Chapter 727: Tool
She chose the second option.
He had agreed to let her raise Noah. He’d thought that since she’d given birth to the child—his older brother’s only bloodline—and since he believed Sunny Reed loved his brother, she would surely love this child.
But he never, ever imagined that the child would become a tool for her to manipulate people.
Walker Grant suddenly recalled that before Noah was even a year old, he would often run a fever and break out in rashes...
’Was he really sick back then?’
Now, hearing these things from Judith Pierce, even though he had seen the world’s coldness and humanity’s wickedness, he couldn’t stop a chill from running down his spine.
Judith Pierce seemed to realize this too. Her voice choked up. "It’s all my fault. It’s all my fault. If I hadn’t gone abroad, if I had taken the child in and cared for him myself, he wouldn’t have suffered so much."
She hated herself, filled with a regret that came too late.
But under the circumstances at the time—her most outstanding eldest son had been dead for a year, and she was mentally and emotionally exhausted—she just wanted to escape the pain as quickly as possible, so she chose to join Doctors Without Borders.
At the time, she had thought, ’Perhaps I can save many lives, and among them, the children and parents of other families.’
’If I can save one person, doesn’t that mean I’m saving a family?’
’Then maybe no one else will have to suffer the way we did?’
She had been immersed in her own grief, but she hadn’t cared for Julian Grant’s only child.
She was overcome with sorrow and self-blame.
The more Judith Pierce thought about it, the more miserable she felt. She covered her eyes, tears streaming through her fingers.
’If Julian Grant knew his own child had been abused like this by his biological mother, how much pain would he be in?’
Mother and son were both lost in their own emotions, silent for a long time.
Night deepened, and a faint gloom seemed to settle over everything, both inside and outside the villa.
When Chloe Reed came out of the old madam’s room, she saw Judith Pierce helping Walker Grant into the elevator.
She took the stairs up, and the elevator doors opened just as she arrived.
"You two go get some rest. I’ll go stay with Noah," Judith Pierce said when she saw her.
Chloe Reed walked over and took Walker Grant’s arm.
She could clearly sense his somber, repressed mood.
Back in the master bedroom, he remained silent. Even as she helped him into the bathroom, he didn’t ask her to stay.
Chloe Reed turned and left, her heart a tangle of complicated feelings.
After hearing what Noah had said, no one could remain calm.
Besides, that was just what Noah remembered.
’What about the things he didn’t remember?’
’How much was there?’
’She didn’t dare to think too deeply about it. The implications were terrifying.’
Chloe Reed took a shower in the guest room. When she returned, she saw he was already sitting on the edge of the bed.
His hair was still wet, and the white gauze dressing was soaked, clinging to his face.
Her beautiful brows furrowed. She walked over, removed the white gauze, dried the area around his eye, and reapplied the ointment.
"I failed as an uncle."
He finally spoke, his voice hoarse and low.
Chloe Reed’s hand, which was applying the ointment, paused, and she pressed her beautiful lips together.
’Hadn’t he done enough?’
’Whenever Sunny Reed called to say something was wrong with Noah, no matter what he was doing, he would drop everything and rush over immediately.’
’He spent so much time with Noah, fulfilling all the responsibilities an uncle should.’
’In fact, it was because of this that their marriage had reached its current state.’
Chloe Reed couldn’t offer any judgment. She couldn’t speak right now, so she simply remained silent.