Faux Vows, True Desires

Chapter 426

At Skywatch.

Hayden had been pacing in front of the Porter residence since morning when finally, a door opened, and a servant motioned for him to come inside.

"Does this mean Miss Porter has agreed to see me?"

Hayden asked as he followed the servant through the halls, a bouquet of flowers in his hand.

The servant remained silent.

Hayden took the silence as a sign that he might have a chance, perhaps Madeleine had agreed to meet him after all. The servant's silence was of little concern to him now.

However, only Mrs. Porter was present in the opulent main house.

The servant led Hayden in and, with a respectful nod, announced, "Madam, Mr. Hayden has arrived."

Mrs. Porter hummed in acknowledgment, gesturing for the servant to brew some tea, and motioned for Hayden to take a seat.

Hayden sat down, his face brightening into a smile. "Mrs. Porter," he greeted eagerly.

Mrs. Porter's face remained cold, merely giving a nod.

Just the sight of this man reminded her how her daughter had been dishonored by him.

She could hardly hold back from going for his jugular.

Once seated, Hayden glanced around before asking with a flattering tone, "Where's Madeleine? Why isn’t she here?"

He gently placed the bouquet on the coffee table, turning to Mrs. Porter. "I've brought these roses for Madeleine. She adores roses, as you know."

"Let's cut to the chase, Hayden," Mrs. Porter began, her voice steady and firm. "Do you truly intend to take responsibility for my daughter?"

She chose not to answer his question. Her daughter and husband had gone to Pinehurst, and she didn’t want to reveal their whereabouts.

Nathan was always cautious when he was out, and so was her husband. .

Hayden's expression grew serious, but he promptly answered, "Mrs. Porter, I know Madeleine doesn't care for me; her heart belongs to my elder brother. But since Madeleine and I have crossed a line, I will take full responsibility if she wishes."

"And how will you take responsibility?" Mrs. Porter pressed. "You're a married man with three children, not to mention the mistresses you keep. Your wife may be in the dark, but we are not. My daughter Madeleine is young and beautiful. She’s not going to share a man with a harem."

" We absolutely will not allow our Madeleine to be your mistress."

Without hesitation, Hayden declared, "I would never demean Madeleine to such a status."

Mrs. Porter said nothing and waited for him to continue.

"If Madeleine agrees, I will divorce and marry her, making her Mrs. Blue of the prominent Blue family. She may not bask in the limelight as the matriarch, but in Skywatch, bearing the title Mrs. Blue is prestigious."

Hayden believed his status as the formidable son of the Blue family would not dishonor Madeleine. RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only

Mrs. Porter scoffed, still not responding.

Hayden knew words alone were futile; he had to prove his intent.

"I promise you, Mrs. Porter. Tell Madeleine to expect good news; I will not let her down nor allow her to suffer any indignities."

With that, he rose, bidding Mrs. Porter farewell before hastily leaving the Porter family. He did not head home to confront Ashley. Instead, he sought out his elder brother, Nathan.

After his meal, Nathan reclined in his office's resting area, thumbing through a stack of photographs he had someone covertly take.

They captured Janice's every moment with the Moore family—from working the fields to picking fruit and enjoying the rural landscape. Despite her simple attire, trying earnestly to fit in, she was still sticking out during those agricultural tasks.

Janice was earnest and seemed happy.

Other photos showed her picking fruit and admiring the rural landscape.

Though the Moore's village had been modernized, the untouched beauty of the Hill remained.

And Janice was loath to leave, enchanted by the place her daughter Lucinda had grown up.

Every step Lucinda took, Janice wanted to retrace; every task Lucinda performed, Janice wanted to experience.

Through the villagers' stories, she learned of Lucinda's cherished childhood, how the Moore’s, despite their poverty, never let Lucinda suffer, always putting her first.

Nathan's face softened as he admired his wife's genuine smile in the photos, an expression he longed to see, now only able to caress the images under his fingertips.

The ringtone of his phone broke the silence.

His once amiable expression disappearing into one of authority. He checked the caller, his brow furrowing slightly before answering.

"Big brother, I need to see you. Is that okay?" Hayden's voice came through, pleading.

"Business or personal?"

"Personal."

"Personal matters can wait until I'm home. Now, I'm on my break."

Nathan stated, about to hang up.

Interrupting him from seeing Janice's photos, Jack tried to keep his temper in check as his brother's voice crackled through the line.

"Big bro, I want a divorce!"

Hayden blurted out before Nathan could end the call.

Nathan's brow furrowed at the news. "You want a divorce? To marry Madeleine? She'd agree to that?"

From what Nathan knew about Madeleine and the patriarch of the Porter family, he was certain they'd never consent to Hayden marrying her.

"Listen, I've been to the Porters' home for days on end, making amends. Today, Mrs. Porter gave me a hint. She said Madeleine wouldn't be anyone's mistress. Isn't that her way of telling me to divorce and marry Madeleine?" Hayden argued with naive hopefulness.

A flicker of amusement crossed Nathan's eyes. What kind of hint was that when Madeleine hadn't even seen Hayden?

But Nathan had played his hand to turn the tables exactly like this, to spark discord within the family.

He suspected the Porters were retaliating against his brother, but he chose not to enlighten him.

"That's your marriage, your divorce. Why are you telling me? You should talk to your wife about it, not to me," Nathan replied coolly.

"But you're the head of our family! You know my wife's a shrew. If I bring up divorce, she'll claw my eyes out. In our family, she only fears you. Can't you step in and help negotiate my divorce, bro?"

Nathan couldn't help but snicker at his brother's audacity. "You clean up your own mess. I'm not getting involved in no matter you and your wife split or not. Besides, our parents are still around. Go talk to them; they're the ones to handle this, not me."

Before hanging up, he added pointedly, "And Hayden, don't forget, I'm one of the victims too."

After all, Madeleine was supposedly his girlfriend. His own girlfriend had been bedded by his brother, and now that brother expected his help in getting a divorce with his sister-in-law?

His brother's shamelessness knew no bounds!