Semua Bab UGLY? No More!: Bab 161 - Bab 170

Mira barreled into her embrace, laughter spilling out like bells.Lydia smiled warmly, bending down to stroke Mira’s hair. “You’ve grown again, haven’t you? Look at you, little lady.”Elara appeared behind Julian then, barefoot, wearing one of his shirts, the sleeves a little too long, her expression shifting from confusion to mild horror and then reluctant amusement as she realized who it was.“Vivienne. Lydia.” She forced a polite smile, though her cheeks warmed. “What a… lovely surprise.”Vivienne straightened, her eyes softening when they met Elara’s. “Darling, don’t look so alarmed. We come in peace. Truly. We just wanted to check in, see how you three are doing after all the chaos.”Julian stepped aside, suppressing a chuckle. “Come in before my mother makes a scene in the hallway.”“Oh, please,” Vivienne said airily, gliding past him. “I am the scene.”Lydia followed with a warm smile, setting her bag down by the door.The penthouse immediately felt fuller, lighter, somehow.Mi

Outside the bedroom, the penthouse was full of soft laughter and the faint hum of the city below.Vivienne and Lydia sat on the plush couch, glasses of wine in hand, doing their absolute best to look relaxed, except for the fact that someone was pacing back and forth in her little socks, arms crossed, an adorable scowl scrunching her nose.“Mama’s been in there for soooo long,” Mira announced dramatically. “Daddy too. They said they were going to ‘freshen up,’ but they’ve been freshening up forever.”Lydia choked on her sip of wine, quickly pressing her napkin to her mouth to hide her grin.Vivienne, less subtle, bit her lip to stifle a laugh.“Well, darling,” Vivienne began carefully, “sometimes adults… need extra time to, uh, get ready. There’s a lot of… facial cream involved.”Mira frowned, unimpressed. “Daddy doesn’t wear facial cream.”Vivienne blinked. “Touché.”Lydia jumped in, voice airy. “Maybe they’re just very tired after the trip, sweetheart. Geneva was a long flight, reme

As the two older women gathered their things to leave, Vivienne leaned in to kiss Julian’s cheek. “You’ve grown into a good man, my son. Just remember, even the strongest men need someone to lean on.”Julian smiled faintly. “I’ve got that covered.”Vivienne’s gaze drifted to Elara, then back to him, knowingly. “I can see that.”A few minutes later, the elevator doors slid shut behind them, leaving the penthouse in soft, peaceful quiet once more.Julian turned to Elara, his expression gentle but weighted. “You okay?”Elara nodded, though her voice came out low. “I just… hate that it’s even being said. But I know you.”He stepped closer, brushing a thumb along her cheek. “That’s all I need.”And with that, she leaned into his touch and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his arm draping protectively around her shoulders.“Your mom and mine together are a dangerous duo,” Elara murmured, half laughing. “I feel like we just survived an ambush.”Julian chuckled lowly. “You mean a doub

Julian adjusted his tie as the elevator doors slid open onto the top floor of the Cross Corporation building.The familiar hum of quiet efficiency greeted him, assistants walking briskly with files, phones buzzing softly, the scent of freshly brewed espresso in the air.It felt grounding, in a way. Order. Structure. Everything the rest of his life wasn’t right now.He strode into his office, nodding at his assistant who immediately followed with a tablet in hand. “Get the legal team on the line,” Julian said, loosening his jacket as he sat. “I want the guardianship documents drafted by noon. Temporary custody to start, I’ll handle the permanent arrangements once things are stable.”“Yes, Mr. Cross,” she said quickly, jotting notes before stepping out.Julian leaned back, rubbing the bridge of his nose. The skyline of the city stretched out before him, glittering and indifferent. For the first time in days, he felt a sliver of direction. He couldn’t undo what had happened, couldn’t era

Julian had lunch brought up to his office, nothing too formal, just something light for him and Milo.The conference table had been cleared, the blinds half drawn, sunlight filtering through the city haze.Milo sat across from him, legs swinging just slightly under the chair, eyes fixed on the edge of his plate. He was quiet, too quiet.Julian had noticed it the second they walked in.The first time Milo came here, he’d been buzzing with curiosity, asking about every framed photo, the model cars on the shelf, the city skyline outside.He’d smiled when Julian showed him the view, even pressed his small hand against the glass like he could touch the world below.But today, there was none of that.Julian poured juice into Milo’s glass, trying to keep his voice light. “You used to like these,” he said, sliding a small box of fries toward him. “Still your favorite?”Milo nodded once, muttering, “Yeah.”“Good.” Julian smiled a little, watching him pick at the food without eating much. “You