Rise of the Formidable Ex-wife (Lucia and Alex) novel Chapter 193

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Chapter 193: The Visitors Truth

Chapter 193: The Visitors Truth

Bethany POV

The conversation about Kyra’s strange recommendation continued long after she returned from school. I stayed quiet in the background while the family discussed possibilities, because I knew my place in this house was still uncertain Nobody had asked me to leave, but nobody had fully welcomed me either. That was fair considering everything I had done. Over the following days, I settled into a routine that felt strange and comforting at the same time. I helped where I could without forcing myself into situations where I wasn’t wanted.

Most mornings started in the kitchen before everyone else finished breakfast. The cooks appreciated the extra help, and keeping busy stopped me from thinking too much about the past.

One afternoon, I carried a basket of folded laundry toward the nursery. As I passed through the hallway, l/heard the baby’s familiar laugh coming from inside.

The sound made me smile. A few months ago, I never would have imagined finding comfort in something so ordinary. When I entered the nursery, Amorah was sitting in a chair near the window. The baby rested in her arms while she gently bounced him against her shoulder.

“He just finished eating,” she said.

I nodded and placed the laundry on a nearby table. The baby immediately turned toward me and stared with wide eyes. “He’s getting bigger,” I said.

“Too fast.”

I laughed softly. “Every parent says that.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. The silence wasn’t uncomfortable anymore, which still surprised me.

Months ago, being alone with Amorah would have been impossible. Now we could share a room without hostility hanging over every conversation.

The baby suddenly reached toward a stuffed wolf sitting on a shelf across the room. Before either of us moved, he began making excited sounds.

“He wants that,” I said.

Amorah looked skeptical. “There’s no way he can see it from here.”

The baby immediately made another noise. His tiny hand remained stretched toward the same shelf.

I walked over and picked up the toy. The moment I placed it beside him, he grabbed it with both hands. Amorah stared at him. “Okay, that’s weird.”

“At least this weird thing is cute.”

That earned a small laugh. I considered that a victory.

Later that afternoon, I found Lyra organizing transportation schedules in one of the estate offices. She looked knocked on the open door.

“You’re carrying paperwork,” she said. “That means somebody volunteered you for something.”

“Laundry inventory.”

She groaned dramatically. “That’s even worse.”

up

when I

I sat across from her and placed the papers on the desk. The easy conversation felt natural now, which would have shocked both of us a year ago.

Life had a strange way of forcing people to grow. Sometimes it happened because they wanted to change, and sometimes it happened because they had no choice.

Lyra leaned back in her chair. “How are you doing?”

The question caught me off guard. Most people asked what I was doing, not how I was doing.

“I’m trying.”

She nodded slowly. “That’s usually all anyone

Successfully unlocked!

I studied her for a moment. The old Lyra would

herself.

The woman sitting in front of me now seemed completely different. She still had flaws, but she wasn’t pretending to be

Chapter 193: The Visitors Truth

someone she wasn’t anymore.

“You’re happier,” I said.

She smiled faintly. “I think I am.”

The conversation drifted toward ordinary things after that. School schedules, household responsibilities, and the twins’ growing independence filled most of the next hour.

When we finished, I found myself lingering near the doorway. A strange thought had settled into my mind.

“You know,” I said, “I didn’t expect this.”

Lyra looked up. “What?”

“Any of it.”

Her expression softened slightly. “Neither did I.”

That evening, the entire family gathered for dinner. The atmosphere felt relaxed in a way I hadn’t experienced since arriving at the estate.

Kyra talked nonstop about school activities while Zane pretended not to listen. Unfortunately for him, everyone noticed when he corrected details from conversations he supposedly wasn’t paying attention to.

“You were listening,” Kyra accused.

“I was trapped at the same table.”

“That’s not the same thing.”

“It absolutely is.”

Conrad hid a smile behind his glass. Amorah looked equally amused.

The baby sat in a special chair beside the table. Every few minutes he would make a noise until someone paid attention to him.

“He’s learned how to get what he wants, Conrad said.

Amorah raised an eyebrow. “He learned that from you.”

The entire table laughed. Even Conrad couldn’t argue with that.

Watching them together stirred something uncomfortable inside me. It wasn’t jealousy anymore.

I spent years chasing things that never mattered. Looking at this family, I finally understood what I had thrown away.

The realization hurt because nobody else was responsible for it. Every decision had been mine.

Later that night, I helped clean the dining room after everyone else went their separate ways. The quiet work gave me time to think.

I wasn’t part of this family. I probably never would be.

Still, being allowed to witness something good felt like a gift I hadn’t earned.

The next morning, security officers continued reviewing the photographs collected from the anonymous sender. The investigation had become part of everyone’s routine.

Most people walked past the conference room without paying attention. I happened to glance at one of the screens while delivering documents.

Then I stopped moving. My stomach tightened instantly.

One of the photographs displayed a crowd scene from several months earlier. The image quality wasn’t perfect, but I recognized a face standing near the edge of the frame.

At first, I thought I was imagining things. Then the memory returned with disturbing clarity.

I stepped closer to the screen.

“No.”

One of the analysts looked up. “What is it?”

I pointed toward the image. My pulse had started racing.

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