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13: THERE'S STILL HOPE

last update Last Updated: 2024-12-05 19:52:11

ELARA’S POV

“Elara, my dear!” Mr. Deluca’s warm voice boomed as soon as he spotted me. His white hair seemed even more prominent than the last time I saw him. Without hesitation, he wrapped me in a firm hug, the scent of his cologne mingling with the faint aroma of Italian food wafting through the restaurant.

“How have you been?” he asked, his thick Italian accent adding charm to his words.

“I’ve been well,” I said with a soft smile.

“You’ve grown so much, Bella!” he declared, stepping back to get a good look at me, his eyes twinkling with genuine affection.

I chuckled. “The last time you saw me was only two months ago. Do you think I’ve really grown that much in such a short time?”

“Oh, come now,” he replied with a wave of his hand. “Each time I see you and your brother, you both look more and more like your father”

Nico pulled out a chair for me, gesturing for me to sit beside him. Across the table, Mr. Deluca and Elliot, my brother, were already seated.

“But I’m the prettier versio
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  • The Billionaire’s Regret    314:

    NATE’S POV “Elara, what is going on?” Her eyes went wide as she pressed both hands over her belly. “What is going on? You said we would hit three more stores.” Her tone was flat, but her stare could cut stone. “I know. But maybe we should leave the rest for another day.” “No.” Her voice snapped like a whip. “We finally get to shop for our baby. I am not leaving until we cross everything off that list of yours.” “Elara…” I pinch the bridge of my nose, scrambling for the right words that will not set her off. She pulls out her phone, scrolling through the checklist from our parenting class like she is about to take an exam. “We are more than halfway done,” she says. “You can take one of the cars and go home. The guards and I will finish here.” Her expression is unreadable. Serious. A dare. “You don’t actually think I will leave you here alone.” “Then your plans should wait.” She most definitely know what could be at stake. What could happen if we don’t get to safety but she

  • The Billionaire’s Regret    313: REALITY IS BACK.

    NATE’S POVOur princess could not have chosen a worse moment for her first kick.One second Elara was crying into her tea. The next she was laughing like nothing had ever hurt her. And then that tiny flutter hit her belly and I swear the whole world shifted beneath my feet.For weeks I tried to get her involved in the nursery. I asked her opinions, showed her the crib options, begged her to just pick paint colors. She always slipped away. Flowers to tend, layouts to approve, furniture to order for other people’s homes. Everything mattered more than our own child’s room.But I knew better than to push. She is strong, yes, but until Nicolas is behind bars, she will always be bracing for the moment her nightmare tries to crawl back into her life. Even with all the raids, even with the police ripping apart his warehouse piece by piece, the bastard has not cracked. He will wait for the perfect time to strike.So we pretend life is normal. We pretend this city is safe. And we pretend that b

  • The Billionaire’s Regret    312: MY ANCHOR.

    Struggling to pull the tank top over my swollen chest, I froze. My eyes fell on the ultrasound picture pinned in the corner. A million thoughts running through me. And I broke before it could go further. I tugged at the fabric, trying to cover more than I could, my hands trembling. I didn’t realize Nate had come back home, me until he stepped closer. “What’s wrong, my love?” His voice was soft, careful. For months, I’d held everything in. Tried to keep my emotions minimal, measured. “The top… it won’t go any lower,” I croaked, my throat burning with every word. “Baby,” he whispered, brushing a thumb over my arm, gentle as a feather. “Do you want me to grab a different top? I have one just like this.” “No!” I hissed, keeping my gaze fixed anywhere but him. God, I hated this. Hated that I was crying. Hated that he knew why, and still let me lie. Why couldn’t I be more like him? Why couldn’t I hold it all together? Think straight. I’d made the choice to

  • The Billionaire’s Regret    311: STRONG

    ELARA’S POV. The paper beneath me crinkles as I shift, trying to get comfortable. It never works. Every time I’m on this bed, it feels colder… like the room knows what’s at stake. Nate’s fingers wrap around mine. I’m gripping tight enough to drain the blood from his knuckles, but he doesn’t complain. The ultrasound tech lowers the probe onto my stomach, eyes fixed on the screen. “There’s the head,” she murmurs. My breath snags. There she is — not a blur anymore, but a real baby. Curled. Tiny. Perfect. My throat burns, and I blink fast. No way I’m crying in front of strangers. The tech keeps moving, clicking, measuring. She pauses. Writes something down. Her face doesn’t change — but that’s the problem. Too still. Too professional. A chill runs down my spine. “Do you want to know the gender this time?” she asks, tone light but not her eyes. “I… I’d like it to be a surprise,” I manage. Nate jumps in before I finish. “We already know,” he says confident

  • The Billionaire’s Regret    310: THE TALK

    ELARA’S POV Dinner ended faster than it was supposed to. Apparently, all these weeks of cooking with pregnancy tastebuds meant I’d been serving salt blocks for dinner. and Nate, along with the chef, let me believe I was some upcoming Michelin star prodigy. Turns out the only edible thing on the table was my fish… and the desserts I didn’t even make. For the ten minutes we actually sat together, Mom and Elliot threw every name possible at my cooking. If they weren’t my family, I’d swear they were gremlins sent from hell just to ruin my night. But honestly? I was glad it was just them who had to eat it. The tension between me and Elliot felt almost non- existent. I was just about to confront Nate for lying to me about my “perfect seasoning” when Mom dragged him away to show her the house. Elliot left to take a call, and I stayed behind, pretending I could help the staff clean the table. I couldn’t. My feet were too swollen, my back felt like someone had been using it as a pun

  • The Billionaire’s Regret    309: SOMETHINGS FEELS OFF

    ELARA’S POVAfter spending another ten excruciating weeks in the hospital, I thought the penthouse would be the safest option for us. But Nate called it suffocating and decided to move us to “our dream house,” as he likes to say.It’s a ranch.Stables. Gardens. Staff everywhere. More rooms than we could ever fill. Nate spends some of his morning and afternoons at the stables or repairing vintage cars I have no idea where he got them or the tools to work on them.Everything feels… perfect. Almost too perfect.Since Nicolas fled the city, there haven’t been any threats or attempts on our safety. The staff is helpful and respectful. And yet, something feels off.I can’t explain it, but I can’t fully lean into all this. Dr. Harrison calls it self-sabotage, but gut tells me it’s not. But we’re working on it — baby steps.This may not be the life I imagined for myself, but I have to admit… the peace is nice. Being a housewife who only clocks in when she feels like it is nice. So nice that

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