Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 59

Every single interaction he'd had with Hester had been marked by an eerie, flawless composure.

She communicated with ruthless logic, never once letting her emotions derail a strategic conversation.

From the very minute Jasper hung up the phone after their initial consultation, he knew she possessed an incredibly resilient core. She was the kind of woman who could be dragged through hell, completely shattered, and still find the willpower to claw her way back to her feet.

Jasper looked at her, his eyes warm and profound behind his lenses. "Since you have your battle plan perfectly mapped out, my firm will enforce absolute confidentiality. I genuinely hope everything works out exactly as you desire."

Hester's lips curved into a faint, grateful smile. "Thank you."

...

After wrapping up their lunch, Gigi practically vibrated with excitement, begging to visit the indoor playground.

Since Hester's afternoon was completely clear of corporate meetings—and the absolute last thing she wanted to do was return to Stellamare Villa—she happily accompanied Jasper to the fourth-floor arcade and play center.

Shortly before five o'clock, Hester's phone buzzed in her purse. It was Lena.

Bella had woken from her nap, and panicking when she couldn't find Hester anywhere, was currently tearing Julian apart.

Hester slipped out of the chaotic, noisy playground, finding a quiet corner near the escalators. "Lena, put Bella on the phone."

"Right away, ma'am!" Lena practically shoved the phone into Bella's hand.

Bella's voice trailed off into a guilty whisper. "Hester, I know how horribly unfair this is to you. I would never force you to legally adopt him. But Caden is just a little boy. He desperately needs parental stability right now. I was hoping... maybe we just don't tell him the truth just yet. What do you think?"

Hester listened in total silence, a suffocating, paralyzing wave of exhaustion flooding her veins.

One tiny, innocent boy possessed an unfathomable amount of power over this family.

She was the one who had been lied to, manipulated, and betrayed, yet she was constantly being dragged onto the sacrificial altar. They twisted her arm with guilt trips and emotional pleas, all just waiting for her to swallow her own bleeding pride and utter a pacifying 'It's okay.'

Julian had done exactly this. And now, Bella was doing it too.

Hester tightly squeezed her eyes shut. She was just so unbelievably tired.