Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1202

"Did he suspect anything?"

"Judging by how he acted, I don't think he caught on. If he knew you were faking it, he sure wouldn’t have kept up the show in front of me. All he knows is that someone set him up today, but he hasn’t figured out who. He’s not even thinking about Mr. Bradford or Mr. Huber."

Ridley frowned a little as she spoke.

"But when I asked him for that stone, he seemed reluctant. Said he’d give it to you instead."

Winona snorted. "He just wants to keep it for himself!"

Talking about the stone, both Winona and Ridley shot another grateful look at Keaton.

After all, something so precious—most folks would never part with it.

"Mr. Huber, please don’t worry. I’ll find a way to get it back for you! If there’s any loss, I’ll make it right, no matter what."

Winona’s brows were drawn together, her voice firm.

Maybe the Newsom family can’t afford to pay you back, but I’ll do whatever it takes to make up for it, she thought.

Keaton winced at the idea, but he just waved it off. "It’s alright, really. It was never that important to me anyway."

He couldn't bring himself to haggle over compensation with a woman who looked so lost and worn out. Honestly, he almost wanted to donate something to her instead.

He always had a soft spot for a damsel in distress.

But if Zane so much as scratched that stone, Keaton was going to wring his neck.

Ridley brought up the whole "illegitimate daughter" situation again, worried that Zane might get reckless and cause trouble for her.

Tarquin immediately jumped in. "You don’t need to worry about her. If Zane tries anything, he’ll end up crying for his momma."

The so-called illegitimate daughter was actually Baby's bodyguard in disguise—Axel’s own protégé.

Just like Axel, she was all action, no talk.

If Zane could even last one round with her, well, that’d be newsworthy.

Elysia checked on the kids, peeked in on Pamela Patel, then tiptoed back to her own bedroom.

Only the bedside lamp was on; the ceiling light was off, casting the room in a gentle glow. Tarquin lay quietly on the bed, eyes closed, looking as if he was already asleep.

Elysia crept over, unable to resist bending down to press a kiss to his handsome face before heading to the bathroom for a shower.

So much had happened lately; the whole Emmett ordeal had drained her, and just as she was trying to recover, the news about Winona hit.

Since the day Winona went missing, Elysia had been wound tight as a drum. Even after they pulled Winona back from the brink, she couldn’t relax.

Not until today—when Winona was finally discharged from the hospital—did Elysia feel the tension in her chest ease.

She let the stress melt away in a hot shower, dried her hair, and slipped into a silky-soft nightgown.

Quietly, she approached the bed, lifted the comforter, and froze.

Her eyes went wide as dinner plates. She stared at the person hiding under the covers, completely dumbstruck.