Chapter 172
Henry gazed at Jude intensely. Despite his youth, Jude was remarkably astute, grasping complex matters in a mere glance. A sense of relief flooded through Henry due to the fact that this perceptive boy was indeed his son.
Jude pursed his lips and spoke again, "Dad, you need to be nice to Mom. If you want to stay with her, you have to make her choose you."
Henry thought, "Well, isn't this coming back to bite me? The very words I had once said to my son were now being thrown back at me."
For a moment, Henry felt both anger and amusement bubbling up inside him.
"Let me ask you something," Henry said. "If your mother and I were to separate, who would you choose to stay with?"
Jude frowned, clearly displeased by the hypothetical. "Why do you have to separate? Do you still like Ms. Miller? She's nice and all, but I still like my Mom more."
The more time he spent with his mother, the more he realized how much he loved her.
Sarah had been kind to Jude, but it wasn't the same.
There remained an unspoken distance between Jude and Sarah, and Jude could never feel as at ease with Sarah as he did with his Mom.
He had indeed entertained the thought of accepting Sarah as his mother, but back then, his heart was clouded with anger and sorrow, believing that Victoria had truly abandoned him. In that case, he resolved to seek out a new mother for himself.
But now, his thoughts on the matter had shifted.
He still cherished his Mom deeply.
The mere thought of someone new stepping into her shoes made his heart clench with resistance.
Henry flicked the tablet off, his intense gaze settling on Jude. After a moment of heavy silence, Henry chuckled, "Alright. When you see her, make sure you tell her exactly these words."
"Dad, are we seriously going to see great–grandma together tomorrow?"
After all that Jude had said, this was his sole intention.
"Yeah." Henry nodded in agreement.
Jude's eyes lit up with excitement, but just then, the car screeched to a sudden halt.
Jacob stepped out to inspect the issue. A few moments later, he returned with a troubled expression. "Mr. Harrison, the car broke down. I'll call another car to take you and Mr. Jude Harrison to the hotel."
"Okay," Henry replied casually, not particularly concerned. It was just a minor issue, after all.
The rain began to pour harder, and the once–clear scenery outside turned into a blur of gray and green. Henry resumed going through his documents.
At that precise moment, a large truck was barreling toward them from behind. Despite the downpour, it showed no intent of slowing. A spike of alarm shot through Jacob, who flung the car door open instantly.
"Mr. Harrison, Mr. Julius Harrison, get out of the car now!"
Without hesitation, Henry scooped up Jude and leaped out of the vehicle. They scrambled over the guardrail and dashed to safety just as the truck smashed into their car. Bang!
The impact was deafening. The Rolls Royce Phantom was crushed against the guardrail, and its hood crumpled like paper. If they had still been inside, it would have been catastrophic.
Henry's expression turned grim. The torrential rain veiled their sight, reducing visibility to mere shadows and silhouettes. Through the downpour, they could just make out a figure leaping from the truck, staggering and clumsily scaling the guardrail before disappearing into the dense forest.
"Jacob, go after him," Henry ordered in a cold, commanding tone.
Jacob took off in pursuit without a second thought.
Henry quickly pulled out his phone and made a call. Within minutes, additional bodyguards arrived, and they swiftly escorted Henry and Jude back to the hotel.
Upon returning to the hotel, Henry was greeted by the presence of someone entirely unexpected.
Sophia rose from her seat and approached with a warm smile, "Henry , Jude, what on earth happened to you guys? You're soaked to the bone!"
Drenched from the rain, Henry carried his son into the hotel elevator. Water trickled down his handsome face, and his expression was grim.
Jude, pale and shivering from the cold rain that had drenched him to the core, managed a polite greeting upon seeing Sophia. "Ms. Reed."
Sophia offered a slight, reassuring smile, though her eyes still mirrored concern. "What happened out there?" she inquired.
Henry's voice was icy as he looked at her. "What are you doing here?"
The elevator doors slid shut with a soft ding. Sophia clutched her bag tightly and explained, "Henry, something's happened. I think I'm being targeted."
Henry remained icy as he replied, "So, you came to see me?"
Sophia's eyes welled up with a mix of frustration and helplessness. "Henry, I don't know who I've offended. Ever since I returned here, all my newly signed deals have been snatched away. I can't figure out what's going on. You're the only one who can help me."
Henry's forehead creased with a hint of annoyance, yet his tone remained as frosty as ever. "I'll investigate this. Go home and wait for any updates," he instructed.
A flicker of relief crossed Sophia's face, but she hesitated, glancing toward the rain–soaked windows. "But the storm's too heavy. All the flights back to Lanceser are canceled. Can I stay until the rain stops?"
"Whatever," Henry responded with a dismissive shrug, his focus already drifting away from her.
The elevator doors opened, and Henry carried Jude back to the suite. He ran a warm bath for Jude, wrapped him in a soft towel, and had someone prepare steaming soup to ward off the chill. After making sure Jude took some medicine to prevent a cold, Henry finally stepped into the shower himself.
Sophia stepped inside and lingered in the living room, initiating a gentle flow of conversation with Jude .
"I'm a little sleepy," Jude mumbled, rubbing his eyes. "I think I'll go to bed."
Sophia nodded. "Of course, get some rest."
As soon as the door to his room clicked shut, Jude grabbed his phone and dialed Victoria.
"Mom, can you come see me?"
Catching the faint quiver in his voice, Victoria blurted out with concern, "What's wrong? What happened to you?"
Jude recounted the events, and his voice was tinged with the remnants of fear, making the ordeal sound as harrowing as it felt.
Victoria's breath hitched. "I'm on my way. Are you hurt?"
"No, Dad got me out of the car right away," Jude explained.
Victoria exhaled a sigh of relief. "Alright, I'm coming over right now," she promised.
After ending the call, she turned to Ava, conveying the situation.
Ava looked anxious and sighed, "With such a downpour, an incident like this would scare any child. That poor boy must be terrified. Go comfort him. Whatever's going on between you and Henry can wait. The child comes first."
"I know," Victoria nodded, grabbing her coat and heading out the door.