Anabelle Rathborne put away her phone, unsure of Hayden Crawford’s thoughts. Was he interested in Serena Sterling or not? If he was interested, why didn’t he come? Anabelle pondered again. With Hayden’s status and power, what kind of woman hadn’t he seen? Gentle and slender or voluptuous, he was never short of temptation. He wasn’t a superficial man who’d be enamored by a girl’s beauty. He probably wasn’t interested in Serena. Anabelle had never taken someone like Serena seriously, nor did she consider her a true competitor. She simply didn’t measure up. With this thought, Anabelle felt much more at ease. However, she still wanted to personally see this spectacular show. She was curious about how hideous Serena’s face was beneath the veil. Hayden was currently at the hospital because the elder lady Crawford suddenly fainted and was rushed there. Hayden stood tall and leggy in the corridor, his refined and handsome face clouded with a chilling gloom. He glanced at Zelda Willow, "How did Grandma faint?" Zelda, who had maintained herself well over the years, looked like a charming woman in her thirties, retaining hints of her stunning beauty from her younger days. Now, she looked at Hayden with a sorrowful expression, "Hayden, you can’t blame me for this. You know Grandma’s appetite—she can’t stomach anything. I’ve been diligently caring for her every day, but... with her age, you need to be mentally prepared. If Grandma passes away..." Hayden grabbed Zelda’s arm tightly, his voice cold and detached, "You better watch your words!" After speaking, he pushed Zelda away. Zelda staggered back a couple of steps and almost fell, but just then, a strong arm reached out, grasped her waist, and steadied her. Zelda looked up, her eyes quickly filled with deep admiration and joy, "Jude, you’re back?" All these years had passed, Zane Crawford had grown up, yet Zelda’s fervent admiration for Jude Crawford hadn’t diminished a bit; it remained as vibrant as in her youth. Jude had just returned from abroad, wearing a thin black wool coat. His personal butler, Riley Sutton, stood behind him, respectfully holding a black briefcase. Though Jude was weary from his travels, for a fifty-year-old man always in a high position, it only added depth and authority. He steadied Zelda and then released her, casting his gaze towards Hayden, "Hayden, she’s still your aunt." Hayden looked at Jude, curling his thin lips into a mocking arc, "Don’t you find it nauseating that sisters served one man together? The term ’aunt’ disgusts me." This topic made Zelda tense up. Jude, however, remained calm, his eyes free of emotion, as he glanced at Zelda, "You should go back now." ɴᴇᴡ ɴᴏᴠᴇʟ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs ᴀʀᴇ ᴘᴜʙʟɪsʜᴇᴅ ᴏɴ novel•fire.net Zelda never dared to defy this man, and she knew this emperor-like man favored obedient women. Yara was too fierce back then. "Alright Jude, I’ll leave now." Zelda turned to leave, casting a glance at Hayden before she did. No matter how she investigated, she couldn’t figure out how his mental illness had been cured. A few years ago, her words would have triggered an attack. But since he returned from Bayside, he was surprisingly well again, becoming normal. Zelda was unwilling to accept this; she had spent so much time making him mentally unstable, but now he was healed, and he had even inherited the Crawford Empire. Zelda looked at Jude again with infatuation; he went to Bayside, and Hayden got well. It was clear that in his heart, he still loved the son Yara left him the most! Only the two men remained in the ward now, with a tense atmosphere hanging between father and son. Hayden spoke grimly, "I’ll take Grandma back to Westerley Estate. Keep a leash on your wife, stop her from roaming around, or I won’t hesitate to teach her how to behave." Jude looked at the old lady still in a coma on the hospital bed and spoke indifferently, "What are you suspecting? Suspecting Zelda tampered with your Grandma? You’re overestimating Zelda; she doesn’t have the guts and you’re underestimating your Grandma. She’s never taken Zelda seriously all her life." Hayden held his Grandma’s aged and cold hand, "Are there things you and Grandma are hiding from me?" "Why do you ask that?" "Your Grandma has a poor appetite now, nothing seems to help. Her greatest wish is for you to marry and have children. If you want her to get better, you should get along with Anabelle and let Grandma hold a great-grandchild soon. That’s what you should focus on now," Jude said. Hayden didn’t speak further; he simply remained quietly by Grandma’s bedside. Jude watched for a while, then turned and left. The school day had ended, and Serena Sterling was packing her books when someone rushed in urgently, "Serena, James Sawyer and his group are already here. They’re blocking the school gate, shouting for you to come out." Serena held her books in her arms and shouldered her small backpack, "Tsk, tsk, they’re really impatient. Okay, I’ll head there now." A lot of people gathered around, Serena, have you considered hiding? The situation at the school gate is intense. Those guys’ sports cars have blocked the way, and they’re all waiting for you. Serena smiled, "Well, that sounds lively; I simply have to go take a look." A University’s school gate saw an unprecedented surge in attention as James Sawyer brought half the city’s young elites, "Where’s the little ugly jester Serena? Why isn’t she out yet? Did she find out we were coming to block her and was so scared that she hid like a turtle?" A University was also a hotbed of wealthy second-generation students, and now everyone had gathered at the gate, blocking James and his group as the two sides faced off. At the forefront was the student council president and basketball team captain, Conner Wright. Conner stood tall and handsome, fearlessly facing James and his crew, "Young Master Sawyer, we’ve always kept to ourselves. Serena Sterling is our school’s beauty queen. If you want to mess with her at A University today, you’ll need our permission." Watching the scene unfold, Anabelle Rathborne was surprised. These boys, including Conner, used to be her fans, waiting outside T University’s gate for her after school, but now, after only a day, they were fiercely defending Serena.