Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 232

A sudden hush fell over the room.

All eyes turned to Hester.

Her brow furrowed slightly as her gaze landed on Caden. The little boy was staring back at her, his big eyes filled with a mix of hopeful anticipation and nervous anxiety.

Hester knew the child was innocent. She shouldn't take out the complicated mess of adult grudges on him. But whenever she thought of Seraphina, she simply couldn't look at Caden without a lingering sense of discomfort.

At the very least, she couldn't treat him the way she treated Gigi. There was an undeniable barrier there. She knew deep down that because of Seraphina, her relationship with Caden could never return to the closeness they had briefly shared.

It just wasn't right.

Hester finished the last of her drink, grabbed a napkin, and dabbed her mouth.

Standing up, she looked at Jasper. "I'm going back to my room to catch up on some sleep. Could you keep an eye on Gigi and Caden for a bit?"

Jasper nodded understandingly. "Of course. Go get some rest."

"Thanks," Hester said, then glanced at Caden. "Play with Gigi and listen to Mr. Kane."

Caden looked up at her, his lower lip trembling slightly. "Daddy said he had to go take care of some business and wouldn't be back until late."

"That's between you and your dad."

The boy froze, his eyes instantly welling up with tears. He bit his lip, trying hard not to cry. "Are you mad at me? Are you upset because Daddy and I came here?"

Hester looked at him, her expression calm and measured. "Caden, I don't like it when people show up unannounced and disrupt my life. You're just a kid, and you don't have the ability to make these decisions yet, so I don't blame you. But right now, I just want to live my own life. I don't want to be forced to change my plans because you guys decided to drop by. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The boy nodded slowly. "Okay. Thank you, Mr. Kane."

"You're welcome," Jasper said, patting his shoulder. "I know you're a good, understanding kid, Caden. You understand Hester, right?"

Caden hesitated for a moment before looking up. "Are my daddy and mom not going to get back together?"

Jasper offered a gentle, reassuring smile. "I can't answer that for you, buddy. But I can tell you that, at least for now, she really doesn't want to see your dad."

Caden lowered his head, his voice muffled. "She doesn't want to see me either."

Jasper was quiet for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "Give her some time, Caden. Out of everyone involved, she's had it the hardest."

Caden looked back up. "Is it really hard for her?"