Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 176

Julian froze. His massive frame went entirely rigid, as if he had just been struck by a bolt of lightning. For three agonizing seconds, he didn't move a muscle.

Slowly, a paralyzing cold crept into his chest, spreading through his veins.

He stared down at Hester.

What did she just say?

Go find someone else? She didn't care?

She hadn't always been like this. In the past, whenever she looked at him, her eyes had been filled with nothing but absolute adoration and blind trust.

Now, not only did she look completely repulsed by his touch, she was actively telling him to sleep with other women.

She really didn't love him anymore. The dead look in her eyes confirmed it.

The iron grip on her wrists loosened.

Seizing the opportunity, Hester yanked her hands free, shoved him hard in the chest, and scrambled into a sitting position.

Caught off guard by the shove, Julian stumbled back a few steps before catching his balance.

Hester grabbed a plush pillow and hurled it directly at his face.

"If you don't want me marching into a clinic tomorrow morning to abort this baby, you need to get the hell out of my sight right now!"

The pillow bounced off Julian's chest and hit the floor with a soft thud.

He didn't bend down to pick it up. He simply stared at it for a long, suffocating moment. Finally, he turned around and walked out of the bedroom, a freezing aura trailing behind him.

The door slammed shut.

The room was plunged back into a heavy silence.

Hester's tightly coiled muscles slowly began to unwind. She reached up, rubbing her throbbing temples.

It seemed her exit strategy needed to happen much sooner than planned.

...

Despite the explosive argument, Hester didn't let it ruin her rest. Once Julian was gone, she turned off the lights, curled into the mattress, and was asleep within minutes.

Hester instinctively touched her cheek. "Once I hit the twelve-week mark, the morning sickness finally started fading. My appetite has been much better this past week."

"Good." Chiara opened the stylized menu. "Do you want a fresh juice or some milk?"

"I already had milk this morning, and I'm trying not to drink too much fruit juice because of the sugar spikes," Hester said with a soft smile. "Just get me a warm lemon water."

"Works for me." Chiara caught the waiter's attention, ordering the warm water for Hester and an iced Americano for herself.

Hester frowned slightly. "It's basically autumn now. You should probably cut back on the iced drinks."

Chiara paused, then offered an easy smile. "Alright, you win. Make that a hot Americano, please."

"Right away," the waiter said, jotting down the order before heading to the barista station.

Ever since their emotional heart-to-heart at the Carrington estate, the wall between the two sisters had crumbled, leaving a genuine, supportive bond in its place. Even though they hadn't seen each other in person, they texted frequently.

Last week, Chiara had even mailed Hester a beautifully packaged box of a luxury health supplement, claiming she had pulled some strings locally to find the authentic kind, perfect for pregnant women.

Hester knew Chiara had plenty of money, but getting her hands on that specific, top-tier supplement required serious industry connections, not just cash.