Chapter 743\u00a0<\/p>\n
Gavin\u2019s\u00a0POV<\/p>\n
+15\u00a0BONUS\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cHey\u2026\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0said\u00a0softly,\u00a0as\u00a0Judy\u2019s\u00a0eyes\u00a0opened.\u00a0She\u00a0looked\u00a0disoriented\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0moment\u00a0before\u00a0she finally\u00a0registered\u00a0that\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0me,\u00a0and\u00a0then\u00a0her\u00a0body\u00a0relaxed.\u00a0I\u00a0could\u00a0tell\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0having\u00a0a\u00a0nightmare;\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0murmuring\u00a0something in\u00a0her\u00a0sleep\u00a0that\u00a0I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0figure\u00a0out,\u00a0and\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0tossing\u00a0and\u00a0turning,\u00a0despite\u00a0my\u00a0efforts\u00a0to\u00a0calm\u00a0her.<\/p>\n
\u201cHey,\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0whispered\u00a0in\u00a0return,\u00a0her voice\u00a0barely\u00a0audible\u00a0over\u00a0the\u00a0racing\u00a0sounds\u00a0of\u00a0her\u00a0heart.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0bent\u00a0and\u00a0kissed\u00a0her\u00a0lips\u00a0lightly.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s\u00a0been\u00a0several hours\u00a0since\u00a0we\u00a0returned\u00a0home from\u00a0the\u00a0clinic,\u00a0and\u00a0only\u00a0about\u00a0an\u00a0hour\u00a0since\u00a0our\u00a0bath.\u00a0I\u00a0took\u00a0her\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0the\u00a0bath,\u00a0wrapped\u00a0her\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0warm\u00a0towel,\u00a0and\u00a0then\u00a0tucked\u00a0her\u00a0into\u00a0our\u00a0shared\u00a0bed,\u00a0all while\u00a0she\u00a0slept.\u00a0She\u00a0was\u00a0peaceful\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0little\u00a0while,\u00a0until\u00a0about\u00a030\u00a0minutes ago,\u00a0when\u00a0she\u00a0started\u00a0to\u00a0toss\u00a0and<\/p>\n
turn.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0brushed\u00a0a\u00a0strand\u00a0of\u00a0hair\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0her\u00a0face\u00a0and\u00a0behind\u00a0her ear.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas\u00a0it\u00a0a\u00a0nightmare?\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0asked,\u00a0not\u00a0wanting\u00a0to\u00a0pry,\u00a0but\u00a0needing\u00a0to\u00a0know\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0okay.\u00a0I\u00a0could\u00a0tell\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0still barely\u00a0awake,\u00a0and\u00a0I\u00a0wanted\u00a0her\u00a0to\u00a0sleep\u00a0as\u00a0much\u00a0as\u00a0she\u00a0could.\u00a0There\u00a0was\u00a0a\u00a0tray\u00a0of\u00a0water\u00a0beside\u00a0her\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0bedside table,\u00a0thanks\u00a0to\u00a0Irene,\u00a0so\u00a0I\u00a0poured\u00a0her\u00a0glass\u00a0and\u00a0brought\u00a0it\u00a0to her\u00a0lips.<\/p>\n
She\u00a0took\u00a0a\u00a0small\u00a0sip\u00a0before\u00a0resting\u00a0her\u00a0head back\u00a0on\u00a0the pillow.<\/p>\n
\u201cYeah\u2026\u201d\u00a0she\u00a0replied,\u00a0but\u00a0then\u00a0she\u00a0paused\u00a0as\u00a0if\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0thinking\u00a0about\u00a0it.\u00a0\u201cMaybe\u2026\u00a0I\u2019m\u00a0not\u00a0entirely\u00a0sure.\u00a0Maybe\u00a0it\u00a0wasn\u2019t.\u00a0I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0feel\u00a0like\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0in\u00a0any danger,\u00a0but\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n
