The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 174

Conrad POV

The suspected leak was brought in just after sunrise, before the estate had fully settled into the day. Security reported it quietly, but the tension spread through every corridor anyway, like everyone could feel something was wrong.

Amorah was still resting under medical supervision, so I handled the situation alone in the security wing.

The young staff member looked terrified the moment she was brought in. She kept insisting she didn’t do anything wrong, even before anyone questioned her properly. I studied her for a long moment and realized fear was stronger than guilt in her expression.

“Start from the beginning,” I said calmly.

Her hands were shaking as she spoke. “I only mentioned the baby’s name onfe. It was during a normal conversation.”

“Who were you speaking to?” one of my intelligence wolves asked.

She hesitated before answering. “Someone I thought was an old friend of the estate. He said he used to work nearby.”

That was the firstreal problems. Holmes had never familiarity.

“Did he ask about the family?” I pressed.

needed direct access when he could simply insert himself through

“No,” she said quickly. “It didn’t feel like that. It felt normal.”

That was exactly how Holmes operated now. Nothing obvious. Nothing aggressive. Just slow infiltration through people who did not realize they were being used.

The investigation ended faster than expected. There was no conspiracy, no coordinated leak, and no hidden betrayal inside the estate. Just one careless conversation that had been passed along until it reached the wrong hands.

I dismissed the staff member but ordered her removed from sensitive areas. She left in tears, and I did not feel satisfaction in it. Only frustration that something so small could create such a large risk.

When I returned to the main house, Amorah was already awake. She sat near the window with a blanket around her shoulders, watching Kyra and Zane argue over something involving nursery decorations.

Kyra pointed at a sketch. “This color is better for babies. It’s scientifically proven.”

Zane folded his arms. “That is not science. That is glitter propaganda.”

Amorah didn’t stop them. She only sighed softly, like she had accepted that peace in this house was always temporary.

I stepped closer and she looked up immediately. “It wasn’t a conspiracy,” I told her.

Her expression tightened slightly. “So someone just talked too much.”

“Yes,” I said. “That’s all it was.”

She nodded once but didn’t look relieved. “That’s worse in some ways.”

I understood what she meant. Intentional enemies were easier to prepare for than careless mistakes.

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Chapter 174-

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By midday, the estate returned to its usual rhythm, though nothing felt completely settled. Security protocols were tightened again, and movement between sections of the house became more controlled. Still, there was no panic this time, only awareness.

Lyra helped quietly in the background.

I noticed it more than I expected to. She wasn’t trying to insert herself into conversations anymore, and she wasn’t hovering near Amorah like before. Instead, she was doing small things that actually helped.

She brought water without being asked. She organized baby supplies without turning it into a display. And when Kyra became frustrated over a torn fabric piece, Lyra calmly fixed it without making a scene,

At one point. Kyra looked up at her suspiciously. “Why are you being nice?”

Lyra blinked. “Because it’s the right thing to do.”

Kyra narrowed her eyes like she didn’t fully trust that answer but didn’t argue further.

Later, Zane dropped a stack of books while trying to carry too many at once. Lyra helped him pick them up without comment. He muttered a quiet “thanks” and walked away quickly like he wasn’t used to adults not criticizing him.

Amorah watched all of this from a distance but said nothing. I could tell she was still cautious, but something in her posture had changed slightly. She wasn’t rejecting Lyra’s presence outright anymore. Just observing.

That alone was progress.

By evening, the estate felt quieter. The twins were exhausted from their self–appointed “security duties,” and even the guards had relaxed slightly after confirming there were no further breaches. For once, there were no urgent reports waiting for me.

I used the calm to finish something I had been working on for weeks.

It wasn’t official. It wasn’t something I announced. arrived.

I led Amorah to the west wing after dinner.

was something I built because I wanted it to exist before the baby

She looked at me with suspicion immediately. “Where are we going?”

“Just walk with me,” I said.

She followed without arguing, which told me she trusted the tone of my voice even when she didn’t understand it.

When we reached the hallway, I opened the door to the nursery I had kept hidden.

The room was already finished.

Soft lighting lined the ceiling. The walls were painted in calm tones she once mentioned liking during a late–night conversation she probably didn’t remember. The furniture was simple but carefully chosen, and everything was placed with intention rather than decoration.

Amorah stopped at the doorway. For a moment, she didn’t move.

Kyra and Zane were already inside, running toward different corners of the room in quiet excitement.

“This is the baby’s room?” Kyra asked.

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Chapter 174-

me walked slowly inspecting everything like it was a strategic map. “This is actually efficient.”

Amorah stepped inside carefully, as if she expected the room to disappear if she moved too quickly. I stayed near the door, watching her reaction instead of interrupting it.

She touched the edge of the crib first. Then the shelf. Then the soft blanket folded neatly at the side.

“You did this?” she asked quietly.

“Yes,” I answered.

She turned slightly toward me. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

I shrugged. “Because I wanted it finished before you started worrying about it.”

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “That sounds like avoidance.”

“It is,” I admitted.

That actually made her pause for a second before she exhaled softly. It wasn’t anger.

The twins immediately started arguing again about where toys should go. Kyra insisted one corner was “emotionally warmer,” while Zane argued that corners do not have emotions.

Amorah actually smiled at that. It was small, but real.

Lyra stood near the hallway entrance watching quietly. She didn’t enter the room fully. She just observed, like she understood she wasn’t part of this moment.

That mattered more than I expected.

Eventually, the twins were escorted out by a guard pretending to be strict while clearly struggling not to laugh. The nursery grew quieter again.

I stepped further inside.

Amorah stayed near the crib, her hand resting lightly on its edge. “You really planned all of this without telling me.”

“I needed something stable to build,” I said.

She looked at me. “And this was it?”

“Yes.”

For a moment, neither of us spoke. Then she shifted slightly and pressed a hand to her stomach.

I noticed immediately. “Is everything okay?”

She nodded once. “He’s active tonight.”

“More than usual?”

“Yes.”

I moved closer without thinking, my hand hovering near hers. “Do you need the doctor?”

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