...
Isabelle Willow entered the villa. Jude Crawford was already seated on the sofa, reading a full-English business and financial newspaper. His nonchalant attitude was strangely comforting, avoiding the awkwardness between them.
Isabelle Willow put down her bag, and at that moment, Jude Crawford’s deep, magnetic voice came to her ears, "Can you still cook?"
Isabelle Willow turned back to look at Jude Crawford.
Jude Crawford, lowering his handsome eyelids, was focused on his newspaper, without even raising his head, "Hayden’s coming back soon. It’s late; he must be hungry."
"Yes, I’ll cook now." Isabelle Willow immediately went into the kitchen to make dinner for Hayden Crawford.
Only then did Jude Crawford look up, his deep narrow eyes peering through the kitchen’s glass cupboards at Isabelle Willow. She had donned a small, floral apron and tied her dark, long hair into a low ponytail as she began washing hands to cook soup.
He watched her profile, and under the warm, dim light, her exquisite profile exuded a serene beauty and homeliness. Jude Crawford couldn’t tear his eyes away.
Butler Thorne watched his master, thinking his master was far too scheming. He hadn’t even called the young master; how was the young master supposed to come home?
The young master had a company year-end party today and wouldn’t be back for dinner.
Butler Thorne also glanced at the newspaper in his master’s hands, oh dear, the newspaper was upside down!
After a while, a melodious phone ringtone echoed; it was an incoming call.
It was Isabelle Willow’s phone ringing, left in her bag on the sofa.
Jude Crawford set down the financial newspaper, stood up, opened the bag, and took out Isabelle Willow’s phone.
Now, a call flashed on the phone screen, the name was Chase Sullivan.
Jude Crawford would never forget the name Chase Sullivan. Chase Sullivan was Isabelle Willow’s... first love.