Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 455

The silence hung heavy in the air that night.

Lucinda groggily sat up to the annoying beep of her alarm clock, fumbled for her phone to shut it off, and flopped back onto the bed, hoping for a few more precious moments of sleep.

But barely a minute had passed before she was sitting up again, this time fully awake.

Stefan, her husband, was nowhere to be seen.

Usually, it was he who killed the alarm, letting her sleep in those few extra minutes.

The sky outside was a dreary gray; it looked like rain was on its way.

"Stefan's always up with the birds," Lucinda grumbled. But she didn't fall back into the arms of slumber. Instead, she slid out of bed, her feet hitting the cold floor.

Her clothes for the day were already laid out by her meticulous husband, even down to the simple bracelet he’d chosen for her to wear. Since she was now just another face in the corporate crowd, her daily jewelry was limited to a single, unassuming piece. Truth be told, Lucinda would rather go without, but Stefan disapproved of her bare wrists. To keep a low profile, she had even removed her wedding ring, much to his chagrin. If she didn’t wear at least the bracelet he gifted her, he’d be as long-faced as a horse.

Dressed and freshened up, Lucinda stepped out of the room.

As she made her way downstairs, she could hear the muffled voices of Stefan and Liam, speaking in hushed tones, probably not to wake anyone upstairs.

She caught snippets of Liam’s distressed voice: “Stefan, I don’t know what to do anymore. Tiffany's lost so much weight. Most expectant mothers gain pounds, but she’s shedding them like crazy.”

“The doc says morning sickness is normal, but seeing her throw up like that breaks my heart. I wish I could take her place.”

“If she’s afraid of vomiting, she won’t eat at all, and she’s just getting thinner.”

Stefan, sounding helpless, replied, “Liam, what do you expect me to do? The doctor said it’s normal. It’ll pass with time.”

“You’re not a doc, Stefan, and you don’t have kids yet. We always come to you when we’re stuck, but this is one thing even you can’t fix.”

The Anderson brothers had a habit of turning to Stefan for help in times of crisis, but this was one area where Stefan was at a loss. He and Lucinda hadn’t planned on kids yet; they were basking in their sweet, two-person world.

“Stefan, you’ve got the best chef around. What if we borrow him for a while, see if Tiff likes his cooking?”

Liam had come with an ulterior motive, seeking culinary salvation.

Stefan chuckled, “We’ve got a top-tier chef in the family, you know. Go ask Eric. Every chef we’ve hired has been trained by him.”

Liam sighed, “I haven’t seen that kid around in a while. With my wedding coming up, he’s avoiding the family gatherings—probably doesn’t want to be nagged about settling down. I went to his restaurant, but all he did was scribble down a pregnancy-friendly menu for me.”

Downstairs, Lucinda emerged.

The brothers ceased their conversation at the sound of her footsteps.

Stefan rose to greet her.

Liam watched the couple with a touch of envy. Even after years of marriage, they still acted like lovebirds. He was about to tie the knot with Tiffany, but he couldn’t help feeling a twinge of jealousy at their closeness.