A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 283

By the time Iris Morgan came out of surgery, Winifred was already gone. But the encounter had still left a bad taste in Iris's mouth. She immediately asked Beatrice what Winifred had been doing outside.

Beatrice recounted everything, mentioning that Winifred had wheeled a young woman away. Iris was relieved to hear Winifred wasn't trying to steal her man while she was indisposed, but a new anxiety quickly took hold.

When Beatrice had bragged about Holden's devotion, she had also mocked the old woman's neglectful son-in-law. That conversation sparked a terrifying realization for Iris.

Since she needed to stay in the hospital for observation, she sent her parents away and took advantage of Holden stepping out to buy her a drink. She hurriedly dialed Madeleine's number.

It took three tries before Holden's mother finally answered.

"I've got an emergency," Iris snapped, thoroughly annoyed. "Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting?"

"Watch your tone," Madeleine replied coldly.

"Before you lecture me, ask yourself if you have the right," Iris scoffed.

Madeleine sighed, shifting to an explanatory tone. "It's past eleven. I was asleep and didn't hear my phone."

Still fuming, Iris got straight to the point. "Let me ask you something. Years ago, after Winifred's divorce, she took a cab to the hospital. That was over three years ago. Has Arthur Seward dug up any new leads on that?"

This was a sore subject for Iris. Arthur's men had tracked Winifred to the hospital back then but had foolishly waited outside instead of following her in. When Holden was later informed that Winifred had died in a car plunging into the river, he set up a memorial. Madeleine, recovering from her own injuries, saw the memorial, sensed a loose end, and ordered someone to check Winifred's medical records.

But the hospital had no file on Winifred Shultz. Arthur had bungled the surveillance. By the time the cunning Madeleine was discharged and tried to track the leads herself, the trail had gone ice cold. Iris had blamed Arthur and Madeleine for this failure multiple times.

Tonight, Madeleine offered the same tired excuse. "After Winifred's accident, Holden fired Arthur for negligence. He's been living off the grid for over three years. He doesn't get involved in our affairs anymore."

It was true. Holden had returned with a battered suitcase and threw down the police report of his driver's fatal accident. He accused Arthur of failing to supervise the driver, which led to the driver picking up Winifred and driving them both off a cliff in Emerald Town. Arthur had been banished on the spot.

Unsatisfied, Iris hung up without another word.

Her next call was to Shelly Hale.

Shelly was her inside woman. She had been dating Quentin Adams for a while, and Iris figured Shelly must have gathered plenty of dirt on him. Since Quentin was the one who took Winifred in three years ago when she fled north, he had to know her secrets.

Shelly picked up immediately.

Iris put on her sweetest, most comforting voice. "Are you still awake, babe?"

On the other end of the line, alarm bells went off in Shelly's head.

She remembered Quentin's strict warning: *Those twins are Winifred's life. If you breathe a word of her secrets to anyone—especially Iris Morgan—we are done.*

Shelly hesitated, anger tightening her chest. In the past, she had kept her mouth shut because of Quentin. She had been infatuated with him, desperate for a future together, so she naturally protected his interests.

But what about now? How had Quentin treated her yesterday?

*You don't even compare to Winifred!* he had yelled. *You don't even deserve to say her name!*

He had changed. When she asked for an allowance, he scolded her. When she acted cute, he ignored her. When her pregnancy made her miserable, Quentin and his mother teamed up to criticize her, comparing her to Winifred and trampling all over her dignity. Even Albert, Quentin's father, had called her worthless to her face.

Quentin had deeply hurt her. If he didn't care about her, why should she protect his precious secrets? Compared to Quentin, who had shattered all her hopes, Iris—an outsider—was treating her like royalty. She deserved to be repaid.

Channeling all her hatred for Quentin, Shelly finally spoke.

"Iris... Winifred had twins. A boy and a girl. Seth and Annelise. And the father... is Holden Lockwood."