Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem novel Chapter 1754

A long, heavy sigh escaped him.

Feeling frustrated and hollow, Keaton rolled down the windows, letting the biting night air hit his face to clear his head.

Suddenly, his phone buzzed through the car's Bluetooth. It was Janelle. The second he answered, she demanded,

"Where are you right now?"

"Just driving around. What's up, Mom? Everything okay?"

"Are you busy right now?" she pressed.

"No, not really. Tell me what's going on."

"Then come home immediately. I need to ask you something."

Before he could reply, she hung up. Keaton stared at the dashboard, listening to the dial tone, a knot of confusion forming in his chest.

When he walked through the doors of the Huber family mansion, he pulled one of the housekeepers aside.

"What's wrong with my mom today? Why is she in such a foul mood?"

The housekeeper lowered her voice nervously.

"Ma'am finally felt well enough to go out today, but she came back looking absolutely furious. We're worried Mrs. Sewell and her friends might have been making snide comments again."

Keaton was surprised. "She actually left the house?"

The housekeeper nodded quickly. "Yes, and she was in incredibly high spirits when she left."

Keaton frowned. "..."

Ever since he had confessed the truth about his unrequited feelings for Winona, Janelle had fallen into a deep depression.

She had been moping around the estate for weeks, completely isolating herself from society.

Hearing that she had finally emerged from her self-imposed exile was genuinely shocking.

"Do you know what prompted her to go out?"

The housekeeper shook her head. "No idea, sir."

"Where did she go?" he pressed.

"I believe she attended an afternoon tea with the other socialites."

Keaton's brow furrowed. If she was mingling with her usual high-society circle, running into Mrs. Sewell and that toxic clique was inevitable. They had probably targeted her over the rumors of the pregnancy to mock the Huber family.

Assuming she was just licking her wounds from their venomous gossip, he braced himself and strode into the living room.

"Hey there!"

Janelle was perched on the edge of the plush velvet sofa, her expression tight with anxiety, looking like she was carrying the weight of the world.

When Keaton suddenly materialized beside her, she jumped out of her skin.

"You absolute menace! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"

Flashing a charming, unapologetic grin, he slung an arm around her shoulders.

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