(Finding Forever After the Betrayal) Chapter 22
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Hannah, driven by a desperate hope that bordered on delusion, had knelt
outside the gates of the Foster estate for a full day and night, her pleas for
forgiveness echoing unanswered in the empty street. Finally, her body,
weakened by exhaustion and heartbreak, gave out.
She woke up in her own bed, her parents‘ anxious whispers filtering through
the thin walls of her childhood bedroom.
“We have to take her back today,” her mother urged, her voice tight with
worry.“She’ll run again the first chance she gets, I know it. We have to leave
before she wakes up.”
Her father’s weary sigh was all the agreement she needed. As they opened
her bedroom door, Hannah bolted. She didn’t even stop to put on her shoes,
grabbing only her phone and a flimsy sense of hope as she fled.
Aiden and Ethan, their obsession with reclaiming Violet bordering on
unhealthy, caught wind of Hannah’s escape almost immediately. Both men, their
competitive instincts overriding any lingering affection for Hannah, had the
same thought: they hadn’t even been granted the chance to see Violet again.
There was no way in hell they’d let Hannah get there first.
They tightened their net, their men tracking Hannah’s movements with
ruthless efficiency. Aiden, ever the strategist, saw an opportunity in their shared
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predicament, Charles, confident in his victory, had grown complacent, his guard
slipping as he focused on consolidating his power in Los Angeles. It was time to
remind him that they weren’t so easily defeated.
Ethan, fueled by a volatile mix of anger and grief, struck first. He
intercepted a group of Charles’s men, delivering a brutal message about
overstepping their bounds, a warning that left them battered and broken, their
expensive suits torn and bloodied.
Aiden, his approach more calculated but no less ruthless, began cultivating
his own network in Seattle. He wouldn’t be caught off guard again.
For their fifth attempt to seek redemption, they found themselves once.
again on Aunt Sarah’s doorstep. Gone were the desperate pleas, the raw emotion
of those first visits. This time, they presented a united front, their voices carefully
neutral, their expressions carefully blank.
“Aunt Sarah, we understand now. We were wrong, and we’ve let go of… of
any romantic feelings for Violet. We simply wish to attend her wedding, as her
older brothers, nothing more.” Aiden’s voice was sincere, almost apologetic.
Ethan nodded earnestly, his gaze fixed on a point just beyond Aunt Sarah’s
shoulder.“We’ve known Violet for most of our lives. Surely, you wouldn’t deny
us this last request? We’ve made peace with the fact that we can’t be with her
romantically. But to not even be there, to celebrate her happiness… it’s just…
unthinkable.”
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Aunt Sarah studied them, her expression unreadable. She had been privy to
the whispers, knew the truth of what had transpired, and it would take more
than carefully crafted words to erase the past. But these were the boys she had
watched
grow up alongside her niece, boys she had once welcomed into their
home without a second thought. Their persistence, their willingness to humble
themselves, chipped away at her resolve.
With a heavy sigh, she relented.“I’ll talk to Violet,” she said, her voice weary.”
But I can’t promise anything. The decision is ultimately hers.”
Relief washed over Aiden and Ethan, the briefest flicker of triumph in their
eyes.“Thank you, Aunt Sarah,” Aiden murmured, gratitude lacing his voice.“That‘
s all we ask.”
After seeing them off, Aunt Sarah stood at the window, watching as their
car disappeared down the street. Her heart ached for the fractured friendship,
the years of shared history now irrevocably broken.
With a trembling hand, she reached for her phone.
Violet, she typed, each word heavy with the weight of unspoken emotions.
Aiden and Ethan want to come to the wedding. They say they just want to be
there, as friends. What should I tell them?
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