Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 284

"It's entirely possible," Hester said, her expression hardening. "If she really has people covering her tracks, then she's hiding a lot more than we thought."

"I figured she was just a manipulative snake, but it looks like there's some real power backing her," Gael fumed. "So what's our next move?"

"Hold off for now," Hester advised. "If it isn't her people, then it's almost certainly Julian's."

"Wait, what?" Gael sounded completely thrown. "Julian is investigating her too? He's actually doubting his precious sister-in-law?"

"This involves Caden. Julian has always favored her because he believes she's his biological mother. Half of his blind loyalty comes from the sheer guilt he carries over his late twin brother. That guilt transferred directly onto Caden's shoulders."

"Well, when you put it that way, his brotherly devotion sounds almost touching," Gael scoffed. "But the fact that he felt guilty about his brother doesn't excuse him repeatedly lying to you. Hester, you're the most rational person I know. The fact that you can talk about him this calmly means you've really stopped hating him. Just... don't soften up and take him back. No matter what his tragic excuses are, you lost your babies because of his choices!"

"You don't need to worry about that."

Hester's tone was incredibly serene. "I've just had a lot of time to think lately. As Sprout grows bigger every day, my mind gets clearer. I don't hate him anymore. Not because I forgave him, but because I made peace with myself. I have a long life ahead of me, and I refuse to stay trapped in my own trauma just because of him."

"Good. As long as you aren't playing the forgiving wife!" Gael paused, shifting gears. "By the way, her show started filming."

"I know."

"The internet backlash is getting out of hand. Your sister called me. It sounds like Seraphina's team is panicking. They can't wait out the post-production edits."

"Can't wait? What does that mean?"

"Chiara says they're seriously considering pivoting to a live stream format."

"Live?" Gael barked a laugh. "She'd never agree to that! She's a complete fraud. She can fake it for the cameras and let editors do the heavy lifting, but live? She'll expose herself instantly. She'd have to be brain-dead to risk it."

Hester smiled faintly. "Exactly. Think about it. If they actually push through with a live format, it means she lied to her own team. Bianca and the producers probably have no idea she's a plagiarist who's actively trying to steal the original creator's identity."

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