Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 226

Chapter 226

AUTHOR’S POV

Her breath caught. “Damien?” she asked, confusion clear in her voice as her eyes landed on him.

Alina hadn’t been expecting him. They had already delivered his order a few days before the dinner, so she had no idea why he was here.

Damien stood the moment he saw her, his chair scraping back quietly, and before she could even process it, he had crossed the room and pulled her into his arms.

Alina stiffened at first, startled, but Mia’s voice broke through the tension. “I’ll just… give you two some privacy.” She stammered, backing out quickly before shutting the door behind her.

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The room fell into silence, broken only by the sound of Alina’s heartbeat thudding in her ears. She knew she should feel uncomfortable being held like this…especially by him, but she didn’t. Instead, she felt safe.

His scent was warm, familiar, almost nostalgic, and something deep inside her stirred, a strange yearning to stay in his arms longer.

Damien seemed to realize the strangeness of the moment. His hold loosened almost immediately, and he pulled back, clearing his throat as if to mask his own awkwardness.

“You okay?” Alina asked softly, her brows knitting as she studied him.

“Yes,” Damien said quickly, his tone even but his eyes betraying a flicker of unease. He shifted, then forced a faint smile. “I just… wanted to see how you were doing. After what happened at the dinner.”

Alina exhaled, brushing her hand down her arm. “I’m fine,” she assured him, though the phantom burn of chloroform still lingered at the back of her throat. “Still… I can almost taste the chloroform sometimes, but I’m okay. Thank you for making sure I was safe that night.”

Damien waved it off, shaking his head. “Don’t thank me. I didn’t do much….just the basics.”

Her lips tugged into a small smile at his humility before she gestured toward the chair. “Sit. Tell me, why are you here? Do you want new outfits made?”

For the first time since stepping into her office, Damien smiled, though it was faint, weighed down by something heavy in his chest.

He shook his head. “No. Not this time. I… wanted to talk to you.”

Alina tilted her head, studying him more closely. It was then she caught it, the sadness clouding his gaze, subtle but unmistakable. Her voice softened. “Damien, are you okay? Did something happen?”

Damien’s chest tightened. For a heartbeat, he was tempted….tempted to lay everything out, to tell her the truth, to show her the pictures of the woman whose face mirrored hers so perfectly, a woman broken and fading since the day Alina vanished. He almost opened his mouth to say it, to close the distance of years and guilt.

15:33 Sat, Sep 27

Chapter 226

But he held back. Not yet. Not like this. The last thing he wanted was to scare her away.

Damien shifted uncomfortably, running a hand across the back of his neck before meeting Alina’s eyes. His voice came softer than usual, tinged with something heavier. “The truth is… I came to Elaris mostly because I was looking for my sister. I got a lead…a very strong one, but… it turned out to be false.”

Alina’s chest tightened at the quiet defeat in his tone. She looked at him sadly, her brows knitting. “But… you still think she’s here in Elaris, don’t you?”

He gave a small nod, his gaze dropping for a moment before lifting again, steady but tired. “Yes. I can feel it. But without proof, I can’t just approach her. I’d only end up scaring her away.”

Something about the raw honesty in his eyes stirred something deep in Alina. She felt bad for him… and strangely, a twinge of jealousy. Whoever turned out to be Damien’s sister would be one very lucky girl.

“I understand,” Alina said gently, her voice carrying both sympathy and thoughtfulness. “You don’t want to overwhelm her. Honestly, I’d probably find it strange too if someone suddenly walked up to me and claimed I was their sister without proof.”

Her words made Damien still for a beat, then take a subtle step back. He realized in that instant that he’d made the right decision not to lay everything bare.

“But…” Alina continued, her tone softening, “whoever ends up being your sister will be very lucky.”

Damien’s brows lifted slightly, as if her words surprised him. His voice was low, almost careful. “Do you really mean that?”

“Yes,” she replied without hesitation, her lips curving into a faint, sincere smile. “Even though I don’t know you that much, you’re very easy to talk to. You have this aura… one that makes someone feel safe around you. If I ever had a brother, I think… I’d wish he was like you.”

Her words struck Damien harder than she could ever know, warmth spreading through his chest like fire catching on dry wood. For a moment, he could only stare at her, his heart pounding with an ache he couldn’t

voice.

Then, a small, grateful smile touched his lips. “Hearing that from you… it means more to me than you think.”

A silence lingered between them, heavy yet oddly comforting.

Then Damien’s tone shifted, cautious but curious. “I heard… that you were adopted by the Dawn family.”

Alina blinked, taken aback by the sudden change of topic. Still, she gave a small nod. “Yes.” Her voice was steady, though inside she felt a little strange, because even though she trusted him, it was hard admitting to someone she didn’t fully know that she had recently learned she was stolen from her real family, not adopted like she had always believed.

Damien leaned forward slightly, his gaze searching. “Do you know how old you were when that happened?”

“I can’t remember anything before my adoption,” Alina admitted, her brows furrowing slightly. “But… I was really young.”

15:33 Sat, Sep 27

Chapter 226

His

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eyes softened, but his next question carried more weight. “Have you ever thought of finding your birth family?”

The question sent her heart racing. Of course she had. Ever since she discovered the truth, she had been searching, only to find nothing.

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