The Billionaire's Intern (Maya Thompson) novel Chapter 532

Chapter 261: Love Had Never Been the Problem

Silence lingered between them.

Dominic remained quietly behind Dahlia, his hands still resting lightly on her shoulders as the weight of her words hung heavily in the air.

After a moment, Dahlia lowered her gaze and gently closed the vintage jewelry box before setting it back inside the drawer.

She lifted her eyes to meet Dominic’s through the mirror.

“When the time comes, we’ll face Tobias together.”

She paused, her voice calm yet resolute.

“But before that happens, we need Cecilia to trust us.”

Another brief silence followed.

“She needs to see Damien and Maya’s love with her own eyes… to see the happiness they found despite everything that was taken from them.”

Silence settled over the room once more.

The softness in Dahlia’s expression faded, replaced by quiet resolve.

“Her remorse is the key.”

Holding Dominic’s gaze through the mirror, Dahlia continued.

“Only when Cecilia truly regrets the past will we have a chance of protecting our children.”

Dominic didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, his eyes lingered on the woman before him.

He had known Dahlia for decades.

She had always carried herself with quiet elegance, the kind that never demanded attention, yet naturally commanded respect.

But beneath that graceful exterior was a side of her that very few people had ever seen.

A fiercely protective mother.

A loyal friend who had never stopped searching for answers.

A woman who had quietly carried the burden of Malia’s disappearance for years without ever allowing herself to break.

Sometimes, Dominic wondered if the guilt she carried had become heavier than the truth itself. He gave her shoulders a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

“You’ve been thinking about this for a long time… haven’t you?”

Dahlia lowered her eyes, swallowing against the tightness in her throat as emotion slowly welled inside her.

“When we were children, Malia and I used to dream about the future together,” she said softly. “We always believed that one day our children would grow up together, become friends, fall in love, and build the family we used to imagine.”

A faint, bittersweet smile touched her lips before gradually fading.

“But I couldn’t protect her, Dominic. When she needed me the most… I wasn’t there. And when her children needed someone to protect them… I wasn’t there either.”

She paused, drawing in a shaky breath as a tear slipped quietly down her cheek.

“When her letters suddenly stopped coming, I had this terrible feeling in the pit of my stomach that something was wrong. I couldn’t explain it, but I knew… I just knew. For years, I searched for her. I followed every lead I could find, only to end up at another dead end.”

She looked up at him, her eyes glistening with years of buried regret.

“But perhaps fate had a different plan for all of us. Without either of us knowing, it brought our children together on its own… as though they were always destined to find one another.”

Her fingers curled gently around the pendant resting against her chest.

“And this time, I refuse to lose them too.”

Dominic’s eyes softened.

He quietly knelt before her and gently cupped her face, his thumb brushing away the tear that had escaped down her cheek.

“You’ve blamed yourself for far too long, sweetheart.”

His voice was barely above a whisper.

“What happened to Malia… wasn’t your fault. It was a tragedy no one could have foreseen.”

He rested his forehead gently against hers.

“But if this is the chance fate has finally given us to give our children the happy and peaceful life they deserve… then we’ll see it through together.”

He lingered there for a moment before lifting his gaze to meet hers once more.

“Let’s just hope your plan works.”

For a moment, Dahlia said nothing.

His gaze lowered, a hint of sadness crossing his face.

“And yet… when the time came, he still chose his family’s legacy and traditions over his own daughter.”

He looked back at Dahlia.

“Even if Cecilia stands with us… what makes you believe Tobias won’t make the same choice again?”

Dahlia closed her eyes for a brief moment.

“Because this time..” she whispered, “it won’t just be Malia he’s looking at.”

She slowly opened her eyes and met his.

“It will be his granddaughter.”

A quiet certainty settled over her features.

“She is his flesh and blood. Every time he looks at Maya, he’ll be reminded of the daughter he lost-her eyes, her smile… even her heart.”

A shadow of sadness passed across Dahlia’s face.

“No matter how hard a man tries to bury the past… he can never escape the child he failed.”

Dominic remained silent, the truth of Dahlia’s words settling heavily in his chest.

He couldn’t deny them.

He had witnessed Tobias and Malia’s relationship countless times over the years.

The bond between father and daughter had always been undeniable.

Malia had been Tobias’s princess-his pride, his joy, the one person he treasured above all else.

There had never been any doubt that Tobias loved his daughter.

Perhaps that was what made the tragedy even crueler.

Love had never been the problem.

Pride was.

And when pride won… it was always the people they loved who paid the price.