Chapter 222 Part 2 Chapter 48

Chapter 222 Part 2 Chapter 48
Idara

It was getting quite late, and I couldn’t help but wonder why Helio still wasn’t back. Violet had returned a while ago, and I had expected to see him with her. Instead, she mentioned that he had arrived but needed to handle something on the other side of the mansion. She didn’t offer many details before gently taking the sleeping Julian from my arms.

The little boy had refused to leave my side after seeing me panic earlier. Eventually, exhaustion won and he had drifted off in my embrace.

“Well, this is goodnight for us,” Violet said softly, offering me a warm smile.

I nodded. “Did the meeting go well?” I asked, not wanting to seem indifferent.

Her face lit up. “It went far better than I could have imagined.” Then her expression turned serious. “You have a fine mate who will love you deeply. Make sure you love him back.”

I returned her smile, small but genuine. She didn’t need to remind me—I already loved Helio. Not just because of the pain and strength in his past, but for the man he was today. For the way he loved me without forcing or rushing me, even though he had been very persistent at the beginning.

“I’ll keep that in mind,” I replied.

Violet nodded, then turned and headed toward her quarters, her maid and guards trailing closely behind her.

I let out a deep sigh of relief and settled down to wait for Helio. About fifteen minutes later, I heard familiar footsteps. I turned my head just as Helio and Danae walked in. The moment he entered, his gaze found me instantly—he must have caught my scent. Danae noticed me too.

“You haven’t gone to bed yet?” Helio asked first, his eyes scanning over me with concern.

“I’ve slept enough,” I answered simply.

Danae cleared her throat, drawing my attention to her. “I’ll head to my quarters now.”

I smiled at her. “Good night… and thank you. I heard you helped my mother.”

Her lips curved into a soft smile. Violet’s maid had already told me that the guards who protected my mom had been sent by Danae.

She gave a small nod and walked away. As soon as she left, Helio closed the distance between us and gently cupped my face in his large hands. His thumb brushed tenderly across my cheek.

“You were so worried,” he murmured, his touch warm and soothing.

“Yes,” I admitted, feeling the weight lift from my shoulders the moment he was near. I hadn’t realized how much I had missed him until he walked through the door. All the tension and fear inside me melted away like it had never existed.

“Where was she taken to?” I asked suddenly.

Helio’s brows furrowed slightly, as if he didn’t want to discuss Marilyn. “She’s safe… and she won’t be able to pull any more tricks on you.”

I raised an eyebrow. “And where exactly is this ‘safe’ place?”

He hesitated, clearly choosing his words carefully while trying not to lie to me. Instead of answering directly, he asked, “Tell me, Idara… what was your relationship with her really like?”

That question confirmed it—he had gone to see Marilyn.

“We were friends,” I said quietly. “Or at least, I thought we were… until I realized she was only using me to make herself look like a saint.”

That was the truth, but not the full story.

In reality, I had loved Marilyn like a sister. I became close to her during one of the darkest times in my life—when my parents were going through a messy divorce and my family was falling apart. She had been there when I needed someone the most. Whenever people mocked or downplayed me, she would step in like my savior, telling me I needed to learn to fight for myself.

But everything shattered the day I overheard her laughing with a group of people she had paid to torment me. She was cracking jokes at my expense, calling me pathetic and disgusting while pretending to be my protector.

It broke me more than I could ever admit. I should have confronted her and walked away right then, but I couldn’t. Not because I was weak, but because I had no one else. No stable family. No one who truly belonged to me. She was the only “friend” I had, and even she saw me as nothing but a fat, ugly girl who needed pity.

So I stayed. I played along, pretending I didn’t know how she really felt about me. I endured it until the day I finally couldn’t take it anymore. That was when I exposed her secret in front of everyone, destroying her engagement.

And knowing the kind of person she was—and the powerful family she came from—I knew I had to run. Especially after she stripped away everything she had ever given me.

“Why did you ask?” I pressed, wanting to know exactly what Marilyn had said or done to make him question our relationship like that.

Helio’s eyes drifted slowly to my lips for a moment, as if he was waiting for me to say more than I already had.

“Would you like to see her?” he asked suddenly.

See her? The answer was immediate—no. I wanted absolutely nothing more to do with Marilyn. The day I decided to stand up against her was the day I promised myself I would stop living by her rules.

I shook my head firmly. “No. I don’t see the need to.”

Helio gave a single nod. “If that’s what you want, then don’t ask me anything about her again. Trust me to handle it. Am I understood?”

I nodded without hesitation.

I was ready to trust him completely. Marilyn had crossed a serious line by going after my mother and terrifying both of us.

“But… can I go visit my mother tomorrow?” I asked carefully. I knew he usually didn’t like me going out because he believed I was still in danger.

To my surprise, he answered without pause. “Yes, you can. And not just that—you can go back to work if you wish to.”

My eyes widened in genuine shock.

“I can?” I asked, unable to hide the excitement in my voice. Staying at home all day had been driving me crazy with boredom.

Helio’s expression shifted. He frowned slightly, studying my face. “It seems I might have to take that back. Why are you so happy about going to work?”

Seeing the obvious jealousy in his eyes, I decided to tease him a little more. I turned my head to the side and said casually, “Well… I’ve missed Elliot.”

His hand slowly dropped from my face. I met his gaze, trying to keep a straight face.

“I’ll take that as you wanting to taunt me,” he said, his voice low. “And that your words have no real meaning.”

The expression on his face was priceless. If Elliot had been standing here right now, he probably wouldn’t have survived the night. I had to bite my lip hard to stop myself from bursting into laughter.

“Well… you know me too well,” I replied playfully.

I didn’t actually want my work friend getting into trouble because of me.

A slow smile finally spread across Helio’s face. “You should really choose your words more carefully, cutie pie. I almost wanted to chop someone’s head off.”

I couldn’t hold it in any longer, I burst out laughing.