Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 283

Elijah frowned, his eyes darting around with a mix of suspicion and caution. "What?!"

Elliot said, "If everything goes as expected, we should be brothers."

Evan chimed in, "Same dad and different moms, to be precise."

Elijah's eyes widened in shock. "No way!"

Elliot's voice was soothing. "I heard about you from Mom. She's always been there for you. It looks like we're all Tarquin's kids, hence the resemblance."

Elijah gasped, "My dad always said he has only been with my mom!"

Elliot's lips twitched. His mom and Tarquin were the official couple; so, no matter how much Elijah's mom and Tarquin loved each other, she was still the other woman.

That meant Elijah was, in fact, born out of wedlock.

Elliot felt that their relationship was a bit delicate, but since his mom always wanted the best for Elijah, he hoped for the same.

So, he tried not to upset Elijah, "Let's not get into what the adults did. We came here because Mom rushed over after getting a frantic call from your dad late at night. We were worried about her. Since you've found us, I might as well lay it all out. I was the one who stood in for you at the family ceremony today..."

Elliot laid out the whole story, then added, "My mom is a good person, and she cares about you a lot. She was worried about backlash, so we came up with this plan. It was actually my idea.

Don't worry, me standing in for you at the family ceremony was purely for you and my mom's sake. We're not going back to the Bradford family to fight over anything."

After a long silence, Elijah asked, "So, you were the one who messed with my computer?"

Elijah frowned, "I don't know. Dad never mentioned it, only that my mom was the love of his life and the only woman he ever touched."

Evan snorted, "Liar. If he never touched my mom, how would my brother and I exist? Plus, if he truly loved your mom, why didn't he marry her?"

Elijah’s face darkened. He went silent, unable to respond.

Evan continued, "Liking your mom but not giving her a home shows a lack of capability. Not liking my mom but still getting involved with her is just scummy. So, in summary, Tarquin is no good."

"Ah-choo!" Tarquin, in the study, sneezed loudly.

Benjamin asked with concern, "Caught a cold?"