All Chapters of The Secret Heir’s Return : Chapter 131 - Chapter 137

The family dinner was Genevieve's idea.Isabella had been hesitant when she received the invitation. Something about it felt wrong, too formal, too calculated, too much like a trap. But Sebastian had convinced her to come, promising it would be a chance to heal old wounds.She should have trusted her instincts.The dining room was grand, the table set with fine china and crystal, the chandelier casting golden light across the assembled guests. Isabella sat beside Sebastian, Lucas, and Lily with a sitter at home. Across the table, Genevieve smiled with practiced warmth."Isabella." Genevieve raised her glass. "Thank you for coming.""Thank you for inviting us.""I wanted to celebrate." Genevieve's smile sharpened. "Celebrate your marriage. Your happiness. Your beautiful family."Isabella's unease deepened. "That's kind of you.""Isn't it?" Genevieve set down her glass. "I know things have been complicated. But I believe in second chances. Don't you?""Of course.""Even for people who h

The weeks after Genevieve's hospitalization were quiet.Isabella woke each morning to the sound of waves, to Lucas's laughter, to Lily's babbling. She worked in the garden, read stories to the children, and made pancakes on Sundays. The shelter thrived, the threats stopped, and the residents slept peacefully.But something had shifted.Sebastian was more present, more open, more willing to share the weight he'd been carrying. He told her about his childhood, his fears, his desperate need to be worthy of love. He told her about the nights he'd spent wondering if he would ever be enough."You are enough," she said one evening, as they sat on the porch. "You've always been enough.""I'm trying to believe that.""Then let me help you." She took his hand. "Every day, until you do."Genevieve came to dinner on a Friday.She looked different, lighter, somehow, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. Her hair was shorter, her face softer, her eyes clearer."Thank you for inviting m

The weeks after Damien and Sebastian's reconciliation were the quietest of Isabella's life.She woke each morning to the sound of waves, to Lucas's laughter, to Lily's babbling. She worked in the garden, read stories to the children, and made pancakes on Sundays. The shelter thrived, the threats stopped, and the residents slept peacefully.But something had changed.The tension that had once simmered beneath the surface of every family gathering had faded. Damien and Sebastian spoke to each other without the edge of old resentments. Genevieve laughed freely, her eyes no longer shadowed by guilt. Aurora flourished, secure in the love of two fathers."We did it," Sebastian said one evening, as they sat on the porch."Did what?""Survived." He took her hand. "All of us."Isabella looked at him, this man who had broken her heart, who had put it back together, who had become her partner in every sense of the word."We did," she said. "Together."The celebration was Sebastian's idea.He wan