Her\u00a0voice\u00a0trailed\u00a0off,\u00a0and\u00a0it\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0seem\u00a0like\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0going\u00a0to\u00a0say\u00a0more.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s\u00a0okay\u2026\u00a0we\u00a0can\u00a0talk\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0morning,\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0assured\u00a0her.\u00a0\u201cJust\u00a0get\u00a0some\u00a0sleep.\u201d<\/p>\n
She\u00a0nodded\u00a0as\u00a0she\u00a0closed\u00a0her\u00a0eyes.<\/p>\n
It didn\u2019t\u00a0take\u00a0long\u00a0for\u00a0her\u00a0to\u00a0fall\u00a0asleep,\u00a0and\u00a0I\u00a0held\u00a0her\u00a0a\u00a0bit\u00a0longer\u00a0to\u00a0ensure\u00a0that\u00a0her\u00a0nightmares\u00a0stayed\u00a0away.\u00a0But\u00a0I\u00a0couldn\u2019t bring\u00a0myself\u00a0to\u00a0join\u00a0her\u00a0in sleep.\u00a0I\u00a0couldn\u2019t\u00a0get\u00a0Levi\u2019s\u00a0words\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0my\u00a0head\u2026\u00a0that\u00a0the\u00a0moon\u00a0gem\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0belong\u00a0to\u00a0my\u00a0family.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0untangled\u00a0myself\u00a0from Judy and\u00a0climbed\u00a0out\u00a0of\u00a0bed.\u00a0I\u00a0grabbed\u00a0a\u00a0pair\u00a0of\u00a0shorts\u00a0and\u00a0a\u00a0T\u2013shirt\u00a0and\u00a0put\u00a0them\u00a0on.\u00a0I\u00a0looked\u00a0at\u00a0Judy\u2019s\u00a0peaceful\u00a0face\u00a0one\u00a0last\u00a0time\u00a0before\u00a0leaving\u00a0the\u00a0room,\u00a0quietly\u00a0shutting the\u00a0door<\/p>\n
behind\u00a0me.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0found\u00a0myself\u00a0standing\u00a0outside\u00a0my\u00a0father\u2019s\u00a0old\u00a0office.\u00a0The\u00a0one\u00a0I\u2019d\u00a0left\u00a0untouched\u00a0for\u00a0years.\u00a0When\u00a0I\u00a0inherited the\u00a0villa\u00a0after\u00a0his\u00a0death,\u00a0I\u00a0left\u00a0most\u00a0of\u00a0his\u00a0stuff\u00a0alone.\u00a0I\u00a0didn\u2019t\u00a0have\u00a0it\u00a0in\u00a0me\u00a0to\u00a0change anything,\u00a0so\u00a0I\u00a0created\u00a0my\u00a0own\u00a0office out of\u00a0the\u00a0unused\u00a0rooms\u00a0and\u00a0built\u00a0my\u00a0own\u00a0master\u00a0suite.<\/p>\n
Chapter\u00a0743<\/p>\n
+15\u00a0BONUS\u00a0<\/p>\n
The\u00a0maids\u00a0and\u00a0the\u00a0other\u00a0staff\u00a0knew\u00a0to leave\u00a0this\u00a0room\u00a0alone,\u00a0so\u00a0nobody\u00a0had\u00a0been\u00a0in\u00a0it\u00a0since\u00a0my\u00a0father.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0feared\u00a0what\u00a0I\u00a0might\u00a0find\u00a0on\u00a0the\u00a0other\u00a0side\u00a0of\u00a0this\u00a0door.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0door\u00a0creaked\u00a0when\u00a0I\u00a0opened\u00a0it.\u00a0The\u00a0room\u00a0smelled\u00a0faintly\u00a0of\u00a0leather\u00a0and\u00a0dust.\u00a0His\u00a0desk,\u00a0sleek\u00a0walnut,\u00a0polished,\u00a0within\u00a0an inch\u00a0of\u00a0its\u00a0life,\u00a0sat\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0guard\u00a0against\u00a0the\u00a0far\u00a0wall.\u00a0I\u00a0remembered\u00a0being\u00a0a\u00a0boy\u00a0watching\u00a0him\u00a0behind\u00a0it\u00a0every\u00a0deal\u00a0and\u00a0decision\u00a0shaping\u00a0the\u00a0man\u00a0I\u00a0was\u00a0supposed\u00a0to\u00a0become.<\/p>\n
Now\u00a0he\u00a0was\u00a0gone.\u00a0And\u00a0yet,\u00a0the\u00a0weight\u00a0lingered.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0sank\u00a0into\u00a0the\u00a0chair\u00a0and\u00a0opened\u00a0the\u00a0bottom\u00a0drawer.\u00a0Files.\u00a0Too\u00a0many\u00a0files,\u00a0neat\u00a0as\u00a0bones\u00a0laid\u00a0in\u00a0rows.\u00a0At\u00a0first,\u00a0they\u00a0looked like\u00a0ordinary\u00a0contracts,\u00a0financial\u00a0reports,\u00a0and\u00a0legal\u00a0documents.\u00a0But\u00a0then,\u00a0tucked\u00a0behind\u00a0a\u00a0false\u00a0back,\u00a0I\u00a0found\u00a0something\u00a0else.<\/p>\n
