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Chapter 36
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2025-04-23 17:08:12
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My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 37
The Turner estate was quiet in the soft light of late afternoon. A calm breeze drifted through the open windows, rustling the linen curtains and carrying the scent of rosemary and sunlight through the halls.Hope sat cross-legged on the library floor, a notebook open in her lap, pen hovering midair. Around her were scattered photographs candid shots of her childhood, scanned letters from her mother’s archives, quotes scribbled in the margins of Cassie’s old journals.She had begun to write.Not an article. Not a speech.A book.Her own.Cassie walked in quietly, holding two mugs of tea. She paused in the doorway, her eyes soft as she watched her daughter stare down at the blank page, the beginning of something personal, sacred.Hope glanced up and smiled. “Caught me in the act.”Cassie handed her a cup and lowered herself onto the carpet beside her.“Where are you starting?” she asked.Hope blew gently on the tea. “Not at the beginning. Not at the end either. Somewhere in the middle.
Last Updated : 2025-04-23My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 38
The attic smelled like cedarwood and warm paper.Grace stood at the top of the steps, her small hand resting on the banister as she stared out over boxes stacked like time capsules and books that seemed older than the house itself.Cassie watched from behind as her granddaughter took in the quiet.“I used to come up here when I was your age,” she said softly. “Whenever I wanted to dream about things bigger than me.”Grace turned, her eyes wide. “Can I dream here too?”Cassie nodded. “That’s why I brought you.”It had started as a simple sleepover, Grace’s first solo weekend at Grandma and Grandpa’s without her sisters. But it had quickly turned into something more: a chance for the first-born girl of the next generation to discover her roots.Cassie reached for a dusty trunk and opened it.Inside were journals. Dozens of them.“Are these all yours?” Grace asked, peeking over the edge.Cassie smiled. “Mine. Your mom’s. Some of your uncle’s. Even letters from your great-grandfather.”Gr
Last Updated : 2025-04-24My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 39
The auditorium buzzed with quiet energy, the kind of stillness just before a storm of applause.Hope stood backstage, fingers wrapped tightly around a copy of her book. The Fire Within Her was embossed in copper across the black linen cover, the title catching light each time she shifted it in her hands.Tonight was the official launch.Her launch.Outside those velvet curtains sat over five hundred guests, authors, activists, educators, former Seed Center students, and friends from every corner of her journey. But Hope didn’t look for any of them.She looked for her family.Cassie and Damon sat in the front row, Grace between them with wide eyes and pink headphones for noise. Ayden stood just offstage with the twins, rocking them gently as music played over the speakers.Ethan and Liana had flown in that morning, hand-in-hand.Tonight wasn’t just a launch.It was a legacy echo.The host stepped forward to introduce her.“Please welcome the woman who taught a generation that peace is
Last Updated : 2025-04-24My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 40
The auditorium was smaller than most the Turners had filled over the years, just two hundred seats, soft amber lighting, and a wooden stage framed by hand-painted banners that read:Young Voices Rising: A Night of Storytelling.It wasn’t a press event.It wasn’t global.But to Grace?It was everything.Tonight, she would tell her first story, in front of an audience, a mic, and her entire family.Cassie sat near the front, holding Damon’s hand, heart pounding as hard as it had the night Hope launched her first Seed Center.“She’s ready,” Damon whispered, sensing her tension.Cassie nodded, though her throat was tight.“I know. It’s just… watching the next flame light up is always emotional.”Hope sat beside them, camera ready. Ethan and Liana had flown in early just for this moment. Even the twins were in attendance, tucked into fuzzy jackets with Ayden sitting at the edge of the row.When Grace’s name was called, she stepped out in a blue dress she had picked herself, simple, with ti
Last Updated : 2025-04-25My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 41
