The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 399

Chapter 178: The Little Firecracker-2

+25 Points

“And it always will,” Alice said gently. “In life, there are storms that pass. But they’re not always bad.” She paused, letting her gaze drift-briefly, deliberately-between Damien and Maya.

“Sometimes, they come to clear the path.”

The words were offered lightly, almost conversational, yet their meaning settled heavily between the two of them-quiet advice wrapped in grace.

Then Alice shook her head, amusement returning to her eyes. “My daughter is a lot of things … but harebrained, she is not. She can be reckless… even recalcitrant at times. She has a very strong personality, but also a soft, pure, loving heart.”

A soft chuckle escaped her, memories flickering across her face.

“Her father and I learned that the hard way. The tighter we held the leash… the stronger she pulled away.” She paused, letting the words settle.

“So we learned to let go. To allow her to make her own choices… to learn on her own. We knew she’d come around… when she was ready.”

Her gaze darkened briefly with memory. “I watched some of those decisions almost break her, but I also saw how they made her stronger.”

Her eyes drifted across the table, settling on Dahlia and Eleonor with warm, steady recognition. A quiet, unspoken understanding passed between them-parental solidarity wove n through a lifetime of shared experiences.

“You know, as parents… seeing your child in pain hurts tenfold. And as much as you want to intervene, sometimes you can only offer support.”

Nicholas’ hand tightened under the table, fingers curling into a fist. The subtle flicker of shadow in Alice’s eyes when she spoke of the near-breaking decisions sent a cold knot of unease down his spine.

What could have happened to Harper that left such a mark? Who-or what-had caused that pain?

Alice’s voice softened again, carrying him out of his spiraling thoughts.

“But one thing we are always proud of,” she continued, resolute, “is that our daughter never abandons her responsibilities. Look at her now-when she found out about the attack, she didn’t hesitate. She flew back immediately to help.”

13

Chapter 178 The Little Firecracker 2

Her smile deepened, a spark of mischief appearing.

+25 Points

“She helps silently. There are countless times when problems are resolved before anyone even realizes there was one to begin with. Her father will ask if it was her doing, and she’ll deny it outright.”

A knowing smile touched Alice’s lips. “We know her too well. She’s our little firecracker-small, bright, full of life. She sparks when least expected, lights up a room, sometimes even startles

you.”

She let out a light laugh. “Oh, and she absolutely hates it when we call her that.”

She lifted her glass and took a measured sip of wine before turning to Maya, her expression softening-mischief glinting beneath her composed exterior, the very same look Harper wore when she was on the verge of revealing something she shouldn’t… or confessing to something she already had.

“I’ll tell you a little secret,” Alice said lightly. “It’s easy to know when Harper is lying. When you confront her and she’s too quick to deny it, can’t quite meet your eyes, and lets out that strange little chuckle…” She laughed softly herself.

“That’s it,” she concluded fondly. “She’s guilty.”

Soft laughter rippled around the table, easing the tension just enough.

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