บททั้งหมดของ UGLY? No More!: บทที่ 161 - บทที่ 167

Lydia laughed outright this time, shaking her head in disbelief as she gathered her purse. “You’re incorrigible. I suppose you’ll drive?”Vivienne beamed. “Naturally. I have a chauffeur waiting outside. He’ll be thrilled. He’s been bored all day.”As they exited the restaurant, the late afternoon sun bathed the street in soft gold.The two women drew a few glances, not because of who they were, though that never went unnoticed, but because they moved with the easy confidence of people who had long ago learned how to take charge of their worlds.Inside the car, Lydia settled beside Vivienne with a resigned smile. “You realize Elara’s probably exhausted. They just got back from Geneva. Mira will be bouncing off the walls.”Vivienne grinned. “All the better. It’ll lift their spirits. Besides, I haven’t seen that little girl since before the trip. I need my Mira hugs.”“You’re going to spoil her.”“That’s my job.”The car pulled away from the curb, gliding smoothly through the city street

The door clicked softly behind them, the muffled laughter of their mothers and Mira fading into the background like a memory.For a moment, neither of them spoke. The quiet stretched, warm and charged, the kind that hummed with everything left unsaid.Elara leaned against the door, her breath unsteady, her lips curved in a mix of amusement and exasperation. “You really couldn’t wait, could you?”Julian’s smile was slow, dangerous in its softness.He took a few steps toward her, the golden light from the city filtering through the curtains, painting his face in shadows. “I’ve waited long enough,” he said, his voice low, rough at the edges. “Days. Nights pretending I didn’t want to touch you every second.”Her heart gave a traitorous flutter. “You were the one who said we needed to take things slow,” she reminded him, even as her voice softened with every word.“I was lying,” he murmured, stopping just in front of her.His hand came up to trace the side of her face, fingers brushing her

Mira beamed proudly, completely unfazed by the chaos. “So when do I start? Tomorrow?”“Not tomorrow, sweetheart,” Elara said gently, crouching down to Mira’s level. “We’ll talk about it soon, okay? Daddy and I will figure it out together.”Julian crouched beside her, his hand resting lightly on Elara’s back. “That’s right. We’ll make sure it’s the best place for you.”Mira’s frown eased into a happy grin. “Okay! But I want to wear the hat. Grandma said there’s a hat.”Julian looked up at his mother again, deadpan. “A hat, Mom?”Vivienne smiled sweetly. “Oh, don’t be dramatic. It’s adorable.”Lydia chuckled and stepped forward, reaching out to smooth Mira’s hair. “You’ll look like a little scholar, darling. But maybe let Mommy and Daddy breathe first, hmm?”As Mira skipped off to grab her coloring book, the two mothers shared another knowing glance, this time with a touch of satisfaction.Julian leaned closer to Elara and muttered under his breath, “You realize my mother’s trying to se

The next morning, sunlight poured softly through the tall windows, painting golden streaks across the marble counter and the half finished breakfast spread.Mira’s laughter echoed faintly from the living room where she sat cross legged on the rug, building a lopsided tower out of cereal boxes and crayons.Elara smiled faintly at the sound as she sipped her coffee, the silk robe she wore loosely tied around her waist.The air smelled of pancakes and the faint sweetness of strawberries, Julian’s doing, apparently.He stood at the stove, sleeves rolled up, flipping something in the pan like he’d been doing it his whole life, though she knew full well he’d only learned because Mira had declared one morning that “daddies make pancakes too.”It was the kind of domestic peace Elara had once thought she’d never have again.“Don’t stare too hard, Hayes,” Julian said without turning around, voice low and amused. “You’ll make me nervous.”Elara smirked over her coffee. “I wasn’t staring. I was…