Lahat ng Kabanata ng Revenge Born of Betrayal: Kabanata 161 - Kabanata 170

Darius watched his wife for a few seconds.“You're planning to hide Hazel’s biological father from her until she’s grown up?”Aurora immediately shook her head.“Of course not.”The answer came so quickly that Darius almost smiled.Aurora leaned back against the sofa.“Hazel has the right to know who she is.”Her gaze drifted to their daughter, who was still busy dragging the giant teddy bear across the living room.“She deserves to know who her biological father is.”Darius nodded slowly.Because that was exactly the answer he had hoped to hear.“I’m just afraid.” Aurora let out a long breath. “Dante has changed too much.”Darius listened quietly.“He used to want to take Hazel away.”“Yes.”“He used to blame me.”“Yes.”“He used to refuse to accept reality.”Aurora fell silent for a moment.“And now, suddenly, everything has changed.”She looked back at Darius.“I’m afraid that one day he’ll change again.”For the first time that evening, Aurora voiced her real fear.It wasn’t about

Hazel's question seemed to make time slow down.Aurora looked at her daughter for several seconds.Meanwhile, Darius stood beside her, still holding the small card attached to the new bicycle."Why does that person always send me presents?"Hazel repeated her question.There was no suspicion in her voice.No fear.Just curiosity.The simple curiosity of a child who had finally begun noticing something she had always taken for granted.Aurora crouched down until she was eye level with her daughter."Hazel."The little girl immediately looked at her."Yes, Mama?"Aurora let out a quiet breath.Then glanced briefly at Darius.He gave a small nod.A reminder of the promise they had made long ago.No lies.No made-up stories.Only honesty, given when Hazel was old enough to understand it."That person sends you gifts because he cares about you."Hazel blinked."Like Daddy?"Aurora smiled faintly."Yes."Hazel seemed to think very hard about that.Then her eyes shifted toward Darius."Then

Aurora was still holding the drawing Hazel's teacher had given her as their car pulled into the driveway.Her mind hadn't fully settled.Because that simple drawing had proven one thing.Dante had already become part of Hazel's world.Even if only through gifts.Even if only through a name.Even if they had never met.As soon as the car stopped, Aurora watched Hazel jump out first.The little girl had learned to ride a bicycle without training wheels only a few weeks ago. Since then, the front yard had become her personal racetrack."I want to ride my bike first!"Aurora laughed softly."Only in the front yard.""Okay!"Hazel immediately climbed onto her pink bicycle.Aurora had just stepped out of the car when another vehicle pulled up not far from the main gate.She frowned.She didn't recognize it.The car door opened.A moment later, a man stepped out carrying a gift box.Aurora froze instantly.Dante.At the same moment, Darius, who had just gotten out of the car as well, spotted

Dante's gaze remained fixed on Hazel.The little girl was sitting on the porch.Every now and then, she would pick up a colorful crayon before returning to her drawing with complete concentration.Completely unaware that the lives of the adults around her were changing.Dante smiled faintly."Kind of ironic."Aurora frowned."What do you mean?"Dante slipped both hands into his pockets."I spent years chasing something I could never have."He looked up at the sky for a moment."And when I finally learned how to let it go..."His sentence trailed off.Aurora began to feel uneasy.Because the calmer Dante sounded, the worse her feeling became."What happened?" she asked again.Dante let out a long breath."Cancer."Aurora froze.Darius didn't move.Even the wind seemed to stop for a moment.Dante laughed softly.A hollow, humorless laugh."I know. That's pretty much the same reaction I had."Aurora continued staring at him."Cancer?"Dante nodded."Advanced stage."The words landed much

Darius continued staring at the photograph displayed on his phone screen.Dante was sitting alone on a sidewalk.In his hands was the family drawing Hazel had given him.The only thing that seemed truly precious to him.Darius turned off the screen and rose from his chair.The decision took only a few seconds.Because there was one thing he simply could not accept.Dante could give up on himself.But he had no right to give up when there was still a chance to fight.Two days later.A black car stopped in front of an old building on the outskirts of the city.Darius stepped out alone.No bodyguards.No driver.Just himself.The address had come from the report he had received.A small rented house.The building looked worn down.The paint was peeling from the walls.Far from the kind of place where someone battling a serious illness should be living.Darius knocked on the door.There was no answer.He waited.A few moments later, footsteps sounded from inside.The door slowly opened.D