The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 163

Chapter 163 Woman Who Stayed Too Long

Chapter 163: Woman Who Stayed Too Long

Amorah POV

Several days passed after Lyra arrived, and somehow she slipped into our daily routine as if she had always belonged there.

My pregnancy had advanced enough that simple things took more effort now.

Walking across the estate left me tired faster than before, and Conrad had become almost impossible whenever he noticed me carrying anything heavier than a blanket.

That morning, I was trying to move a box of baby clothes when Conrad appeared out of nowhere.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

I stared at him. “Carrying a box.”

He took it from my hands immediately.

“I could see that.”

“I wasn’t struggling.”

“You were thinking about struggling.”

I rolled my eyes while he carried the box away.

Lyra laughed from the doorway.

“I think he’s gotten worse since I arrived.”

“He has,” I agreed.

Conrad pointed at both of us.

“I can hear you.”

That only made us laugh harder.

Over the next few days, the nursery became the center of the entire house.

Kyra had decided the baby needed approximately five hundred stuffed animals.

Zane argued that babies did not need that many and spent an entire afternoon trying to prove it.

His argument failed when Kyra started naming every toy individually.

“You can’t separate them now,” she declared.

“Why not?”

“They have feelings.”

“They are stuffed.”

“They still have feelings.”

Zane looked at me helplessly.

I shrugged.

“She’s probably right.”

“You are encouraging this.”

“Absolutely.”

He groaned dramatically.

Despite all the chaos, I found myself enjoying the process more than I expected.

For so many years, my life had revolved around survival. Now entire afternoons disappeared because we were arguing over paint colors and baby blank

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Chapter 163 Woman Who Stayed Too Long

It felt normal and safe.

One evening, Lyra sat beside me on the nursery floor while we folded tiny baby clothes.

“I still can’t believe Conrad is going to be a father,” she said.

I smiled.

“Neither can he sometimes.”

“He used to start fights over everything.”

I laughed.

“I believe that.”

“Oh, it was terrible.”

She grinned.

“One time he challenged three older boys because they made fun of his haircut.”

I nearly dropped the baby socks in my hands.

“He did not.”

“He absolutely did.”

Conrad walked into the room at that exact moment.

“Stop telling stories.”

Lyra looked innocent.

“I was complimenting you.”

“You were not.”

I watched the two of them bicker and found myself smiling again.

For the first time in years, I felt like I had another woman around who understood some parts of my life.

The feeling was surprisingly comforting.

A few nights later, Kyra convinced everyone to play board games after dinner.

Zane immediately announced he was too mature for board games.

Then he sat down before anyone else.

“You realize that’s not helping your argument,” I said.

“I’m supervising.”

“Sure.”

Three rounds later, Kyra accused him of cheating.

“You moved your piece.”

“I did not.”

“You absolutely did.”

“There are no witnesses.”

“I am literally the witness.”

Conrad rubbed his forehead.

“I suddenly understand why parents go gray.”

Kyra pointed at him.

“You already have gray hair.”

Conrad looked offended.

“I have one gray hair.”

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Chapter 163 Woman Who Stayed Too Long

“You have three.”

“Traitor.”

The game dissolved into complete chaos after that.

At one point, Kyra climbed onto the couch to declare herself the rightful champion of the family. Ten minutes later, Zane was secretly trying to hide extra game cards inside his sleeve.

He was caught immediately.

The entire room erupted into laughter.

I laughed so hard that tears filled my eyes.

Conrad noticed first.

“You okay?”

I nodded while wiping my face.

“I haven’t laughed this much in a long time.”

His expression softened instantly.

The look he gave me made my chest tighten.

Later that night, after everyone had drifted into smaller conversations, I went looking for Conrad.

I found him near the western hallway.

Lyra stood across from him.

I wasn’t trying to eavesdrop, but I heard voices before they noticed me.

“…that was years ago,” Conrad was saying.

“It still mattered.”

“No, Lyra.”

His voice remained calm.

“It mattered to our parents.”

I slowed instinctively.

“You really don’t remember any of it?” Lyra asked.

“I remember.”

Conrad folded his arms.

“I just don’t see it the way you do.”

Something in the conversation felt tense.

Before I could hear anything else, Lyra glanced in my direction.

Her expression changed immediately.

The tension vanished so quickly that I almost questioned whether I imagined it.

“There you are,” she said brightly.

“We were looking for you.”

I frowned slightly.

“Were you?”

Conrad stepped forward.

“I was.”

His hand settled against my lower back automatically.

The familiar touch eased whatever uncertainty had briefly appeared.

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Chapter 163 Woman Who Stayed Too Long

“What were you talking about?” I asked.

“Old childhood stories,” Lyra answered smoothly.

“Nothing interesting.”

Something about the answer felt incomplete.