Articles\u00a0and\u00a0ledgers.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0papers\u00a0were old,\u00a0the\u00a0ink faded,\u00a0but legible.\u00a0Transactions,\u00a0shipments,\u00a0artifacts.\u00a0My\u00a0father\u2019s\u00a0handwriting\u00a0in\u00a0the\u00a0margins.\u00a0And\u00a0a\u00a0name\u00a0I\u00a0hadn\u2019t\u00a0expected\u00a0to\u00a0see\u00a0scrawled\u00a0more\u00a0than once.<\/p>\n
Blackwell.<\/p>\n
The\u00a0more\u00a0I\u00a0read,\u00a0the\u00a0colder\u00a0the\u00a0air\u00a0seemed\u00a0to\u00a0get.\u00a0Not\u00a0just mentions,\u00a0but\u00a0signatures.\u00a0Transfers.\u00a0Agreements\u00a0that\u00a0blurred\u00a0the\u00a0line\u00a0between\u00a0our\u00a0family\u00a0and\u00a0theirs.\u00a0And\u00a0buried\u00a0in the\u00a0details,\u00a0one\u00a0entry\u00a0that\u00a0made\u00a0my\u00a0stomach\u00a0drop.<\/p>\n
Acquisition:\u00a0Moon\u00a0Gem.\u00a0Source\u00a0obscured.\u00a0Reclassified\u00a0as\u00a0Landry\u00a0property.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0stared\u00a0at\u00a0it\u00a0until\u00a0the\u00a0letters\u00a0blurred.<\/p>\n
It\u00a0was\u00a0true\u2026<\/p>\n
All\u00a0this\u00a0time.\u00a0My\u00a0father\u00a0knew\u00a0the\u00a0gem\u00a0wasn\u2019t\u00a0ours\u00a0by\u00a0right.\u00a0He\u2019s\u00a0taken\u00a0it,\u00a0hidden\u00a0the\u00a0truth\u00a0under\u00a0decades\u00a0of\u00a0wealth\u00a0and power,\u00a0passed\u00a0it\u00a0down\u00a0like\u00a0a\u00a0crown\u00a0to\u00a0be\u00a0polished\u2026\u00a0or\u00a0at\u00a0least\u00a0he\u00a0tried\u00a0to.<\/p>\n
I\u00a0was\u00a0strong\u00a0enough\u00a0without\u00a0the\u00a0stone,\u00a0so\u00a0I\u00a0never\u00a0required\u00a0it.\u00a0My\u00a0father\u00a0died\u00a0before\u00a0he\u00a0could\u00a0pass\u00a0it\u00a0on\u00a0to\u00a0me\u00a0officially,\u00a0so\u00a0it\u00a0ended\u00a0up\u00a0with\u00a0my\u00a0mother.\u00a0She kept\u00a0it\u00a0in\u00a0a\u00a0lock\u00a0box\u00a0for\u00a0all\u00a0these\u00a0years,\u00a0waiting\u00a0for\u00a0the\u00a0right\u00a0moment\u00a0to\u00a0give\u00a0it\u00a0to\u00a0me before\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0stolen.\u00a0But\u00a0when\u00a0we\u00a0got\u00a0it\u00a0back,\u00a0or\u00a0when\u00a0we\u00a0thought\u00a0we\u00a0got it\u00a0back,\u00a0I\u00a0refused\u00a0it,\u00a0not\u00a0needing\u00a0it.<\/p>\n
Ruby is a master of holiday romance and slow-burn love stories that warm the heart like a crackling fire. Her novels weave festive magic with lingering glances and tender moments, drawing readers into cozy worlds where love unfolds one snowflake at a time. Off the page, she\u2019s baking cookies and dreaming under twinkling lights.<\/p>\n
We Built a Kingdom From Ashes That Still Remembered Love by Aila Frost 743 Chapter 743\u00a0 Gavin\u2019s\u00a0POV +15\u00a0BONUS\u00a0 \u201cHey\u2026\u201d\u00a0I\u00a0said\u00a0softly,\u00a0as\u00a0Judy\u2019s\u00a0eyes\u00a0opened.\u00a0She\u00a0looked\u00a0disoriented\u00a0for\u00a0a\u00a0moment\u00a0before\u00a0she finally\u00a0registered\u00a0that\u00a0it\u00a0was\u00a0me,\u00a0and\u00a0then\u00a0her\u00a0body\u00a0relaxed.\u00a0I\u00a0could\u00a0tell\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0having\u00a0a\u00a0nightmare;\u00a0she\u00a0was\u00a0murmuring\u00a0something […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[38],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-21812","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-shadow-slave-by-author-novelnozi-com"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21812","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21812"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21812\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21812"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21812"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21812"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}