Marrying my secret admirer after my husband's fake death novel Chapter 194

Salome’s belly had grown noticeably rounder, and Beckett spared no expense–he’d booked a suite at the most exclusive and prestigious maternity retreat in Northcrest.

He personally moved in with her, determined to see everything through.

Heather, too, was on edge about Salome’s pregnancy. Truth be told, she’d never liked the look of that maternity center. Who in their right mind would charge a hundred thousand dollars for a place to have a baby?

But with the due date fast approaching, there was little point in making a fuss now. Heather decided to let it go, as long as everything went smoothly.

That morning, she even insisted on escorting Beckett and Salome to the retreat

herself.

She watched as Salome fretted over what to pack, nearly emptying out the entire Vance family estate in the process. Heather just kept her lips zipped. If it’d secure her a grandchild, she’d let Salome take the silverware if she wanted.

Upon arrival, Salome–her belly leading the way–insisted on taking photos at every corner, dragging both Beckett and Heather into one group shot after another.

Beckett and Heather smiled dutifully for the camera, patience stretched thin but holding.

Once the photo session was finally over, Beckett spoke up. “Salome, you really shouldn’t be walking around so much with the baby due soon. Did you even notice that step just now while you were taking pictures? If you tripped, it wouldn’t just be a

little accident.”

Salome beamed, taking his concern as a sign of affection. “I’m just so happy, Beckett. Of course I want to share it with everyone online.”

Heather couldn’t care less about Salome’s need to show off. If her daughter–in–law’s bragging painted the Vance family as generous, so be it.

Salome, itching to post, opened her phone and was about to upload her photos to Twitter–only to be confronted with a feed flooded by Edith’s artwork.

Beckett glanced down, curious. “What’s taking so long to post?”

Salome’s face went ashen as she scrolled through the endless stream of praise for Edith. “How is this possible? Didn’t she stop painting years ago?”

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Chapter 194

The mention of Edith seemed to jolt Heather awake. She snatched Salome’s phone and scrolled furiously, looking more irritated with every passing second.

Finally, she thrust the phone back at Salome, her voice dripping with disdain. “It’s just a doodle. People online have no standards these days–falling over themselves to praise something so ordinary. Pathetic.”

With a dismissive huff, Heather pulled out her credit card and waved it at the reception desk. “Salome, you’re a guest at a hundred–thousand–dollar maternity retreat now. Don’t waste your time caring about the riffraff. We have better things to do.”

Salome plastered a smile on her face, but inside, jealousy gnawed at her. Edith’s sudden popularity online was a bitter pill to swallow.

Times had changed–attention could be turned into money now, and Salome was still dependent on the Vance family for everything. There was no way she’d let Edith, that wretch, get her shot at independence and wealth.

Feigning indifference, Salome said lightly, “Don’t worry, Mom. I don’t care about her. I just don’t want her dragging our family name through the mud. Things can’t have gone viral like this on her own–maybe she’s mixed up with someone unsavory?”

She shot a pointed look at Beckett.

As expected, Beckett fell silent, lost in thought.

He remembered the incident with Jeffry–a scandal that had somehow entangled Edith with the young heir of the Sheffield family.

Now Edith was blowing up online, practically overnight. Someone had to be pulling strings behind the scenes.

But who?

Salome pressed on, stoking the fire. “A woman who doesn’t have any boundaries can make all sorts of things happen, sure, but she’s always going to be tainted.”

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