Chapter 144\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bella\u00a0<\/p>\n
A month had passed since I had stood in my grandmother\u2019s backyard and hugged my father after years of distance and silence and separation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In that one month, so many quiet changes had happened that sometimes I had to pause and remind myself that this was really real.\u00a0<\/p>\n
My father had started visiting us often, sometimes every day, sometimes every alternate day, and each visit carried the same warmth and effort from his side. He was far from the distant man I had grown up fearing, but he was someone who was trying, slowly and sincerely, to make up for lost time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What surprised me the most was the depth of his affection. I had forgotten that my father was capable of loving so openly. He adored my children in a way that left no room for doubt. The way his eyes softened when he looked at them. I was surprised by the way he bent down patiently to listen to their endless. questions, and the way he laughed at their smallest jokes. It made my heart ache in a bittersweet way. I often wondered how many moments like this we had all missed because of one woman\u2019s selfish choices.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Every day felt like a blessing now. There was peace in my home. Genuine, innocent laughter echoed through the halls. There was a sense of safety and love that I had not known for a long time.\u00a0<\/p>\n
And yet, sometimes when I was alone, my thoughts drifted back to Lucy. I found myself wondering what kind of upbringing or desire shaped a woman like her, a woman who could destroy families without a second thought just to gain wealth and position. I did not dwell on it for long, though, because I had wasted enough of my life trying to understand her cruelty\u2013a cruelty which had no explanation.\u00a0<\/p>\n
th them, letting ach them how to\u00a0<\/p>\n
These days, my father spent endless hours with Ryan and Emma. He would sit on th them climb over him like he was a piece of furniture, or he would take them outside.. swim. On many days, he took them to his countryside home along with Cindy, and those trips gave Scott and me the silence and alone time we hadn\u2019t realized we needed so badly. The kids had grown deeply attached to him, calling him Grandpa, making him happy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I made a conscious decision during those weeks. I would never tell my father about the potions Lucy had used to control him. There was no purpose in reopening that wound. He had already mourned my mother for years, carrying guilt and confusion without understanding why. Now that he was slowly returning to himself, I felt he deserved a chance at happiness, even if it came late. Thankfully, he never asked about Lucy. It was as if she no longer existed in his world, and I was grateful for that omission.\u00a0<\/p>\n
One afternoon, as he sat on the carpet playing with Emma and helping her stack wooden blocks into a crooked tower, his phone rang. I noticed his expression change when he saw the caller\u2019s name. He hesitated for a second before answering.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I stayed quiet, watching him closely.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMaya,\u201d he clipped.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Maya\u2019s voice grew louder as she accused, \u201cYou haven\u2019t come once to see me! You have failed in your duty as my father. You are a horrible man!\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 144\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cI was never your father,\u201d he replied with restrained anger. \u201cAnd I see that clearly now. Don\u2019t call me again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He ended the call and set the phone aside. As soon as he did, his shoulders sagged slightly, and the joy he had been sharing with Emma dimmed. Emma noticed it too and climbed into his lap, wrapping her arms around his neck without understanding why he needed comfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I walked over and sat beside him. After a moment, I asked gently if he wanted to meet Maya, if that would give him some closure. He shook his head slowly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cNo.\u201d he said. \u201cEverything has become clearer to me these past few days. Lucy made me believe that Maya was doing the right thing when she pushed you out. I never understood why I hated you so much, Bella. Now I know. Maya was cruel, and I allowed it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
His voice broke slightly as he continued. \u201cI knew they were after your inheritance. I knew about the twenty million. And still, I did nothing. I don\u2019t understand my behavior, but now that I see it, I don\u2019t even want to look at them again.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I reached for his hand and squeezed it softly, my eyes growing moist. \u201cI\u2019m glad you\u2019re back,\u201d I told him honestly. \u201cThat\u2019s what matters now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
That same day, we visited my mother\u2019s grave together. Standing there beside him, we spoke quietly, sharing memories and finally giving her the goodbye we had been denied for so long. It felt like closing a chapter that had remained painfully open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
As life settled into a gentler rhythm, my due date crept closer. In three weeks, I would give birth, and Scott was growing more restless by the day. He jumped at every small change in my expression, every pause in my movement. One morning, when I couldn\u2019t finish my breakfast because of belly discomfort, he snapped at the maids.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of horrible food do you make?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I sighed and placed my hand over his. \u201cRelax, I\u2019m well,\u201d I told him softly. \u201cBesides, this isn\u2019t your first time being a father.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
He looked at me with wide, serious eyes. \u201cIt\u2019s the first time I\u2019ve seen you pregnant,\u201d he replied. \u201cI can\u2019t not worry.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
I shook my head. \u201cI have to go to the shop,\u201d I said.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Despite his protests, he drove me to my office later that day. I had a surprise waiting for him. I showed him my new lingerie collection, laid out carefully in the showroom, which people were already lining up to buy.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott stared in open surprise, his mood lifting almost instantly. He walked around slowly, examining the designs with genuine interest. \u201cI knew I made a great investment when I chose you,\u201d he joked, smiling broadly.\u00a0<\/p>\n
I laughed and swatted his arm lightly. \u201cTroy helped me a lot,\u201d I reminded him.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The mention of Troy made me pause. He still hadn\u2019t returned to New York, and I found myself wondering how he was coping. I voiced my thoughts aloud, unsure whether visiting him would help or reopen wounds.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott kissed my temple gently. \u201cHe lost his mate,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy for him to come to terms with that.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
10:42 Fri, Jan 16\u00a0<\/p>\n
Chapter 144\u00a0<\/p>\n
ASUD\u00a0<\/p>\n
I nodded, then spoke what had been on my mind. \u201cMillie was his chosen mate, not his moon mate. Julie is his moon mate. Shouldn\u2019t he give her another chance?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott pursed his lips as we stepped out of the shop. After a moment, he said. \u201cThat\u2019s Troy\u2019s decision to make*\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBut maybe he needs a push,\u201d I insisted. \u201cOrder him, force him, do something. With Julie around, he might\u00a0<\/p>\n
recover.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott didn\u2019t answer immediately. He looked thoughtful, conflicted. \u201cI can force him,\u201d he admitted. \u201cBut would that be right?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cMarriages are arranged sometimes,\u201d I said gently. \u201cMaybe taking a chance would help him. Maybe it\u2019s what he needs.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Scott remained silent, considering my words as we walked toward the car. \u201cWe\u2019ll see\u2026\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
AD\u00a0<\/p>\n
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland\u2019s breathtaking cold.<\/p>\n
When Midnight Winds Carry Secrets Toward Worlds Yet Unknown 144 Chapter 144\u00a0 Bella\u00a0 A month had passed since I had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"default","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","ast-disable-related-posts":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23109","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-the-new-world-novel"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23109","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=23109"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23109\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":23128,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/23109\/revisions\/23128"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=23109"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=23109"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/kezpres.xyz\/novelreading\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=23109"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}