He Revealed a Secret Son, So I Swapped Grooms Instead Chapter 08

He Revealed a Secret Son, So I Swapped Grooms Instead Chapter 08

Desmond’s case dragged on for three months.

The day the verdict finally came down, the weather was beautiful.

I was in a meeting at Hastings Corporation when Vernon sent me the news.

Desmond had been convicted of multiple charges, including aggravated assault, unlawful imprisonment, and embezzlement.

The sentences were combined.

Seven years.

Nora got two years for concealing criminal proceeds and helping move assets, plus three years’

probation.

Most of the assets in her name were seized.

Her mother would look after Leo for now.

The Prescott family would only pay the legally required child support.

They wouldn’t take him in.

No recognition as a Prescott. No equity stake.

Chase and his crew didn’t fare much better.

Footage of them jeering at me, blocking our exit, and standing by doing nothing landed in their

families’ hands.

Chase’s father broke one of his legs and shipped him overseas to oversee a mining operation.

Bennett got cut out of the family trust.

Derek lost all his endorsements and TV gigs.

They used to flash their family money around while lecturing women to know their place.

Now it was their turn to fall in line.

I heard that when the verdict was announced, Desmond turned around in court and looked at Nora.

She looked away. There wasn’t a shred of feeling left between them.

True love?

Some love.

He’d ruined his future for her. She’d sold him out to save herself.

They’d used their child, their love, and their tears to corner me.

In the end, they couldn’t even protect each other.

The irony wasn’t lost on me.

That afternoon, after my meeting, I got a call from an unknown number.

When I answered, I heard Desmond’s hoarse voice. “Claire.”

I paused. I didn’t hang up.

He must have been calling from his lawyer’s phone.

“What’s it?”

A long silence.

Then he finally spoke, “I regret it.”

I looked out at the sunlight beyond the window.

My voice was flat. “Okay.”

My calm threw him off.

“I mean it. I really regret it.”

“If I hadn’t brought Nora that day… if I’d just played by the rules… would we be…”

I cut him off. “There are no what-ifs.”

“Desmond, you don’t regret hurting me.”

“You regret losing your position as heir.”

A sharp intake of breath.

I went on. “You still don’t get it.”

“I never had to marry you.”

And the Hastings family never needed yours.”

“You’re the one who thought too much of yourself.”

“And you were the one who thought too little of women.”

Dead silence.

After a long while, he spoke quietly, “Claire, I honestly thought you’d just take it.”

I let out a quiet laugh.

“That’s why you lost.”

I hung up, then blocked the number.

I wasn’t angry.

I wasn’t sad.

I just felt free.