The sun had just begun its climb over the horizon when Liana woke to the sound of birdsong and the soft weight of Ethan’s arm draped across her waist.She didn’t move right away.Instead, she lay there for a moment, her fingers resting gently on her belly. There was no bump yet. No obvious change. But something inside her was already beginning.She turned slowly to face Ethan.“I want to tell you something,” she whispered.His eyes blinked open. Sleepy, soft. “Yeah?”“I took the test again.”He sat up, instantly alert. “And?”She smiled. “It’s positive.”For a moment, he said nothing. Just stared at her like she had handed him the entire galaxy.Then, without warning, he laughed, that full, open laugh that only Cassie could ever make him do before.“You’re sure?” he asked, voice catching.She nodded, tears starting to slip down her cheeks. “We’re going to be parents.”Later that day, they told Cassie and Damon first.It was a quiet afternoon at the estate, sunlight slanting through th
Last Updated : 2025-04-25My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 42
Rain tapped gently on the hospital window as Ethan stood pacing, his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, heart pounding in his chest.Liana was in labor.After nine months of preparing, nursery painting, lullaby testing, late-night name debates, it was happening. Right here. Right now.Cassie sat calmly in the corner of the waiting room, sipping herbal tea from a thermos, her eyes never leaving her son.“She’s okay,” she said softly.Ethan paused, exhaled, then nodded.“I know. I just… I didn’t know my heart could beat this loud.”She stood and walked to him, resting her hand on his cheek.“Neither did I, the night you were born.”Inside the delivery room, Liana breathed through another contraction, Ayden at her side while Hope offered soft, grounding words.“You’re doing beautifully,” Hope said, wiping her forehead. “Almost there.”Liana clenched her jaw, whispering through gritted teeth, “Tell Ethan… she’s going to be just like him.”Hope smiled. “And just like you.”At 6:4
Last Updated : 2025-04-26My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 43
It began with a sketch.Grace sat beneath the oak tree with her journal open across her lap, the tip of her pencil dragging gently across the page. Around her, the garden buzzed with summer, bees floating lazily, wind humming through branches, the distant giggle of her sisters from the porch swing.She had titled the new journal:“The Fire We Haven’t Lit Yet.”Cassie had smiled when she heard the name, but Grace could tell there was something deeper behind the way her grandma’s eyes softened.That evening, Grace asked her.“Grandma, what fire haven’t you lit yet?”Cassie looked up from the teacup in her hand. “What do you mean?”“You always said every fire had a purpose. A reason. One that waited to be found. So what’s yours, the one you still haven’t told?”Cassie was quiet for a long time.Then she stood. “Come with me.”They climbed the stairs to the attic. Grace had only been there a few times, it was the Turner family’s archive now, full of journals, letters, scrapbooks, even chi
Last Updated : 2025-04-26My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 44
The invitation was simple.No logos. No banners.Just gold lettering on thick cream paper that read:The Fire We Haven’t Lit Yet.An Evening of Stories, Light, and LegacyHosted by Grace Turner.It was her first official book launch.And the Turner family decided to turn it into something bigger, something that celebrated every flame, past and present, that had carried them here.Cassie stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting the silk scarf draped over her shoulders. At sixty-six, she still moved with grace, perhaps slower than before, but with a radiance that had only deepened.Damon entered the room, walking with a slight cane now but with the same spark in his eyes.“You look like the first sunrise,” he said, smiling.Cassie laughed. “And you look like the man who promised to dance with me at every milestone.”He offered his hand. “Then let’s not break tradition.”Downstairs, the estate buzzed with energy.Hope and Ayden coordinated final details, overseeing the outdoor
Last Updated : 2025-04-27
Latest chapter
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 44
The invitation was simple.No logos. No banners.Just gold lettering on thick cream paper that read:The Fire We Haven’t Lit Yet.An Evening of Stories, Light, and LegacyHosted by Grace Turner.It was her first official book launch.And the Turner family decided to turn it into something bigger, something that celebrated every flame, past and present, that had carried them here.Cassie stood in front of the full-length mirror, adjusting the silk scarf draped over her shoulders. At sixty-six, she still moved with grace, perhaps slower than before, but with a radiance that had only deepened.Damon entered the room, walking with a slight cane now but with the same spark in his eyes.“You look like the first sunrise,” he said, smiling.Cassie laughed. “And you look like the man who promised to dance with me at every milestone.”He offered his hand. “Then let’s not break tradition.”Downstairs, the estate buzzed with energy.Hope and Ayden coordinated final details, overseeing the outdoor
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 43
It began with a sketch.Grace sat beneath the oak tree with her journal open across her lap, the tip of her pencil dragging gently across the page. Around her, the garden buzzed with summer, bees floating lazily, wind humming through branches, the distant giggle of her sisters from the porch swing.She had titled the new journal:“The Fire We Haven’t Lit Yet.”Cassie had smiled when she heard the name, but Grace could tell there was something deeper behind the way her grandma’s eyes softened.That evening, Grace asked her.“Grandma, what fire haven’t you lit yet?”Cassie looked up from the teacup in her hand. “What do you mean?”“You always said every fire had a purpose. A reason. One that waited to be found. So what’s yours, the one you still haven’t told?”Cassie was quiet for a long time.Then she stood. “Come with me.”They climbed the stairs to the attic. Grace had only been there a few times, it was the Turner family’s archive now, full of journals, letters, scrapbooks, even chi
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 42
Rain tapped gently on the hospital window as Ethan stood pacing, his hands tucked into the pockets of his hoodie, heart pounding in his chest.Liana was in labor.After nine months of preparing, nursery painting, lullaby testing, late-night name debates, it was happening. Right here. Right now.Cassie sat calmly in the corner of the waiting room, sipping herbal tea from a thermos, her eyes never leaving her son.“She’s okay,” she said softly.Ethan paused, exhaled, then nodded.“I know. I just… I didn’t know my heart could beat this loud.”She stood and walked to him, resting her hand on his cheek.“Neither did I, the night you were born.”Inside the delivery room, Liana breathed through another contraction, Ayden at her side while Hope offered soft, grounding words.“You’re doing beautifully,” Hope said, wiping her forehead. “Almost there.”Liana clenched her jaw, whispering through gritted teeth, “Tell Ethan… she’s going to be just like him.”Hope smiled. “And just like you.”At 6:4
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 41
The sun had just begun its climb over the horizon when Liana woke to the sound of birdsong and the soft weight of Ethan’s arm draped across her waist.She didn’t move right away.Instead, she lay there for a moment, her fingers resting gently on her belly. There was no bump yet. No obvious change. But something inside her was already beginning.She turned slowly to face Ethan.“I want to tell you something,” she whispered.His eyes blinked open. Sleepy, soft. “Yeah?”“I took the test again.”He sat up, instantly alert. “And?”She smiled. “It’s positive.”For a moment, he said nothing. Just stared at her like she had handed him the entire galaxy.Then, without warning, he laughed, that full, open laugh that only Cassie could ever make him do before.“You’re sure?” he asked, voice catching.She nodded, tears starting to slip down her cheeks. “We’re going to be parents.”Later that day, they told Cassie and Damon first.It was a quiet afternoon at the estate, sunlight slanting through th
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 40
The auditorium was smaller than most the Turners had filled over the years, just two hundred seats, soft amber lighting, and a wooden stage framed by hand-painted banners that read:Young Voices Rising: A Night of Storytelling.It wasn’t a press event.It wasn’t global.But to Grace?It was everything.Tonight, she would tell her first story, in front of an audience, a mic, and her entire family.Cassie sat near the front, holding Damon’s hand, heart pounding as hard as it had the night Hope launched her first Seed Center.“She’s ready,” Damon whispered, sensing her tension.Cassie nodded, though her throat was tight.“I know. It’s just… watching the next flame light up is always emotional.”Hope sat beside them, camera ready. Ethan and Liana had flown in early just for this moment. Even the twins were in attendance, tucked into fuzzy jackets with Ayden sitting at the edge of the row.When Grace’s name was called, she stepped out in a blue dress she had picked herself, simple, with ti
