《Beautiful Betrayal》全部章節：第 151 章 - 第 160 章

The only sound inside the room was Hope Elara’s soft humming.Valduz Ryker crouched slightly and pushed the door open just enough to look inside.Hope sat in the center of the bed with Zoey curled tightly against her side. One of her hands moved slowly through his hair in a steady, practiced rhythm.Zenep rested across Hope’s lap, completely distracted by the stuffed bear in her hands.The same bear that had started all of this.Something tightened in Valduz’s chest as he watched them.The room felt warm and safe, like it had been built around two children who needed softness more than anything else.For the first time, Valduz understood why Zoey feared him.He did not belong in a place like this.Quietly, he pulled the door closed and straightened.Then he froze.His mother stood behind him.She had been watching him the entire time.Valduz shot her a glare.Maria simply pointed at the door.Go in.He stayed where he was.Her eyes narrowed, and she pointed again.Now.Valduz exhaled

Hope Elara leaned back against the balcony railing.For a few seconds, she said nothing. Her fingers tightened slightly around the edge of the fabric in her lap before she finally spoke.“My mom died when I was two.”Her voice was quiet and steady, as if she had told the story so many times that the words no longer felt connected to a real person.“My dad said she was sick. But he married his mate a few weeks later.”Valduz Ryker remained silent beside her, watching and listening.Hope swallowed.“He was a good dad at first. That’s probably the only reason I don’t completely hate him.”Her gaze dropped toward the half-finished fairy wings.“Then my brother Manny was born.”Something inside her tightened at the mention of his name.“Melissa, my stepmother, hated me. She never tried to hide it.”Her voice remained calm, but her hands had gone still.“After Manny was born, things got worse. I was ten.”The night breeze moved softly around them.“During full moons, she would come into my

“Thanks,” Hope Elara said quietly. “The team seemed happy.”Marlon stared at her as if she had completely missed the point.“Happy?” he repeated.Then he laughed and leaned forward in his chair.“They just got raises, direct deposit, better schedules, and new hires.”He pointed at her.“You know who’s going to sleep like a baby tonight?”Despite everything weighing on her chest, Hope smiled faintly.“Sully.”“Exactly.”Marlon sat back, clearly satisfied that she understood.Then his expression changed.“You don’t seem too excited to be back and taking over, Hope Elara.”The nickname normally would have made her laugh. Today, it only made her tired.“I am,” she admitted honestly. “You know I love this.”And she did.She loved the company, the people, and the feeling of building something real. None of that had changed.“But I’ve got a lot on my mind.”She rubbed her fingers together, trying to ease the tension.“Valduz Ryker being back, and everything with Rose and Ruin…”Marlon immedi

The marks were still there.Even beneath layers of concealer and foundation, they refused to disappear.Hope Elara leaned closer to the bathroom mirror, gripping the sink as she tried one more time to cover the dark marks on her neck.She was trying to hide something that no longer felt small enough to hide.“Wow.”Tessa’s voice came from behind her.Hope Elara met her eyes in the mirror.“I know,” she said quietly. “I shouldn’t have let him…”The memory hit her immediately.The elevator.His voice.His hands.That look in his eyes.Heat crawled up her neck again, and she quickly pushed the memory away.“But something was wrong,” she continued softly. “It felt like he was being torn apart from the inside.”Tessa stepped closer and picked up a makeup wipe.“This isn’t something you need to panic about.”She gently wiped at Hope Elara’s neck, then paused.Her brows lifted.“Yeah…”She winced.“He definitely did not hold back.”Hope Elara let out a slow breath.“That might be normal for

Valduz pushed away from the wall the moment the door opened, ready to move toward Hope Elara.Then he saw her.For a moment, he forgot what he had been about to say.Hope Elara stepped out wearing a simple black dress. There was no glitter or unnecessary detail, but the dress fit her perfectly and fell neatly to her calves.Then she turned to close the door, revealing the open back.Valduz's chest tightened.He had to fight the instinct to reach for her.When Hope Elara turned back, a small smile appeared on her lips.“Ready?”Valduz opened his mouth, but nothing came out.She looked beautiful, but that was not the only reason he could not stop staring. Even with her makeup, he could see the tiredness in her face. He knew how much fear and pressure she had been carrying.Yet she was still here.Still standing.Still choosing to face what waited downstairs.And she was choosing to face it with him.“Give me a second,” he finally said.His voice came out rougher than he intended.He ste