A Wedding Night Gone Terribly Wrong novel Chapter 357

To think such a thing was actually true...

It was a massive shock.

Madeleine paused, her calculating mind instantly going to work. "When you strike, it has to be flawless. Every single detail must be ironclad. Even if Winifred's twins look the part, we have to see it with our own eyes and have indisputable evidence laid out for it to actually count. Until then, we treat it with extreme skepticism."

Iris immediately deferred to her expertise. "Then in your opinion, what's our next move?"

"A paternity test."

"What?"

"Force Winifred's children and Leland to take a DNA test. If they are his, we pivot and play the long game. If they aren't, then we destroy her."

A brilliant plan.

But...

"Winifred and those kids have massive backing now. They aren't the easy targets they used to be. How am I supposed to mess with a man like Leland?"

"Use your brain," Madeleine said sharply. "Leland isn't an island; he has people around him. Pry into his inner circle. Stir up jealousy, spark conflicts..."

She spent the next few minutes giving Iris a masterclass in manipulation.

Iris caught on immediately.

Her next call was to Fabiola.

Fabiola was her die-hard fan, someone who would walk through fire for her. More importantly, she was Wyatt's wife and had a son of her own in the Lockwood family.

Iris put on her warmest, most charming voice. "Fabiola, how are you?"

"I'm doing wonderful! Thank you so much for checking in, Goddess," Fabiola gushed, clearly thrilled to be receiving a personal call from her idol.

Iris smoothly slipped the knife in deeper. "The real fear is that while they're being spoiled, the new Lockwood golden boy, Seth, is going to completely dominate with his 'genius' reputation. Your son is going to be pushed to the margins, and he'll spend the rest of his life having to look to Seth for approval."

A suffocating silence fell over the phone.

Iris smiled in grim satisfaction. Madeleine's plan was truly flawless.

"Fabiola, I just remembered seeing you holding your son and crying by the door that day, and my heart physically ached. I feel so awful for you. Raising a child is hard enough, pouring your entire soul into bringing them up right. But if he has to spend his life bowing to others and constantly being overshadowed by Seth... that would just break your heart."

Fabiola laughed bitterly. "There's nothing I can do. Family rules are family rules; Seth is the eldest son's line."

"Fabiola, don't give up. There is a way for you to fight for your son's rightful place as the heir."

"What way?" Fabiola asked, her voice dropping to a whisper.

"Leland bringing those kids back and just declaring they're his is totally absurd. For a family with your level of wealth and status to blindly take in children born out of wedlock? A DNA test is the absolute bare minimum."