All Chapters of UGLY? No More!: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

From behind, Elara watched them, this strange, wonderful picture that felt both brand new and achingly right. For the first time in years, she wondered if maybe, just maybe, Mira wouldn’t have to grow up without knowing what it felt like to have a father who adored her.Julian glanced up then, catching Elara’s gaze over Mira’s shoulder. Something unspoken passed between them, a silent acknowledgment that this moment had changed everything.He adjusted Mira on his hip, ready to head out, when Lydia’s voice stopped them.“Elara,” her mother said softly, drawing her aside. Her eyes were warm but steady. “You know… not all parents have to be connected by blood. Sometimes, the ones who choose to stay, the ones who decide to love a child as their own, they’re the ones who end up being the perfect parents.”Elara’s throat tightened. She understood exactly what her mother meant, and the gentle certainty in Lydia’s tone made her chest ache in the best way.Her gaze flickered to Julian, who was

Julian opened the passenger door for her without a word, sliding Mira into her seat before shutting it firmly. By the time he rounded to the driver’s side, Elara could still feel Leonard’s stare drilling into her back like a warning he hadn’t dared put into words.But she didn’t turn around. She wasn’t giving him that satisfaction.Julian had just settled into the driver’s seat when movement in the side mirror caught Elara’s eye.Leonard was striding toward them, each step purposeful, his expression dark with restrained urgency.“Elara...” His voice was low but insistent as he closed the gap, one hand braced against the roof of the car so she couldn’t shut the door. “We need to talk.”She met his gaze head on, the weight of his presence pressing against her like a wall. But there was no flicker of hesitation in her eyes, only the cool, measured distance she’d perfected over years of surviving people like him.“No,” she said simply. “We don’t.”“Elara, this is important...”“If it’s im

They watched her climb the tower, her small hands gripping the bars with determination.Elara’s instinct was to stand, to hover protectively nearby, but Julian stopped her with a gentle hand on her arm.“Let her,” he murmured. “She’s braver than you think.”Something about the quiet confidence in his voice made her still. She realized then that he wasn’t just good with Mira, he understood her. Saw her. And for a little girl who had been through more than she should have, that was rare.“You’re good for her,” Elara said softly.Julian glanced at her, his gaze steady. “I want to be.”The words sat heavy between them, sincere and without embellishment.When Mira finally descended from her “tower,” triumphant and grinning, she came running straight to Julian. “Did you see? I went all the way to the top!”Julian scooped her up effortlessly, spinning her once before setting her on his lap. “I saw. You were amazing.”Elara couldn’t help smiling at the picture they made, Mira’s arms looped ar

Julian got Mira and Elara to the SUV, opening the back door so Mira could clamber inside with her usual theatrical sigh.“Seat belt, princess,” he reminded her, his tone warm but edged with that faint authority that made her do as she was told.“Okay, Daddy,” she chirped, tugging it into place.Elara glanced at him as he closed the door, brows lifting. “Everything alright?”He gave her a faint, reassuring smile, one hand brushing hers. “I’ll be right back. Just need a quick word with someone.”Before she could ask, he was already striding away, smooth, unhurried, but with that undercurrent of purpose that made people get out of his way without thinking.The paparazzo looked up from his camera at the wrong moment, just in time to see six foot two of sharp, tailored intimidation closing in.His breath hitched.This wasn’t the reaction he’d expected. Usually, when high profile men noticed the camera, they turned their wives and kids away, muttered curses, or demanded deletions. This man

His mother studied him for a long, silent moment, as though trying to see past the polished armor he wore so easily. Finally, she exhaled softly, a sign of reluctant patience.“Fine,” she murmured. “But don’t make me wait too long, Julian. I’ve missed enough of her life already.”She moved toward the door, but not without giving him one last pointed look over her shoulder, the kind that said she wasn’t letting this go.When she was gone, Julian stayed where he was, staring out at the glittering skyline. His phone buzzed in his pocket, a text from Elara.Dinner’s on. Mira’s still talking about the slide.His lips twitched. Complicated or not, that was his family now. And he’d burn down anyone who tried to take it from him.The buzz of Elara’s text was still warm in Julian’s palm when instinct shoved him into motion.He strode out of the room and down the long corridor toward the front steps, his pace quickening as he caught sight of Vivienne’s driver opening the rear door of the Bentle