However, his slender fingers reached out, then curled back up, and then reached out again... After trying several times, he ultimately didn’t hold her small hand. Chase followed them all the way, and eventually, the two of them stopped. Jude Crawford took out a delicate gift bag, inside which was a white fluffy earmuff, and Jude reached out and placed the earmuff on Isabelle Willow’s small ears. Isabelle was afraid of the cold. By the time they arrived, her small ears had already turned red from the cold. At that time, Chase had not yet been exposed to luxury items, but he had heard a teacher’s daughter say she wanted an earmuff, one that vaguely resembled the one Jude gave, known to be an upscale item, one that reportedly cost tens of thousands. This was the biggest difference between him and Jude Crawford. Jude could casually spend a fortune; born of high society, he had a sophisticated sense of aesthetics, shining like gold. That day, Isabelle wore a white fluffy coat with the white earmuffs he gave her, an incredibly pure and stunning look, so crystal clear it was hard to look away. Jude placed his big hands on the earmuffs and didn’t remove them. Looking down at her, they exchanged their first words of the night. He asked in a low voice, "Are you... afraid of me?" Isabelle never lifted her head. She kept it lowered, saying nothing. Chase knew Isabelle too well. Despite her young age, even when life cornered her, she could handle it calmly with her brilliant mind. That night, Isabelle was quiet and obedient, not passionately interacting with Jude. She was behaving very normally, but being too normal was abnormal. "Are you afraid of me, or of marrying me? Regardless of which, you don’t need to worry. The Crawford family is simple. My mother is reasonable and open-minded. She will like you, and I’ve prepared a marital home. After marriage, we’ll live on our own, avoiding any mother-in-law conflict." "As for me, I genuinely wish to marry you. I’ll resolve the Willow family’s current financial difficulties. Whatever you want, I can give you. You can cling to me, rely on me, and of course, I want a Mrs. Crawford whose eyes and heart are full of me. Is that okay?" Jude spoke to her softly. Unlike cheap sweet nothings, he had already taken care of all her post-marital concerns. He would become her mountain, her strongest support, and all she needed to do was... have him in her eyes and heart, to marry and love him, giving him her love. If it were any other woman in the world, she would be moved by Jude. At that moment, Isabelle slowly raised her head, her clear, almond-shaped eyes landing on Jude’s handsome face, gazing at him with watery eyes. Jude lowered his head, intending to kiss her. But the kiss was interrupted because a Rolls-Royce Phantom pulled up. Jude paused his actions, and Isabelle’s face turned red as she lowered her head again. "Well... I’ll be off then." Isabelle nodded, "Okay." So Jude got into the Rolls-Royce Phantom and sped away. Chase watched Isabelle from behind. She didn’t immediately leave; she just stood still, gazing in the direction in which Jude had left. She stood there, watching for a long time. Chase closed his eyes, forcing himself to break free from distant memories. He kept knocking on the door, consumed by anxiety whenever he thought of Isabelle inside and what Jude might do given his beastly nature. Chase felt as if there were thousands of ants crawling and gnawing at his heart; the sensation was torture. At this moment, there was a "click" sound, and the villa door suddenly opened. Someone had opened the door. "Sir, may I ask who you are?" Chase shoved the maid aside and stormed in, "Yara! Yara, where are you?" He called loudly, searching everywhere for Isabelle’s figure. At this moment, Butler Thorne approached. He wasn’t at all surprised to see Chase, "Mr. Sullivan, please have a seat. Mr. and Mrs. Crawford have already retired for the night. If it’s urgent, I can ask for them." Chase looked up at the room doorway upstairs. The door was tightly closed, and Jude and Isabelle were resting inside... Chase quickly clenched his fists, "Where’s Jude? I want to see Jude now!" Just as he spoke, a deep and magnetic voice came from upstairs, "Chase, you’re looking for me?" Hearing this devil-like voice again, Chase froze, quickly looking up. He saw Jude walking out of the room, wearing a black silk robe. At his age, he particularly suited these dark tones like black and gray, which rendered him profound and mysterious, restrained yet powerful. Now standing at the ornate railing of the second floor, Jude gazed down at Chase with his deep, narrow eyes from above. In this position, Chase had to look up to see Jude, his clothes completely soaked with rain, still dripping water onto the incredibly luxurious hand-crafted wool carpet of the villa. Just moments ago, Chase hadn’t felt disheveled, but seeing Jude now, he felt his disarray laid bare. Updates are released by novel(ꜰ)ire.net After more than twenty years, Jude seemed unchanged. Chase tightened his fists, "Jude, where’s Yara? Where have you hidden Yara?" Jude looked at Chase, subtly curling his cold, thin lips, "I already said, Yara is sleeping beside me, already asleep. What, can’t understand human speech?" "Jude, what have you done to Yara? You and Yara are over, she won’t be with you anymore..." "Oh, she’s not with me, then with whom, you?" Jude interrupted him indifferently. At this moment, Jude leisurely descended the stairs. His steps were firm and composed, like an emperor’s presence, and Butler Thorne handed him a file. Jude, with his handsome eyes lowered, casually perused it, "Chase, you’ve done quite well these years. Your reputation in the art world has soared, and globally, you’ve held many solo exhibitions. Your assets are barely passable, and for so many years, you’ve remained unmarried..." Jude moved his thin lips lightly, recounting Chase’s achievements and life over the years with a hint of indifference. Chase only felt a chill penetrating his bones as he looked at Jude in shock and fear. In such a short time, Butler Thorne had presented everything about him to this man. Whether over thirty years ago or after more than thirty years, in front of Jude Crawford, he stood without dignity!