Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 257

But no matter how hard she tried to rationalize it, her chest felt impossibly heavy. Every breath felt like dragging air through water.

She pressed her lips together and shook her head slowly. "Let's wait. Julian is with him. I'm sure he won't let anything happen."

The group exchanged quiet looks but nodded in agreement.

...

Coralton Women & Children's Hospital.

Caden had been rushed straight into the emergency room. Julian and Seraphina paced the hallway outside the double doors.

After what felt like an eternity, a nurse stepped out.

"Family of Caden Weston?"

Julian and Seraphina both lunged forward.

"I'm his father."

"I'm his mother."

The nurse looked between them, her expression stern. "The child has visible physical trauma. Were you both present when he was injured?"

Julian's head snapped up. "Physical trauma?"

"Yes," the nurse said flatly. "I need a detailed account of exactly how he sustained these injuries. The doctors need to know what they're dealing with to treat him properly."

Julian turned his lethal gaze on Seraphina.

A cold sweat broke out across Seraphina's back. She panicked, the lies tumbling out of her mouth faster than she could think. "He went out on a boat with some people today! When he got back, he said he felt awful. He was running a fever and then threw up everywhere. I brought him into the bathroom to wash him off before bringing him here, but he slipped on the wet tiles and hit his head."

The nurse narrowed her eyes slightly. "You're saying he sustained these injuries slipping in the bathroom?"

Seraphina nodded frantically.

"He has defensive bruising on his arms and a severe contusion on the back of his head," the nurse noted coldly. "Given that he's currently unresponsive, we need to do an immediate CT scan to check for internal bleeding in his brain."

*Internal bleeding?!*

Seraphina's breath hitched. Only then did she remember that the massive lump on the back of Caden's head wasn't from the bathroom—it was from when she dropped him onto the hardwood floor in the living room.

What if Caden woke up and told Julian what she did?

He was going to wake up eventually. What the hell was she supposed to do?

Regret gnawed at her. She never should have lost her temper. But it was all Hester's fault! If Hester hadn't humiliated her, she never would have snapped and taken it out on the boy.

When Julian hung up, Seraphina cautiously approached. "Julian... is Dr. Fuller a pediatrician?"

"Yes," Julian replied curtly, not offering another word.

Seraphina relaxed slightly. Julian was obsessed with Caden's health; it made sense he'd want his personal pediatrician to double-check the local hospital's work.

"Seraphina. Did he start feeling sick the second he got back to the room?" Julian suddenly asked, his voice low and dangerous.

"He... he said he was tired. He looked so drained, I thought the boat trip had just worn him out. I let him sleep on the couch."

Seraphina lowered her head, wiping away her fake tears to hide the pure panic in her eyes.

"When I woke him up for dinner, I realized he was burning up. As soon as I picked him up, he threw up. I panicked. I didn't know what to do, and you weren't there, so I rushed him to the bathroom... I'm so sorry. I'm so useless. I failed him. I don't deserve to be his mother..."