Securing The Heir: A Wife's Triumph

a blur of feigned morning s

way, pleased with the idea of fat

offer and Julian' s subsequent attention, was alre

ith a mixture of pride and apprehe

e for the

Seraphina knew this, and she would use it. I

ooking over a guest list for a small charity dinner

ashy, isn't she? Always trying t

ly ambitious. And she absolutely adores you. She told me on

d slightly. "

media about the Hawthorne family' s philanthropic efforts. It could be good pu

proval was Julia

rather... eye-catching. Perhaps an invitation to t

agreed, innocen

climber. Perfect. She would be a gaudy distraction, someone to occu

delicate motherhood. I attended prenatal yoga, shopped fo

e, I was lay

she would, the

nto our lives, her mother, Beatrice, in

still-slender figure with a critical gaze. "I heard the wonderful news! I sim

ornes, nodded gravely. "Seraphina is a miracle worker. Her to

elieved them. I had welc

rs ago, was rumored to be facing financial ruin. His tech startup, once promising, was faltering. Suddenly, Julian, the

oice sweet. "I' m feeling quite well, but

ealth" concoctions I surreptitiously poured down the sink, to o

o made ar

to my side of the family after a few well-placed kindnesses, "acciden

eported it directly to

on ancient birthing rituals, ma'am," the maid stam

Perhaps she was just curious. Julian

mentioned to Mrs. Peterson, who then,

t Seraphina' s true intenti

as a concerned cous

her about it, was all flustered a

ioned a fascinating first edition, and I simply g

s smooth,

cade had appeared. And I had