The Rise Of The Betrayed Luna (Amorah and Holmes) novel Chapter 214

Chapter 214: The Cost Of Trust

Lyra POV

Somebody wanted Zane to see the photograph. That much became obvious after he showed it to the adults. and the atmosphere inside the estate grew even heavier afterward.

Nobody said it openly, but everyone understood that trust was becoming harder to find. The tension reached every corner of the house

Even the staff members noticed it. Conversations became shorter.

Smiles became less frequent. People looked over their shoulders more often than usual.

Every unexpected noise seemed to attract attention. I understood the feeling better than most.

Living with suspicion was exhausting. Living with a damaged reputation was worse.

Every time someone glanced at me for a second too long, I remembered who I used to be. Every uncomfortable silence reminded me that some mistakes followed people forever.

I couldn’t even blame them. If our positions had been reversed, I probably would have struggled to trust me

too.

The thought was unpleasant, but it was honest. That morning began with another security briefing.

Several senior staff members gathered inside one of the conference rooms. I wasn’t invited.

That made perfect sense. Conrad still didn’t fully trust me. Amorah trusted me even less. Neither fact surprised me anymore.

Instead of worrying about the meeting, I focused on helping with the household routine. There was more than enough work to keep me busy.

Cassian made certain of that. Little Fang had recently discovered how fast he could crawl.

Unfortunately, he had also discovered how much adults disliked chasing him. I found him halfway under a sofa before breakfast.

“There you are.”

Cassian immediately laughed. The sound made it difficult to stay annoyed.

“You know exactly what you’re doing.”

His answer was another laugh. I lifted him into my arms.

He immediately reached for my hair.

“No.”

That response changed nothing. Cassian grabbed a handful anyway.

Across the room, Kyra witnessed the entire exchange. Her grin appeared instantly.

“He’s winning.”

I carefully rescued my hair.

“He cheats.”

Kyra laughed loudly.

“He learned from Zane.”

The accusation sounded believable enough. A few minutes later, Zane entered the room carrying school

materials.

The timing could not have been better.

“I heard that.”

Kyra pointed at him.

Chapter 214 The Cost of Tart

“Good.”

The argument began immediately. Neither of them seemed particularly serious.

Most of their disagreements ended with laughter these days. Cassian watched them closely.

Then he laughed too. That made everyone stop.

Kyra pointed dramatically.

“He agrees with me.”

Zane rolled his eyes.

“He’s a baby.”

Cassian laughed again. That only strengthened Kyra’s confidence.

The normal family moment helped ease some of the tension hanging over the estate. For a little while, things felt ordinary again.

Unfortunately, the feeling never lasted long. Later that afternoon, I found myself helping organize schedules for the upcoming academy events.

Competition season had apparently become the center of the twins’ lives. Every conversation eventually returned to training.

Every schedule seemed built around practice sessions. I admired their dedication.

At their age, I had spent most of my time worrying about entirely different things. While reviewing transportation arrangements, I noticed several staff members whispering nearby.

The moment they saw me looking, the conversation stopped. The reaction felt familiar.

Too familiar. People had spent years whispering about me.

Now they were whispering about traitors. The subject had changed.

The feeling had not. I continued working without commenting.

There was no point. A little later, Amorah joined me in one of the sitting rooms.

She carried a stack of documents and looked exhausted.

“Long day?”

She sat across from me.

“Very.”

The answer seemed to surprise her slightly. Maybe because it was honest.

Maybe because I didn’t complain. For several moments, we worked in silence.

The quiet felt different than it used to. Not comfortable. Not exactly friendly. Just less hostile.

Eventually, Amorah set her documents aside.

“How are the twins?”

The question sounded casual. I knew better.

She always worried about them.

“They’re fine.”

I smiled slightly.

“Zane pretends he doesn’t care about competition.”

Amorah laughed. That reaction told me everything.

“He gets that from Conrad.”

The observation sounded accurate. We both knew it.

2/4

Chapte 214: The Cost of Trust

For the first time in years, sharing a small joke with Amorah didn’t feel impossible. The realization surprised me more than I expected.

The silence that followed wasn’t awkward. That alone felt significant.

A few minutes later, Cassian crawled into the room. Apparently nobody had informed him that walking remained an unavailable option.

He immediately spotted me. Then he changed direction.

Amorah noticed instantly.

“Of course.”

Hooked up.

“What?”

She pointed toward her son.

“His favorite.”

The accusation sounded almost amused. Cassian reached me seconds later.

I lifted him onto my lap.

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