Done with Cheater's Coldness Shine in Rival's Arms novel Chapter 181

Chapter 181 Trust Fully, or Tell the Truth?

If Kieran chose to be with Hazel, he must have complete trust in her.

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Finished

“I’m on the fence about this too,” Peyton said, running a hand through his hair. “We still don’t really know her. I haven’t figured out if we should tell Kieran or not.

Peyton was just as stuck as Quinn. He had no clue how to handle this mess.

If he were in Kieran’s shoes, he’d want the truth. Honesty was everything in a relationship. Hazel had been hiding this from the start-she hadn’t been upfront about her past.

But none of this had been her choice. No one would ever want to go through something like that. Who would willingly lay bare their most painful, shameful secrets for the world to see?

“I’ll have my team dig deeper,” Peyton added, his voice firm. “We’ll get more details, make sure we have all the facts straight. That way, if you do decide to tell your brother, you’ll have the whole story.”

Peyton cared deeply about this-for Kieran’s sake. He’d gone out of his way to look into Hazel’s background, all to protect his best friend’s heart.

“Okay,” Quinn replied quietly.

Her mind was a jumble of conflicting emotions. As a woman, she felt nothing but sympathy for Hazel. No one deserved to endure something so horrific.

But she was also Kieran’s sister. The woman standing in front of her might soon be her brother’s wife. She couldn’t help but have mixed feelings, wondering how on earth to fix this.

“Do you think it’s possible?” Quinn suddenly asked, her voice hopeful. “That my brother already knows? What if she told him everything before they got together, and he’s been keeping it from us this whole time?”

It was a slim chance, but Quinn had to ask.

“I don’t think so,” Peyton said flatly. “If Kieran knew, things between them would be different. This woman is calculating-she’d never tell him her darkest secret. She bury it as deep as she could, pretend it never happened.”

People who grew up in broken, unhappy homes learned to hide their scars. They never let anyone see the parts of themselves that hurt the most.

They only shared what they were comfortable with. The unspeakable stuff? It stayed locked away forever.

Peyton didn’t buy for a second that Hazel had been honest with Kieran about her past.

“You’re probably right,” Quinn sighed, slumping back against the couch. She was completely overwhelmed, with no idea what to do next-or how to face her brother.

If she was the reason Kieran and Hazel broke up, she’d ever forgive herself. But she couldn’t stand by and watch her brother fall headfirst into a relationship that might destroy him.

“It’s getting late,” Peyton said, gently patting her shoulder. “Let’s drop this for tonight. I’ll keep digging into the details-you have my word. And don’t let this cat you up inside, okay?

“Your brother is smart. He’ll figure out what’s best for him eventually. Don’t push yourself too hard, and don’t let this ruin your relationship with him.”

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Chapter 181 Trust Fully, or Tell the Truth?

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Finished

Peyton knew Quinn better than anyone. He knew she’d fixate on this until she drove herself crazy.

“But he’s so wrapped up in her,” Quinn groaned. “He always teased me for being love-struck, but look at him. now! We’re two peas in a pod.

“What I really want to know is what she’s thinking. And what else she’s been through that we don’t know about.”

Quinn’s mind was consumed by this-she couldn’t think of anything else. It was eating her alive.

“I’ll find out,” Peyton promised. He was determined to get to the bottom of this, to uncover every last thing

about Hazel.

The next morning.

Quinn was just about to head out the door when her phone rang. It was Kieran.

“I heard you two went shopping and had lunch together yesterday,” Kieran said, his voice warm with amusement. “And that you hit it off really well?”

Quinn hesitated for a split second before replying. “We did! We’re still getting to know each other, so I wanted to spend some time together, get closer. So I took her out for lunch.”

“She told me all about it last night,” Kieran said. “She said she really likes you-called you her little ray of sunshine. I hope the two of you can become good friends. You know how rough her childhood was. I want her to have someone to lean on when I’m not around.

“I want her to have a friend she can talk to someone she can trust with the things she might not feel comfortable telling me.”

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