Chapter 114
Wyatt lit up with pride at the old man’s words. “My granddaughter is pretty good at chess too. Just wait, she’ll wipe the floor with you.”
Abigail walked over and sat down beside him. “Grandpa, who’s this?” she asked.
Wyatt smiled and introduced him to Abigail. “This is Dorjan Cox, a friend of mine from Chesterwick.”
“Nice to meet you, Mr. Cox,” Abigail greeted him politely, her gaze already drifting to the chessboard.
Dorian had Wyatt completely cornered. Abigail studied the game for a moment and smiled. “Even I can’t save you. If I had gotten here earlier, maybe with two more pieces, I might’ve had a shot.”
Dorian chuckled. “Bold words for a kid. You sound just like my brat back home, proud and cocky.” With that, he swept the board clear. “Play a round with me.”
“Sure,” Abigail replied, already helping him reset the board.
Wyatt joined in, too, his voice warm with affection. “I heard work has been keeping you busy. I’m really glad you made time to visit.”
Abigail looked at him, her face relaxed and bright. “Is everything comfortable here? How’s your health?” Being with him was the only time she felt she could let her guard down. With him, she didn’t have to think about anything else – just be happy.
Back when Abigail returned to Gibson Villa, Daniella had made such a fuss that she hadn’t gone on a single trip. Wyatt, seeing how down Abigail was, used to take her out to the mall, holding her hand as they strolled around and bought snacks.
Abigail would always remember how his big, rough hands felt so warm when he held hers and walked her through the streets. But even back then, he was busy most of the time with Gibson family affairs. Moments like those had been rare and fleeting.
Wyatt reached out and gently patted the back of her head, his touch full of tenderness. He said, “The doctors say I’m good to go home. Abby, when you were in prison, I couldn’t accept what happened to you. I got sick holding all that in. But now that you’re back, I don’t think I should keep hiding out here.”
Wyatt mused, “Dorian is right. I’m here enjoying a peaceful life, but I never stopped to think about how miserable Abigail was at Gibson Villa, dealing with everyone’s abuse, always backing down for my sake. She came from an orphanage, so she’s always been more sensitive than other kids, more tuned in to everyone around her, more mature, and she values her family so deeply. If she values our bond that much, how can I just sit back and enjoy my quiet life while she faces all that on her own?”
Abigail was caught off guard. She had come here intending to tell Wyatt that from now on, if the Gibson family came after her, she wouldn’t go easy on Gabriel just because of him. But now, he was already planning to return for her.
She said, “Grandpa, you’re not young anymore. What if they upset you when you go back?” She really didn’t want Wyatt getting involved in the mess that was now the Gibson family.
Abigail thought, “They’re awful with their words. Even I get so worked up sometimes that it’s hard to breathe. Grandpa is older now. If they push him too far and something happens… I’d never forgive myself.”
Wyatt said, “Back when you went to prison, I held up through all of it. That was a big deal, and I survived it. No matter what happens now, I truly believe nothing could be harder than watching you go to jail.”
His health had taken a turn for the worse because of the shock of Abigail’s sentence. Back when she nearly died, he had been too sick to even get out of bed.
Looking back, Wyatt regretted being so fragile – if he had been stronger, maybe her early days behind bars wouldn’t have been so unbearable.
Abigail’s eyes turned slightly red when she heard his words.
Dorian finished setting up the chessboard and looked at her. “Care for a game?”
Abigail raised a hand and wiped at her eyes. “Sure.”
She ended up playing chess with Wyatt until four in the afternoon. Around then, the hospital staff came to notify them that everything was packed – he was officially discharged.
Dorian then walked Abigail and Wyatt out of the hospital.
Just before getting in the car, Wyatt turned to Abigail. “You should thank Mr. Cox. He’s the one who made me come to my senses.”
Abigail gave Dorian a sincere nod. “Thank you, Mr. Cox.”
James had pulled up to pick her up. He parked right in front of them and stuck his head out the window, looking completely stunned. “Huh? Mr. Cox? When did you get to Cobridge?”
Dorian replied, “That punk Seb dragged me over here to knock some sense into this old man. I’ve been here for days and still haven’t seen a trace of him.”
James glanced at Abigail and grinned mischievously. “Seb has been running around for that medical robot thing. All thanks to Abby, by the way. She landed him a huge project. He’ll be visiting top hospitals across the country for a while.”
Abigail felt awkward under the attention. She had spoken too soon back then, without realizing just how much work a shared data system would actually be.
She just hadn’t expected that Dorian was actually someone Sebastian had called in. She wondered, “Did Sebastian really ask Mr. Cox here just to convince Grandpa to go back to Gibson Villa and stand up for me? Why is he being so nice to me?”