Option judge expected, heartless (7)
I believe the answer is:
refusal
'option' is the definition.
(I have seen 'An option' mean 'refusal' so perhaps 'option' could also mean 'refusal')
'judge expected heartless' is the wordplay.
'judge' becomes 'ref'.
'expected' becomes 'usual' (I've seen this before).
'heartless' says to hollow out the word (remove centre letters).
'usual' with its centre removed is 'usal'.
'ref'+'usal'='REFUSAL'
(Other definitions for refusal that I've seen before include "(Horse) failure to jump" , "Non-acceptance" , "Act of declining to take or accept something" , "Stop by fence" , "Act of a horse stopping short at a jump" .)