Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 215

This was the spot where their wedding band was supposed to sit. Now, it was completely bare.

Her skin was so luminous that after taking off the ring she had worn for five years, there wasn't even the faintest tan line left behind.

Julian stared at her perfectly clean ring finger, his eyes clouded with dark, unreadable emotions.

The wound on his back pulsed with a dull ache.

He kept his gaze fixed on her sleeping face, a heavy sense of isolation slowly creeping into his eyes.

The main lights clicked off, leaving only the warm, amber glow of the bedside lamp.

The soft light wrapped around the two figures—one sleeping, one keeping watch.

Their shadows stretched across the wall.

The tall silhouette slowly leaned in—

In her sleep, Hester vaguely caught the scent of juniper.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and she cracked her eyes open in a sleepy haze.

Through her blurred vision, she saw a familiar figure quietly walking away...

She was just too exhausted to care. She rolled over and went right back to sleep.

In her dreams, the scent of juniper slowly faded away.

The suffocating fog cleared, and she slept soundly until morning.

...

By the time she woke up, the sun was high in the sky.

Hester sat up, threw back the covers, and inspected her ankles.

Perfect. The swelling was completely gone!

Memories of the middle of the night came rushing back.

She instinctively glanced at the nightstand.

The bag containing the holistic foot soak was still sitting there, silent proof that everything last night had actually happened.

She stared at the bag, a mix of complicated feelings swirling in her chest.

Honestly, during their first year of marriage, they had shared so many genuinely warm, beautiful moments.

If the subsequent tragedies had never occurred, Hester knew she probably would have loved him fiercely for the rest of her life. They might have even grown old together.

Unfortunately, reality didn't deal in "ifs."

Those traumas were like microscopic needles buried deep in her heart—too fine to pull out, too deep to ignore, constantly festering.

"Yeah, just woke up. Have you had breakfast?"

"Just woke up too, and I'm starving. What are we eating today?"

"Order whatever looks good. It's on me."

Poppy giggled. "I'll just have room service send something up then! By the time you shower and get dressed, it should be here."

Hester smiled. "Sounds good."

Poppy closed the door.

Hester got out of bed and headed into the bathroom.

After freshening up, she slipped into a comfortable sundress and walked out into the main living area.

Over in the dining space, Poppy was already arranging the plates.

The table was loaded with an extravagant spread—a mix of high-end Western pastries and traditional breakfast dishes.

"Room service is that fast?" Hester walked over, pulling out a chair.

"Oh, I didn't order this." Poppy sat down opposite her, winking playfully. "Mr. Weston from next door had the hotel send it up."

Hester paused, her spoon hovering over a warm bowl of savory broth.