Five Years of Marriage to Mr. Bradford (by Koi Fish) novel Chapter 197

Chapter 197

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Chapter 197

“He’s your brother,” Vance replied curtly, stepping on the gas.

“But he…” Rebecca started, eager to say that Emmett was never reliable.

She swallowed her words, seeing no point.

For years, her family had shown Vance nothing but greed. She had advised him countless times not to indulge them, but he had always responded, “They’re your family.”

Back then, she had believed that they would grow old together and that these problems could be fixed slowly. He meant well, and this was his way of repaying her.

Catherine’s return blew every buried landmine sky-high. But it was better this way.

Before she left, Vance and her family would have their final, clean break.

“Don’t stress about Emmett,” he said while driving. “It’s all under control. Doesn’t affect me.’

She glanced at him, and he chuckled, his eyes on the road. “What? Don’t you believe me? Morten Coleman and he thought they were smart, trying to suck me dry. They were unaware of my grander plan.”

She didn’t know the details of his plan, but since there was no damage, she felt at ease. She really didn’t want any more messy debts or connections with him.

“If Adeline hadn’t lost it, Soren might not have caved,” she mused. “What would you have dealt with that?”

“What about you? What would you have done?” he asked back.

She sighed, having one plan that wasn’t quite pretty.

He continued, “Soren is drowning in gambling debts. That’s why he’s so desperate for cash. If he had refused, I would have just invited those debtors over.”

Her eyes widened, and he winked. “Same play you had in mind?”

She stayed silent. That was indeed her plan.

She had known about Soren’s gambling habit since she was a child. Back then, she had split time between home and Josette’s place.

Soren had even pawned Adeline’s gold necklace for gambling money. When he lost, he’d come home drunk, screaming it was Adeline’s fault for not handing it over fast enough.

Once the jewelry ran out, he borrowed money from anyone who would lend it. Then one holiday, debt collectors showed up at their door.

Rebecca had pitied Adeline then, but Adeline only blamed her, complaining about how hard it was to raise two kids.

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mis aplein 197

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She never wanted to revisit those memories, but they were real. She knew everything about Soren’s

gambling.

“Pretty rotten family, huh?” she smiled bitterly, thinking of her childhood.

It was humiliating to lay it all out in front of Vance.

“Mine isn’t much better,” he answered. “None of it is on you.”

She looked out the window, her eyes stinging for the scared little girl she had once been.

“Don’t blame yourself for dragging me down,” he added. “You didn’t. You’re my wife, and I’ll always have your back.”

She shook her head, pushing the wave of bitterness down.

The car stopped suddenly. His hands reached out and gripped her shoulders. She didn’t turn.

“I’ve known about your family situation for 12 years,” he whispered. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of. We don’t choose where we were born. It’s not our fault.”

His grip tightened, as if he were trying to give her strength. Too bad these hands had held someone else. Without Catherine, things might have been as he claimed, that he would be her rock.

The sky he had held over her for five years might not have always been sunny, but at least he had tried. But the moment Catherine reappeared, these same hands shoved her into the abyss.

Now, even thinking of that name seemed to be dangerous.

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