Chapter 674: Chapter 674: Amidst a City of Storms, He Came from the Sea
However, Chase Sullivan knew Jude Crawford’s weak spot, and he quickly said, "Jude Crawford, it’s been so many years. What kind of woman can’t you have? Why do you keep bothering Yara? Yara has never liked you, not even a bit, anything you do is just you being delusional."
Butler Thorne watched Chase Sullivan coldly from the side, though he was already horrified inside. Having worked for the Crawford family for so many years, he knew the only person in the world who could make his master lose control was Mrs. Crawford. The thorn in his master’s heart was always Mrs. Crawford never having liked him, ever.
Butler Thorne carefully observed Jude Crawford’s expression, but in fact, Jude Crawford’s face showed no emotional fluctuations. He stretched his long legs and sat on the sofa in the living room, then slowly pulled out a cigar and lit it with a lighter.
The scarlet flame leaped, Jude Crawford took a harsh puff of the cigar, then slightly raised his head to exhale the smoke from his mouth. He then reached out and gestured towards Chase Sullivan’s right leg with the fingers holding the cigar, laughing nonchalantly, "How’s that, your right leg is healed already?"
As he made this gesture, some ash fell down; his masculinity was strong.
Mentioning the right leg, Chase Sullivan stiffened entirely, his face turning pale.
His right leg hadn’t fully recovered, though the disability was cured, he still limped a bit when walking, different from ordinary people.
His right leg was ruined, all thanks to Jude Crawford!
More than thirty years ago, ever since that night outside the Willow family gates when he spied on Jude Crawford and Isabelle Willow, he returned sleepless. He loved Isabelle Willow deeply and did not want her to marry.
However, he also deeply understood that whether now, Jude Crawford, the foremost merchant noble in Aethelgard, or Isabelle Willow, the daughter of the acclaimed Willow family, were both heights he could never reach.
Every minute, every second felt like torture to him—heartache, unwillingness, jealousy... These emotions nearly drove him insane.
At that time, someone suddenly came to him. That person was... Zelda Willow!
Zelda Willow came with a few bodyguards in black, intending to capture him.
He immediately sensed something was wrong, and since he was quite skilled, he managed to smoothly escape those bodyguards in black and directly ran.
At this moment, Zelda Willow suddenly said to him, "Chase Sullivan, you can run away. If you run this time, then Isabelle will really become Mrs. Crawford. If you don’t run and cooperate with me, I will tell Isabelle that I’ve kidnapped you, then lure her to the dock, allowing you to take her on a boat for an elopement, escaping to a place with no people, wouldn’t that be nice?"
He eventually halted his steps.
On the wedding day, it was heard that with royal procession and opulent bridal attire, Jude Crawford gave Isabelle Willow a grand wedding. It was further heard that Jude Crawford built Jill’s room high, promising Isabelle Willow unmatched affection. That day, this love story was discussed in every street and alley of Aethelgard.
He was bound by Zelda Willow in the ship’s cabin at the dock, yet his mood was exceptionally calm because he knew, Isabelle would certainly come.
Indeed, it was nightfall when Isabelle Willow hurriedly arrived to save him.
In the cabin, Isabelle Willow quickly untied him, "Brother Chase, how did Zelda Willow find out? I’ve told you, you always have to pretend not to know me, otherwise, you’ll surely be in danger. You should leave now."
He firmly grabbed Isabelle Willow’s small hand and earnestly said, "Yara, I know your life is precarious. Don’t be Zelda Willow’s shadow anymore, come with me, let’s leave here together."
However, Isabelle Willow slowly withdrew her small hand, gently shaking her head, "I won’t leave."
His whole heart kept sinking, as if falling to the bottom of an abyss, and the nonstop thought in his mind crazily emerged. He voiced it out, "Yara, why don’t you want to leave? What’s here worth longing for? I know you’ve been bound since childhood, longing for freedom, so you created the jewelry brand Fly, wanting a pair of wings."
"Now the chance has come, Zelda Willow is interested in Jude Crawford, she’s willing to let you go. We could take mother out of the hospital and leave. You’re so smart; you should know this chance will be lost if missed. Why don’t you want to go?"
"Yara, is it... because you’ve fallen in love with Jude Crawford? You want to stay in this City of Aethelgard because of him?"
He asked out loud, actually having always wanted to inquire, has she fallen for Jude Crawford?
At that time, Isabelle Willow lowered her lashes, remaining silent for a long while, "I..."
"Enough!" he interrupted her directly, at the moment she wanted to speak, he found he lacked the courage to listen.
He extended his arms and tightly embraced Isabelle Willow, "Yara, Jude Crawford and you belong to completely different worlds; you’ll have no outcome, don’t hope for it."
Just as his words fell, there was a "boom", and the cabin door was directly kicked open.
The piercing cold wind outside swiftly invaded in, scratching faces like knives, painfully. He looked up and promptly saw Jude Crawford outside.
That night, Jude Crawford came with storm and fury from the city and the sea, carrying a heavy aura of killing and hostility.
He hadn’t anticipated Jude Crawford to arrive so quickly, nor that he would immediately recognize the resemblance between Isabelle Willow and Zelda Willow, thus unraveling the plot.
That night, Jude Crawford’s black clothes were billowing in the sea wind, his handsome and jade-like features were so sullen they seemed to be dripping water. The corners of his long narrow eyes were filled with fierce red blood, "Ha, Mrs. Crawford, I didn’t expect such a big surprise on the wedding night!"
Isabelle Willow quickly pushed him aside, looking at Jude Crawford, attempting to explain, "I..."
"Jude Crawford!" He stepped forward, directly shielding Isabelle Willow behind him, "Yes, Isabelle never intended to marry you. I grew up with Isabelle, and you relied on having a bit of money to forcibly and greedily want to marry Isabelle. Tonight, we had already planned to elope and leave!"
He was provoking Jude Crawford, and the result of the provocation was that he didn’t even see how Jude Crawford acted; the next second, he was hit right in the chest.
He fell messily to the ground, immediately spitting out a mouthful of blood.
At this moment, Isabelle Willow extended her slender arms to block Jude Crawford, "Jude Crawford, don’t do this, stop hitting, Brother Chase, you should leave."
"Brother Chase?" Jude Crawford repeated the term, then curved his thin lips, looking down at him with a contemptuous gaze like looking at a lower life form, mocking and cold. "She’s my Mrs. Crawford. You dare to covet Mrs. Crawford? Huh? Which leg wanted to take her away, this, the right leg?"
Jude Crawford stepped heavily on his right knee, with a "crack" sound; the bone inside broke.