Chapter 107 A THIRD PARTY

Chapter 107 A THIRD PARTY
“You're really leaving?” I asked again, watching as he pulled on his shirt before beginning to fasten the buttons.

I walked up to him, immediately stepping into his space.

“Let me do it,” I muttered as I began helping him with the buttons.

“I'm sorry, Nancy. I'm really sorry I have to leave,” I heard him say after what felt like a long moment of him simply staring at me.

I looked up, meeting his gaze.

I would be lying to myself if I said I wanted him to go.

I didn't.

“Can't you stay? I was planning on introducing Renna to you today. Not as Uncle Jaxon, but as her father,” I said quietly.

I couldn't hide the disappointment in my voice. I couldn't hide how much the thought of him leaving hurt.

A small smile immediately touched his lips as he reached out and caressed my cheek. His eyes were filled with so much emotion that I wished he would put into words.

I leaned into his touch, loving the comfort it brought me.

“My sister called. My dad is in the hospital, and that means he won't be able to show up for his governorship campaign. I have to be there to fill in for him,” he explained, his thumb gently stroking my cheek.

I felt helpless.

I really didn't want him to go.

I wanted us to stay like this a little longer, but the urgency of the situation wasn't something he could ignore.

“I completely understand. You should be there for your dad,” I said, finally adjusting his tie before taking two steps back.

But he caught me by surprise when he immediately wrapped an arm around my waist and pulled me against his chest.

“How about I take you and Renna out once I'm back? I'm still a little shocked by the fact that I have a daughter and wasn't part of the first five years of her life.

It feels like all of this is a dream. Having you here by my side feels too good to be true, and I don't think I deserve—”

I immediately silenced him by pressing my lips against his before he could finish.

“Don't ever say you're too damaged to be her father,” I whispered.

“I was always glad it was you, especially after seeing the bond the two of you built with the help of Alba.

I guess that only made me angrier at the time.

But I never thought you could win her over so easily.”

A small smile tugged at my lips.

“Well, Alba has always had a way of bringing people together,” he replied.

A shadow of sadness crossed his eyes despite the smile on his face.

Then I remembered the name engraved on Alba's necklace.

I wanted to ask about it.

But I decided against it.

I didn't want to ruin the moment.

“Why aren't you asking?” he suddenly asked when silence settled between us.

Instead of answering, I simply stared at him.

“Why aren't you asking how I know Mr. Randy? Or whether I really approached you because of him?”

I bit the inside of my lip.

“I want to talk to Kelvin myself. I've known for a while that there's a part of his past he always avoids talking about.”

I walked over to the bed and sat down.

“He loves family.

He's always loved my family from the moment he came to our ranch.

He went from looking lost and completely uninterested in the world to helping my parents around the ranch and even babysitting Renna without a single complaint.

He fit into our lives so naturally that sometimes it felt like he had always been there.

Jaxon, as much as I don't know the whole story, I do know one thing—Kelvin is not a bad person. That, I'm very sure of.”

My gaze rested on him for a while before he nodded and came to sit beside me.

“I know. When I first discovered him, I was in high school and my life was still very much a living hell. I noticed that my supposed mother had been donating to a particular orphanage for years, starting from the year after the accident involving my mum. So I did my own research, trying to understand why.

“That's when I discovered Mr. Randy. She had never visited Isadora, who was barely three when she left to stay in the countryside, but she flew in to see Mr. Randy every once in a while.”

I couldn't even hide my shock.

Does that mean she's Kelvin's mother?

“When she found out that I was tracking Mr. Randy, she started moving him from one orphanage to another. But she never stopped donating.”

His eyes looked distant as he spoke, as though he was reliving those memories.

“And you knew Kelvin might be the only person who had answers about the woman who took over a life that was never hers,” I said in realization.

Why was everything so messed up?

“I just needed answers, and he was by far my only lead. He's the only person connected to her that she desperately wants hidden. That's why, when I heard she had suddenly become interested in a ranch here in Hollowmere, I knew there was something behind it.”

His voice trailed off as he let out a heavy sigh.

“Is that why you decided to buy my parents' ranch?” I asked.

He nodded before burying his face in his palms.

A heavy sigh escaped me.

Just then, a knock came at the door.

A moment later, Troy stepped inside with an excited Alba trailing behind him.

“We're ready to go. Our flight leaves in an hour,” he announced, his gaze moving from Jaxon to me.

“Can I meet her before I go?” Jaxon asked immediately.

I pushed myself to my feet.

“Yeah, I'm sure that can be arranged.”

“Who are we meeting?” Troy asked, looking completely confused.

My gaze immediately shifted to Jaxon, and I realized he still hadn't told Troy.

“I'll be downstairs. I need to make a phone call,” I said before leaving the room.

Jaxon's POV

“Why are you two suddenly being so secretive? And are you two, like, officially together now?” Troy asked.

Normally, I would have entertained his nonsense, but I wasn't in the mood today.

“Not now, Troy. What's the status of the witch? Has she been released?” I asked, needing him to keep his focus on business.

“Surprisingly, no. She's still in custody since your dad hasn't woken up yet. But reports say she finally admitted to hitting him with the bottle.”

“Then that's good.”

I grabbed my suitcase and headed toward the door.

“Once we get back to the city, there's an old health facility we need to visit. I need to find someone there.”

Troy frowned immediately.

“What health facility? Who exactly are you planning to meet?”

The confusion in his eyes was impossible to miss.

“Someone who might finally be able to give me a clearer explanation of what happened to my grandmother after I went into a coma twenty years ago. I wonder why I never thought of her until now.”

“What about Mr. Randy? Did you tell Nancy about him?” Troy asked.

“She's going to talk to him. Maybe then he'll agree to meet with us.” I replied.

“Isadora called to ask when we're flying in, and she's been handling the media surprisingly well.

The board has already appointed acting CEOs for each branch, including the main branch, since the witch was asked to step down until there's enough evidence proving she's mentally stable.

I don't understand why all of this is happening so fast, or why she hasn't been able to pull herself out of it when we both know she's gotten away with practically everything.

Jaxon, is it just me, or does it feel like there's a third party in this game?”

Troy's words didn't entirely make sense at first, but he was right about one thing. The witch usually got away with everything.

First there was the stunt she pulled with me, and then there was her biggest mistake yet—hitting my father with a bottle. Those were things she would normally have brushed off without consequence.

But for some reason, this time felt different.

“A third party...” I muttered, stopping right at the front door.

My gaze drifted toward Nancy, who was leaning against the car, completely absorbed in a conversation with whoever was on the other end of the phone.

“Whoever that person is, they have power and authority,” Troy continued. “But the question is, are they on our side or against us?”

He had voiced the exact question that had been lingering in my mind.

“Well, we'll have to figure out who that person is. But before that, I really want her completely out of this case.

“I keep feeling like something is about to go wrong.”

I hated the uneasiness that had been following me ever since I regained my memories of Nancy and discovered that Renna was my daughter.

“Why do you keep wanting her out of the case?” Troy asked.

“Jaxon, she's not Emmy's mother. I know you're scared of losing her, but pushing her away from this investigation might not be the best idea.

“Because the Nancy I know will chase her own curiosity no matter what.

“Keeping her close might be your best chance at protecting her.”

As much as I hated to admit it, Troy was right.

But I just couldn't shake the feeling lodged deep inside me.

Something was coming.

And whatever it was, it wasn't going to be good.