Broken Vows and Buried Twins novel Chapter 285

Fiona thought for a moment. "Let me check your pulse."

Hester looked at her in surprise. "You know holistic medicine?"

"My great-grandfather was an herbalist. He ran a little clinic back in our hometown. I picked up a few things growing up. I'm no expert, but I can read basic vitals."

Hester offered her wrist. "What made you want to study psychology instead?"

"Just a personal interest." Fiona placed her fingers lightly over Hester's pulse point, quietly assessing the rhythm.

After a few moments, she asked, "Night sweats?"

"Yeah. I wake up drenched sometimes. I usually have to change my pajamas."

"Vivid dreams, night sweats, heavy fatigue." Fiona withdrew her hand and gently patted Hester's wrist. "You're carrying too much mental weight. You need to relax your mind."

"Mental weight?" Hester frowned slightly. "But I actually feel like I'm doing much better lately."

"Oh?" Fiona tilted her head, batting her pretty eyes innocently. "Well, maybe I'm just rusty! It's been a while."

Hester laughed, not overthinking it. "I'll go get some rest."

Once Hester disappeared up the stairs, the playful smile instantly vanished from Fiona's face. Her brow furrowed into a tight knot.

She pulled out her phone and quickly typed out a text:

*[She's having vivid dreams. Her vitals are stable, but the night sweats and memory lapses mean she's likely dreaming of the past. The hypnosis is wearing off. We need to keep her completely stress-free. Absolutely no sudden shocks!]*

...

Gael landed in Coralton the next morning.

The night before, Seraphina's production team had released an official statement, announcing that to combat the vicious online rumors, the show was pivoting to a completely live format. The broadcast was set to launch at 2:00 PM today.

Gael touched down at 11:00 AM. She brought someone with her, and they headed straight for the production camp.

On the way, Hester called with one final reminder.

"Can you talk to Director Sinclair? I really can't do this live. When I get nervous, I mess everything up!"

"What is there to be nervous about?!" Bianca snapped, losing her patience. "You have three apprentices on set doing all the heavy lifting! It's way easier than when you filmed entirely on your own. Just breathe! No one expects you to give a masterclass. You just need to interact with the chat, look pretty, and when the timing is perfect, casually mention that you're 'Clio.' The PR team will handle the rest!"

"But—"

"No buts!" Bianca grabbed her arm, hauling her toward the door. "Sinclair is throwing a tantrum because he couldn't find you. This is our debut broadcast, and there's a good chance Mr. Hale will tune in. Do not screw this up!"

Seraphina went chalk-white. Her heart slammed against her ribs.

She violently yanked her arm out of Bianca's grip and clutched her stomach, doubling over. "My stomach is killing me! I need the bathroom!"

Before Bianca could react, Seraphina bolted.

"Hurry up!" Bianca screamed after her.

Locked inside a bathroom stall, Seraphina pulled out her phone with trembling hands and dialed Julian's number.