REBORN My Second Life I Became The Villianess (Nyxara) novel Chapter 140

We talked about baby names, laughed over old family stories about Dario and Vincenzo when they were younger, and ate lunch at a low table near the garden doors while a gentle breeze drifted through the screen. Elena brought out old photo albums showing Dario as a stoic, dark-haired toddler who refused to smile for pictures, which had Ella and me practically crying with laughter.

Around four in the afternoon, Carlton, arrived for his weekly afternoon tea. He walked into the sunroom dressed in a sharp grey suit, looking calm and relaxed.

"Grandfather," I said, leaning back against the cushions as he walked over and pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead.

"Nyxara," Carlton said, his eyes dropping to my bump with a warm, genuine softness. "You look radiant. How are you feeling?"

"I'm being pampered against my will," I joked, gesturing to the spread of tea, fruits, and nursery blueprints covering the tables. "Dario and Dad officially locked me out of Cipher Core today."

Carlton let out a quiet, cultured laugh, taking a seat on the armchair opposite mine. "Good. Let them handle the heavy lifting for a change. Your father sent over the updated integration reports for my firm this morning. Our combined logistics networks are posting record numbers."

"See?" I looked over at Grandmother. " Even grandfather agrees I should be running things."

"Your grandfather knows better than to get between a Valteri man and his pregnant wife," Grandmother replied smoothly, taking a slow sip of her tea.

As the sun began to dip below the horizon, the glass doors opened again.

Dario, Dad, Uncle Pascal and Vincenzo walked in, having finally finished whatever they had been doing. Dario had tossed his jacket aside, his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, looking tired but instantly searching the room until his eyes locked onto me.

He walked straight over to the sofa, completely unbothered by the audience, and sat down right beside me, pulling my legs over his lap and resting his heavy, warm hand over my stomach.

"How was your day, kitten?" he asked, his voice low and relaxed as he leaned over to press a kiss to my temple.

"It was quiet," I admitted, leaning my head against his shoulder, letting the warm, steady weight of his hold ground me completely. "We picked out nursery designs."

Grandfather walked over, standing near Carlton's chair, looking down at the spread of blueprints on the table. "Good. I've already cleared the east corner bedroom on the second floor for the nursery. It has double-reinforced walls and direct access to the main hallway." he said.

I rolled my eyes, smiling into Dario's shoulder. "Of course it does, Dad."

Sitting there in the warm, golden light of the sunroom, surrounded by my entire family, my dad, my grandfather, Dario’s Grandfather, Grandmother, Elena, Ella, Bianca, and the man who had fought through hell and back to keep me safe, the last lingering shadows of my past life faded away.

The last month of my pregnancy crept by in a warm, hazy blur of golden afternoon sunlight and heavy, suffocating care from everyone in the house. By the time I hit my ninth month, the Valteri estate felt like a mafia stronghold a impenetrable cocoon built around me.

My bump was full and heavy, making every step slow and deliberate. I couldn't walk down a single flight of stairs without Dario hovering half an inch behind me, his hands hovering near my waist like I was made of spun glass.

If I even sneezed, Someone appeared out of nowhere with a glass of water and three temperature readings. Jax had the estate guards running silent, double-time patrols around the grounds, while Carlton dropped by twice a week just to sit in the sunroom, drinking black tea and making sure the business was running smoothly in the background.

It was an easy, quiet rhythm. For the first time in two lives, I wasn't running. I wasn't looking for hidden cameras in the light fixtures, checking my drinks for poison, or keeping a blade tucked into my boot. I was just living.

On a crisp, quiet Saturday morning, I woke up to the soft sound of rain tapping against the glass windows of our suite.

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