Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 159

Julian frowned. He had never once entertained the thought of having Seraphina move in.

This was his and Hester's marital home. It was a private sanctuary meant strictly for the two of them.

"Hester, that's not what I meant," Julian said, his voice lowering defensively. "I just think Seraphina has been through a lot. Forcing her to beg for your permission just to see her own son... I'm worried it will cause her to overthink things."

"Julian, save the guilt trip." Hester had completely lost her patience for his mental gymnastics and decided to lay everything out bare. "Let me be completely honest with you. I don't like Seraphina. Her clinical depression is not an excuse for me to coddle her. If it weren't for the fact that Caden is just an innocent kid caught in the middle, I wouldn't give a woman like her the time of day."

Julian found it completely impossible to comprehend Hester's sudden hostility toward Seraphina.

"She just got back to the country. What could she have possibly done to offend you so deeply?"

"She didn't offend me." Hester placed a protective hand over her stomach. "We just fundamentally rub each other the wrong way. Besides, she might be depressed, but I'm the one who is pregnant. Julian, I am carrying your child, and I simply do not want random people wandering in and out of my house. Your beloved sister-in-law has been pregnant and given birth before. Shouldn't she have a little empathy for an expecting mother?"

Julian's lips pressed into a hard line. His dark, brooding eyes locked onto Hester, analyzing her intensely.

The Hester standing before him now was bristling with thorns, an impenetrable fortress. She had never been like this in the past.

Now, she refused to concede a single inch. Her words were razor-sharp, cutting him down at every turn, as if her sole purpose was to actively antagonize him and force a fight.

Julian rationalized it as nothing more than pregnancy hormones wreaking havoc on her mood.

He let out a soft sigh. "I'll make things clear with her. I'll have Celeste bring Caden's things over later."

Hester broke eye contact, turning her back on him and walking out toward the garden.

Julian stood in silence, watching her retreating figure for a long moment before finally turning and leaving the house.

...

Hester had Lena take Caden upstairs to run a warm bath for him.

Caden was absolutely ecstatic when he realized he was allowed to sleep over.

Fresh out of the tub, wearing the pajamas he had left at the house, he practically skipped downstairs to eat dinner with Hester.

While they ate, Hester kept putting food onto his plate. Caden kept glancing around the room before finally asking curiously, "Mommy, did Daddy go out again?"

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify