Rebirth Of The Heiress And The Tycoon's Lover (Alina) novel Chapter 266

Chapter 266

AUTHOR’S POV.

The morning drifted softly into noon, the manor bathed in golden light. After breakfast, Damien offered his hand, that familiar, almost boyish smile returning to his face.

“Come on,” he said lightly, tilting his head toward the hall. “You said you wanted me to show you around. Let’s see if this place can help you remember.”

Alina hesitated for only a moment before placing her hand in his. “Alright,” she murmured.

The marble corridor opened before them, lined with portraits that stretched into history… faces of people who once bore the same eyes, the same calm pride that now seemed to follow her. The manor was filled with servants going around and the soft echo of their footsteps.

Damien stopped before the first room… a large, sunlit space with soft curtains and the faint smell of roses. “This was mother’s music room,” he said, smiling faintly. “You used to sneak in here when she wasn’t around. You’d climb on that stool and bang on the piano keys, pretending to play something grand. You drove the maids insane.”

Alina laughed under her breath, her gaze drifting to the old piano, its ivory keys gleaming faintly in the light. “That sounds like something I’d do.”

“It is,” Damien said with a quiet chuckle. “You insisted you’d be a pianist one day, but the only tune you ever managed was noise.”

Alina smiled, tracing her fingers along the edge of the piano. “I guess I wasn’t a very obedient child.”

“You were a storm,” Damien replied softly, watching her. “Wild and bright. You made the whole house feel alive.”

They moved on to the next room…a large library with shelves that kissed the ceiling. Dust motes floated in the golden light as Damien pushed open the tall doors.

“You used to come here with Lucius,” he said, glancing around. “He’d sit by that corner window, reading, and you’d sit beside him, pretending to read too. Only… your books were always upside down.”

Alina turned toward him sharply, a surprised laugh slipping through her lips. “You’re joking.”

“I’m not,” Damien said, grinning. “He never said a word about it either. Just turned your book the right way when

you weren’t looking.”

Her laughter softened into a smile, her eyes unknowingly warm. “He sounds… patient.”

“He was,” Damien replied gently, noticing the unguarded expression on her face. “Especially with you.”

They continued down the long hallway, the air shifting as they passed from room to room… the nursery, gallery, the greenhouse that still smelled faintly of lavender.

the

Each space came with a memory, and with each one, Damien’s voice softened. “That’s where you hid when

you broke the chandelier,” he said in the sitting room. “Lucius took the blame for you.”

“I broke a chandelier?” She asked, half amused, half horrified.

“With a slingshot,” Damien said, laughing. “You said you were aiming for the window.”

Alina laughed again, shaking her head. “I can’t believe that.”

“You were fearless,” Damien said. “You still are.”

She smiled at that, it was small, almost unnoticeable, but it stayed for longer this time. And every time he mentioned Lucius‘ name, her face softened without her realizing it, as if something within her responded instinctively to the sound.

By the time they reached the tea room, sunlight had grown warmer. The scent of jasmine filled the space like a soft, airy fragrance that wrapped around them.

To her surprise, Luna was already there, seated at the round table near the window, her teacup raised midair. She looked up immediately, her entire face lighting up when she saw Alina. “Oh, darling! There you are!”

Alina blinked, startled by the warmth in her tone. “Good morning.” She said, her voice cautious but polite.

Luna’s eyes sparkled. “Good morning? It’s practically afternoon!” she teased, waving her hand. “Did Damien finally get you to eat something?”

“Barely.” Alina murmured, but the corner of her mouth twitched upward.

Luna stood and walked over, graceful as ever in her pale blue dress. “I was just about to head out,” she said cheerfully. “There’s a new boutique opening in town. You should come shopping with me later, dear. It’ll be fun!”

Alina hesitated. Shopping wasn’t what she’d imagined doing today. But then she saw the brightness in Luna’s face, the gentle, maternal affection that radiated so easily from her and something inside her softened unexpectedly.

“Alright,” she said quietly. “I’ll go with you, Mom.”

Luna froze, the word hanging in the air for a heartbeat before a radiant smile broke across her face. “You called me-” Her voice trembled slightly. “You called me Mom.”

Alina blinked, realizing what she’d just said. But for some reason, she didn’t want to take it back. “I… guess I did.”

Luna’s eyes glistened. “Oh, sweetheart.” She reached out, gently cupping Alina’s cheek. “You don’t know how happy that makes me.”

Damien smiled faintly from where he stood, watching the moment unfold.

Luna clasped Alina’s hands, her excitement bubbling again. “Then it’s settled! After lunch, we’ll go shopping. Just the two of us. We’ll have so much fun… you’ll see!”

Alina nodded softly. “I’d like that.”

“Wonderful!” Luna said, practically glowing. “Now, you two carry on with your tour. Don’t tire her out too much, Damien.”

“I’ll try not to.” He said with a grin.

Luna winked playfully at Alina before sweeping out of the room, her humming fading into the corridor.

When the door closed, Alina turned to Damien, her tone lighter. “She’s… something else.”

Damien laughed. “That’s one way to put it. She’s been waiting years for you to call her ‘Mom,‘ you know. You made her day.”

A flicker of warmth passed over Alina’s face. “I didn’t mean to.” She admitted.

“Maybe not,” he said, “but sometimes the heart remembers before the mind does.”

She looked away, unsure how to respond, and he didn’t press further. Instead, they continued their slow walk through the halls, the sound of their laughter echoing softly through the manor.

By the time they reached the west wing, their steps had grown quieter, their smiles fading into a comfortable

silence.

“This,” Damien said, pushing open a tall, heavy door, “is the drawing room.”

The air that met them was cool, faintly scented with age. Dust had settled on the furniture, the curtains drawn halfway, letting in streaks of muted light.

Damien stepped in first, gesturing around. “We used to play hide and seek here all the time,” he said. “You’d always hide behind that couch, every single time and somehow still think we wouldn’t find you.”

But Alina didn’t answer.

Her steps faltered the moment she crossed the threshold. The air felt heavier here, thicker somehow, pressing against her chest. Her eyes darted across the room… the grand fireplace, the heavy drapes, the faint shimmer of something buried deep within her mind.

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