Chapter 449

Gavin's POV

The rage I felt boiling inside of me when I heard Irene's confession. I watched her retreat up the stairs and towards her room, my eyes narrowed, and my jaw clenched tightly. I was clenching and unclenching my fists, trying to calm myself down and not do something I was seriously going to regret.

"Gavin, try to calm down," Judy said from behind me, her tone low and cautious like she was trying not to provoke the big bad wolf.

"Calm down?" I asked, turning to look at her. I could see the concern in her eyes, and it caused me to pause for a minute, but then the second I thought about what Irene had done, the anger returned to me. "How can I calm down after knowing what my own daughter had done??"noveldrama

She bit her lower lip, making my eyes drift to her mouth before snapping back to

her eyes.

"Irene was in a really bad place at that time," Judy told me.

"And that makes it right?" I asked through my teeth; I couldn't believe she was defending Irene right now. I nearly fired her because I thought she tried to hurt my son... I did fire a maid after she confessed to the crime and banished her. If it weren't for that maid... it could have been Judy. I was thankful that the doctors were able to help Matt and that he survived, but the outcome could have been so much worse. "Whatever she was going through, whatever jealousy she was facing, it didn't make what he did any better. She nearly killed Matt and was most likely the indirect cause of that maid's death."

"We don't know if she's dead," Judy said, trying to reason with me.

"But she could be and it's Irene's fault for that," I told her, my eyes blazing with anger. "Why are you defending her right now?"

"I'm not... I'm just " her voice trailed off as she tried to figure out what to say.

I realized at that moment what was flashing through her eyes.

"You knew it was her this whole time... didn't you?" I asked, hurt pinging my chest as I stared down at Judys; small frame.

Judy glanced at the ground, nibbling on her lip as she thought about how to

answer my question. But it was a simple answer that didn't require much thought.

It was a yes or no question. She either knew, or she didn't.

"Tell me the truth," I demand, my patients wearing thing. "Did you know, or didn't you?"

Judy's shoulders slumped and she nodded.

"I knew," she finally admitted.

"And you weren't going to say anything to me?" I asked, unable to hide the hurt in my tone. "You were going to take the fall for it? Or were you just waiting for someone else to take the fall like the maid?"

"I didn't know the maid was going to take the fall," I said quickly. "I was planning on taking the blame myself."

"Why?" I asked through my teeth, a snarl on my lips as my wolf's instincts surged forward, pushing us closer to the edge.

"I was trying to protect her..." she admitted softly.

"Why?" I asked again in a snarl. "Why would you want to protect her after what she had done??"

"Because she's your daughter," she replied, looking up at me and making my heart stutter. "She's your daughter and I didn't want your

relationship strained becaul

She did this because she wanted me out of the way and it nearly worked... but at that moment, she had her father on her side and that's all she really wanted. She wanted you to choose her over me and you did. I was trying to protect her and Matt. If Matt knew what his own sister had done, it would destroy him, Gavin. Completely destroy him... I couldn't let that happen. I was going to take full responsibility, but then that maid confessed out of nowhere."

My jaw tensed at her words as I stared into her tear-filled eyes. She was telling the truth and that's what killed me the most. She cared more about me and my family than she did her own innocence or reputation.

“Do you know why the maid confessed?” I asked, my tone was low and charged.

Judy was quiet for a minute and her silence spoke volumes. My eyes narrowed at her, daring her to continue because we both knew at that moment that she knew exactly why the maid confessed.

“Ethan...” she finally said, her shoulders slumping. "He promised her a fortune and told her that he would provide her with protection if she confessed to the crime."

My blood boiled at the sound of her words, and I wanted nothing more than to

punch Ethan in the face for all the parts he played in this.

"Then the maid is okay then,” I said, my eyes scanning Judy's face.

Her face paled and she nibbled on her lower lip once again, a telltale sign that she wasn't saying everything.