Hope Series By Jaci Burton 소설 & 이야기

“I know. I know you’re right. But it felt so real. The way Elias looked at me… it was like he knew me too. Like there was a connection I can’t explain.” Ethan kissed the top of her head, holding her close. “We’ll figure it out. Together. But tonight, let’s just be grateful. We won the battle. Hope is safe. That’s enough for now.” Inside, Hope had fallen asleep on the couch, her small hand still clutching her stuffed rabbit. Grandpa June watched over her with a soft smile. “She’s peaceful. For the first time in weeks. Let’s keep it that way.” Meanwhile, at Blackwood Mansion…

Her heart nearly stopped. “You’re successful now,” she said. “You have everything. Why would you want the same girl you left behind?” “Because I never stopped loving her.” The room felt suddenly smaller. Dangerous. Hope was a dangerous emotion for Evelyn. “I don’t believe you,” she said. “You don’t have to,” Lincoln replied. “But I’m not giving up this time.” Her chest tightened again. Every man she had dated after Lincoln had been an attempt to replace something that could never truly be replaced.

His warmth seeped into me, steady and reassuring. "I can't help it," I admitted, leaning into him. "Look at what's happening, Damon. All of this peace, this cooperation, it's because of her. Because of what Hope can do." Below, I watched as my daughter, now three years old with dark hair that caught the sunlight, touched a wounded human worker's arm. The man had cut himself on a piece of wood, nothing serious, but Hope had insisted on helping. Golden light flickered from her small palm, and the cut sealed itself instantly.

] My fingers stiffened as I scrolled down. Last holiday, Jess had told me she had to work overtime on a last-minute project, pulling an all-nighter. On Sonny's feed, there were two intertwined hands, fireworks lighting up the riverside behind them. On the woman's wrist was a small red mole—one I knew all too well. On the last Valentine's Day, Jess had said her best friend was heartbroken and needed company. Sonny had posted a photo of two movie tickets—Before Sunset—with the caption: [Watching an old film with the one I love.]

It made her angrier. She swept past them, her presence leaving a trail of tension behind. In the lunchroom, Hope sat beside Marcus, their trays untouched. “You okay?” he asked. Hope exhaled. “Aria’s not Nice.” “Never has been. Don’t let her get in your head.” “I’m trying not to.” Just then, Jayden slid into the seat across from them, balancing a water bottle in one hand and his phone in the other. “You survived another day in the Rosewood jungle. Congrats.”

June yelled, her voice fraying at the edges. In the middle of it all stood her daughter, but not the infant from a few hours ago. No, this girl was a teenager now—tall, slim, hair aglow like starlight, watching the world fall apart without so much as a flinch. She gripped the golden key above her head, a beam of silver light shooting straight into the ship’s engine. "I am fixing it, Mother," Hope said, and the words were wrong—too old, too deep, as if spoken by something ancient and tired. "Earth is a broken oven. It burns people just to keep the lights on. I will give them a sun that never dies."

I shirk off the remainder of my clothes and make my way to the ensuite bathroom, stepping into the shower, the hot water on full blast, and use five of the ten minutes to scrub my body of Stephanie’s scent. Stepping out of the shower, I feel refreshed and ready to attend my Alpha meeting; my earlier anger at Leo and Stephanie dissipated. As much as I wanted to blame Stephanie for rejecting her mate, I couldn’t blame her. I understood pack dynamics. Alpha and Luna were it; they were top-tier. Everyone strived to be the best of the best. Stephanie saw her chance, and she took it. If I hadn’t witnessed firsthand how chosen mates differed from fated mates, I might’ve done the same thing had I be

Chapter 50 Jason always wanted the best for Jasmine, now more so than ever. It was obvious that he wasn't 100 percent on board with Hope plans, especially after the conversation they had before the wedding ceremony. Hope was an enigma, one that he had long given up any hope to decipher. The more he tried to understand her, the less he succeeded in that pursuit. One minute she could act as your sworn enemy and the next she was your only choice of help and you could not deny her because there is practically no other option apart from her.

She was holding her sketchbook in her lap, gripping it so hard the cover was bending. "They saw me," Hope whispered. "They saw me when I was little." "They saw you working," Aurora said. "They saw the truth." Hope looked up. Her slate-blue eyes were dark, dilated with fear, but underneath the fear was something else. Determination. "Tomorrow," Hope said. "Tomorrow," Liam agreed, leaning over to kiss her head. "You're going to be great, Rhino." Hope stood up. She smoothed her dress. "I'm not a Rhino tomorrow," she said.

My heart skips a beat, and I know the only reason they are crying is probably because Hope has died. Hiram makes his way past the servants and then stops in front of the room. There, I see an image that burns raw in my mind. Hollis is lying in the bed, clutching Hope’s lifeless body, her stomach open with her organs lying around. The baby tore through her stomach. **