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 39
The auditorium buzzed with quiet energy, the kind of stillness just before a storm of applause.Hope stood backstage, fingers wrapped tightly around a copy of her book. The Fire Within Her was embossed in copper across the black linen cover, the title catching light each time she shifted it in her hands.Tonight was the official launch.Her launch.Outside those velvet curtains sat over five hundred guests, authors, activists, educators, former Seed Center students, and friends from every corner of her journey. But Hope didn’t look for any of them.She looked for her family.Cassie and Damon sat in the front row, Grace between them with wide eyes and pink headphones for noise. Ayden stood just offstage with the twins, rocking them gently as music played over the speakers.Ethan and Liana had flown in that morning, hand-in-hand.Tonight wasn’t just a launch.It was a legacy echo.The host stepped forward to introduce her.“Please welcome the woman who taught a generation that peace is
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 38
The attic smelled like cedarwood and warm paper.Grace stood at the top of the steps, her small hand resting on the banister as she stared out over boxes stacked like time capsules and books that seemed older than the house itself.Cassie watched from behind as her granddaughter took in the quiet.“I used to come up here when I was your age,” she said softly. “Whenever I wanted to dream about things bigger than me.”Grace turned, her eyes wide. “Can I dream here too?”Cassie nodded. “That’s why I brought you.”It had started as a simple sleepover, Grace’s first solo weekend at Grandma and Grandpa’s without her sisters. But it had quickly turned into something more: a chance for the first-born girl of the next generation to discover her roots.Cassie reached for a dusty trunk and opened it.Inside were journals. Dozens of them.“Are these all yours?” Grace asked, peeking over the edge.Cassie smiled. “Mine. Your mom’s. Some of your uncle’s. Even letters from your great-grandfather.”Gr
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 37
The Turner estate was quiet in the soft light of late afternoon. A calm breeze drifted through the open windows, rustling the linen curtains and carrying the scent of rosemary and sunlight through the halls.Hope sat cross-legged on the library floor, a notebook open in her lap, pen hovering midair. Around her were scattered photographs candid shots of her childhood, scanned letters from her mother’s archives, quotes scribbled in the margins of Cassie’s old journals.She had begun to write.Not an article. Not a speech.A book.Her own.Cassie walked in quietly, holding two mugs of tea. She paused in the doorway, her eyes soft as she watched her daughter stare down at the blank page, the beginning of something personal, sacred.Hope glanced up and smiled. “Caught me in the act.”Cassie handed her a cup and lowered herself onto the carpet beside her.“Where are you starting?” she asked.Hope blew gently on the tea. “Not at the beginning. Not at the end either. Somewhere in the middle.
My Father's Rival Is My Lover Chapter 36
The Turner Estate shimmered with late summer light as the family prepared for something they’d never done before: a full multi-generational leadership summit.It was Hope’s idea.“We’ve spent years changing the world outside,” she’d said over dinner. “But it’s time we make sure we’re strengthening what’s inside, our family.”Cassie had smiled at the suggestion. “A summit sounds so formal.”“Because it is,” Hope replied, adjusting Grace’s napkin like a miniature blazer. “We’re not just a family anymore. We’re a living legacy.”Damon had clinked his glass. “Then let’s give the future something to build with.”The invitations went out to every branch of their family tree, cousins running nonprofits, in-laws leading classrooms, adopted mentees from Seed and Sprout, honorary aunties and uncles who’d shaped their journeys.They called it:“The We Build Summit.”Tagline: Where Legacy Becomes Community.Ethan designed the digital invites, embedding a custom map showing each attendee’s connect
