The Plane Tickets He Hoarded The Wife He Hid novel Chapter 123

123 Chapter 123 A Promise And A Lie

Blanche’s POV 1

I attempted to slip past Zain, but he shadowed my every step. “Why are you giving me the cold shoulder?” he pressed.

Before I could answer, Kaden’s voice cut through the tension behind us. “Zain.”

Zain halted and spun around. Kaden stood framed in the bedroom doorway, still in his pajamas. “Has Joanna been performing lately? I

haven’t caught one of her piano recitals in forever.”

“She’s buried in her studies right now. No performances planned for the foreseeable future,” Zain answered.

Kaden’s brow creased as he smirked. “Come on, with your pull, you could score Joanna a degree without her lifting a finger.”

With Zain tangled up in Kaden’s chatter, I didn’t waste time eavesdropping and slipped away.

By the time I rolled up to Oswald’s party, the evening was well underway.

Oswald’s invitation got me through the door without a hassle.

Inside, everyone was decked out to the nines while I showed up looking like I’d just rolled out of bed. A few heads turned my way, but I

brushed off their stares and scanned the crowd for Tia.

The ballroom buzzed with energy, packed with gorgeous faces that made my head spin. Finally, I spotted Tia tucked away in a corner,

picking at appetizers instead of working the room.

As I headed toward her, some short, unremarkable guy was also closing in on Tia. He reached her before I could, positioning himself

right behind her chair.

One look at his shifty eyes and the way he was flexing his fingers told me everything I needed to know. I bolted over and slapped his

hand away just as he was about to make contact with Tia.

“Back off, creep,” I snarled, drilling him with a death stare.

Tia jumped up at the sound and rushed to my side. “Blanche?”

I kept my eyes locked on the guy, whose face had gone sour, and leaned closer to Tia. “Your grandfather’s worried sick about you. He

sent me to check in.”

The reality of what almost happened hit Tia, and she grabbed onto my sleeve, her voice barely a whisper. “I’m fine, Blanche. Really.”

I shot the man another withering look. “Beat it.”

His face flushed crimson, but he kept his mouth shut. Still, his eyes burned with something dark and hungry as they raked over me.

His stare made my skin crawl, so I grabbed Tia’s wrist. “Let’s get some air.”

To avoid causing more drama in the ballroom, we headed for the backyard. The space was massive–complete with a pool, badminton court, swings, and a gazebo.

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123 Chapter 123 A Promise And A Lie

We settled into the gazebo, and I struggled to find the right words. After an awkward pause, Tia broke the silence. “Did Grandpa really

send you to have a heart–to–heart with me?”

I met her clear, trusting gaze and nodded. “Yeah.”

A soft smile crossed her lips. “Blanche, medicine is my passion. Marriage isn’t on my radar.

I tried reasoning with her. “Tia, your situation’s complicated. You’re a Jacob.”

Instead of getting defensive, she looked at me with complete sincerity. “When you had Carry, you nearly died. I want to study medicine

so no woman has to face that terror again.”

Her words stopped me cold. My own memories came flooding back, and I felt the weight of what she was saying.

Once upon a time, I’d dreamed of being a top–tier surgeon. Now here I was, barely starting out in pediatrics, not even cleared to operate

solo.

Tia’s passion left me speechless.

Just then, two girls waved from across the yard. “Tia, come dance!”

“On my way,” Tia called back. She glanced down at me. “I’m going to hang with my friends for a minute.”

I nodded. “Go ahead. Just watch yourself.”

Tia stood and took a few steps before turning back. “Blanche, I won’t give up on medicine. If I’d been there when you had Carry, you

wouldn’t have faced that fear alone.”

She wanted to specialize in obstetrics so women wouldn’t have to be terrified of childbirth.

Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The memory of Carry’s birth–the sheer terror of it all–came rushing back. Tears spilled down

my cheeks.

The more I dwelled on it, the tighter my chest got. I’d risked everything to bring Carry into this world, and now she wanted to call

another woman mom.

The pain overwhelmed me, and I buried my face in my hands, unable to stop the ache from consuming me.

A faint trace of tobacco smoke drifted from behind me. I whipped around, but I was too slow–Vincent’s hand was already on my

shoulder.

As I turned, Vincent chuckled at how jumpy I looked. “Why are you always wound so tight?”

He could tell I’d been crying, but Vincent didn’t mention it. Instead, he kept up his playful act, clearly trying to get me to smile.

I looked up at him, puzzled. “How do you always appear out of thin air?”

Vincent’s grin widened as he pulled out a handkerchief and dabbed at my tears. “When you care about someone, you develop a sixth

sense–always keeping tabs on them.”

I rolled my eyes. Obviously not buying his line for a second. I got up from the bench and stepped back. “It’s late. I should go.”

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123 Chapter 123 A Promise And A Lie

I turned to leave, but Vincent caught my arm and pulled me against him.

No matter how hard I fought, Vincent held me effortlessly. His right arm locked around my waist while his left hand guided mine to his

stomach.

He slipped my hand under his shirt, pressing my palm against his abs, and looked down at me with that infuriating smirk. “Feel that?”

All I felt were the hard ridges of his stomach muscles. I tried to jerk my hand away, but Vincent kept it pinned there, pressing my palm

even firmer against his skin.

Heat flooded my face as I struggled. “Vincent, let go!”

Vincent’s head dipped lower, his stare intense as he watched me. All he saw was panic and frustration written across my face. His eyes stayed locked on mine, and suddenly his voice turned bitter. “You really did forget, didn’t you? Blanche, you liar.”

With that, he released both my hand and my waist. As I pulled away from him, my phone buzzed, cutting through the charged moment.

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