Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 69

But if it was a dream, why did it feel so incredibly real?

She could distinctly feel the hand resting over her stomach—the palm dry and warm, the faint texture of calluses against her skin.

Hester's brow furrowed, her eyelashes fluttering as she struggled to open her eyes, but her eyelids felt glued shut.

A heavy sigh echoed faintly in her ears, followed by the warmth of the hand pulling away. Then came the muted thud of footsteps retreating into the distance...

The soft click of a door shutting plunged the room back into total silence. Sprawled on the large bed, the knot between Hester's eyebrows slowly smoothed out, and she sank back into a deep sleep.

...

At 7:00 PM, a light knock sounded at the master bedroom door.

"Ms. Carrington, are you awake?"

Hester slowly opened her eyes. The small nightlight on her bedside table had been turned on at some point, casting a warm, amber glow over the room.

She rubbed her eyes, pushed herself up into a sitting position, and called out to the closed door, "I'm up, Celeste."

The door pushed open, and Celeste walked in.

"Ms. Carrington, dinner is ready." Celeste stopped near the bed, her voice dropping to a cautious whisper. "A gentleman by the name of Weston is here. He said... he said he's your husband."

Hester froze, the blanket slipping from her hands. She truly hadn't expected Julian to show up at her apartment. It seemed he really couldn't bear seeing Melody suffer if he was already rushing over to interrogate her.

"When did he get here?"

"Just a few minutes ago," Celeste replied nervously. "He carried himself with such authority, and since he claimed to be your husband, I didn't dare turn him away, so I invited him in. He's waiting in the living room now."

Hester threw off the covers and slipped her feet into her slippers. "You didn't mention anything about me being pregnant, did you?"

The master bedroom door clicked open, and Hester stepped out.

In the living room, Julian was standing by the floor-to-ceiling windows, his narrow eyes overlooking the glittering city skyline. His elegant, long-fingered hand was gripping his phone.

"Don't panic. Neil is going to handle your parents."

Hester walked over to the sofa and sat down, staring blankly at Julian's back.

The person on the other end of the line was undoubtedly Melody. Julian really was the picture of a devoted lover—even when he came to interrogate his wife, he couldn't resist using the time to console his mistress.

"Don't leave the house for the next few days. I have some things to wrap up on my end. Just stay home and wait for me."

The call ended. Julian slipped the phone into his pocket and turned around, locking eyes with Hester's icy glare.