Faux Vows, True Desires novel Chapter 508

Keith tugged his cousin away from the lovey-dovey couple, trying to distance himself from the scene of domestic bliss. The sight stirred envy, jealousy, and longing within him, emotions he couldn't quite shake off whenever he spent too much time around his sister and brother-in-law. Despite these feelings, Keith wasn't about to lower his standards for the right woman. So far, no one seemed to fit the bill.

Suddenly, the thought of the mysterious masked woman flashed through his mind, causing his heart to skip a beat. No way! Was he really getting more intrigued by her day by day? Now that he was back in Skywatch, his chances to run into Darlene and find evidence to unmask her were slim. He needed a plan to lure the masked woman back to Skywatch to find him.

Keith's dark eyes glinted with a sudden idea. Snapping back to reality, he noticed his cousin, Hayes, watching him with amused interest. "What's up?" Keith asked. Hayes chuckled. "I was about to ask you the same thing. You look like you're plotting something. Who's the unlucky target this time?" Keith rolled his eyes. "Come on, you can't read me that easily."

"If you say so," Hayes replied, knowingly. "But we grew up together, remember? I know you better than you think." Keith shrugged it off. "I've got things to handle. You go chat with your aunt." With that, Keith left, leaving Hayes chuckling to himself. He knew his cousin too well to be fooled by his nonchalant act.

As the evening descended, the world quieted down. Stefan emerged from the bathroom, freshly showered, to find his wife, Lucinda, in various positions around the room—sitting, lying on the bed, pacing—all while on the phone. "Lucy," Stefan called gently, approaching her. "Who are you having such a long chat with?" Lucinda pulled the phone away from her ear slightly. "My mom," she replied softly.

"Still not done?" Stefan teased. Lucinda gave him an apologetic smile. "I talked to my grandparents and parents, so it's taking a while." "Keep going, keep going. Is your phone battery holding up?" "I charged it fully before calling." Stefan affectionately tapped her nose, letting her continue her call.

Eventually, Lucinda ended the conversation, placing her now warm phone on the bedside table. "I'll call Cecilia and Darlene later," she said. "Don’t you guys have a group chat on WhatsApp? Just use that instead," Stefan suggested. "Oh, right," Lucinda nodded, then looked at her husband with sudden suspicion. "Wait, how did you know?"

Stefan gave her a playful pinch on the cheek, sitting down beside her. "I know you and Tiffany too well. You wouldn’t miss a chance to form a group for easy plotting. Cecilia's your best friend, and Darlene's the sister-in-law you're rooting for, so naturally, you'd include them." Lucinda protested weakly, "We weren't plotting anything bad, just broadening our horizons. You know, for my writing. Sometimes I get writer's block, and I need to go out and find inspiration."

"Enough about them," Stefan murmured, pulling her closer. "Let's have a real conversation." Then he leaned in, effectively silencing her with a kiss. Lucinda internally grumbled: So much for a real conversation when you keep stealing my words away! "Sometimes, actions speak louder than words," Lucinda thought to herself as she firmly grasped Stefan's face, flipping the script on their usual dynamic.

Her bold move caught Stefan off-guard, sending a shiver down his spine. He responded with an even more fervent passion, matching her intensity with his own. Meanwhile, back in Pinehurst... The Bishop family was gathered, but Darlene was still waiting for her sister to return home. She sat on the couch, mindlessly flipping through TV channels, not one of them capturing her interest. With her sister out, she couldn't sneak out herself.

"Ring, ring, ring." Her phone, the one she only used for her inner circle of trusted associates, buzzed to life. It was a new job needing her attention. Darlene's interest piqued immediately. She quickly pulled out her old-school flip phone. She avoided smartphones for these communications; they had too many features that could accidentally expose her identity. The simplicity of the flip phone—just calls and texts—offered a bit more security.

"Boss," came the voice of her assistant on the line. "Trouble’s brewing again!"