Masuk~Norman~The early morning light filters through the floor-to-ceiling windows of my penthouse, casting long, sharp shadows across the marble. Usually, the silence of this house is something I crave, a sanctuary from the noise of the boardrooms and the constant hum of the city. But today, the silence feels empty.I set my coffee cup down on the desk and lean back, staring at the digital clock. It’s early, but not early enough. My mind is already across town, in a small house that smells of lavender and baby powder.Three of them.The thought still hits me like a suffocating blow to the chest, but for the first time in years, it’s a blow that brings life instead of taking it. At my age, I thought the chapter of fatherhood was a closed book, a legacy already written through Nova. But fate has a strange way of correcting your path. Three more lives. Three more chances to be the man I should have been the first time around. I find myself smiling at the wall, picturing Nyomi’s determined lo
~Sienna~The morning sun spills into the kitchen, bright and unforgiving, but for the first time in months, the weight on my chest feels a little lighter. I move around the counter, flipping pancakes and brewing a pot of coffee while the familiar, chaotic sounds of three six-month-olds fill the house.Nova is already in the thick of it. She is obsessed. She has been up since dawn, hovering over the cribs like a protective hawk. When I try to reach in to pick up Noah, she playfully swats my hand away."I’ve got him, Sienna. You go make the coffee. I need my quality time with my siblings," she says, her eyes bright with a brand of joy I haven't seen in her for a long time.I really wish she can have her own bay real soon too. She’s going to be a great mom. I can see that already. I watch her as she expertly balances Nyomi on her hip while tickling Noah’s tummy. She looks at them with so much wonder, as if she is seeing them in a whole new, much softer light. We manage to get them chang
~Sienna~I stand in the hallway, my hand trembling as I reach for the nursery door. My heart is beating so wildly like a trapped bird, against the cage of my ribs. The sight of those expensive shoes and that familiar wool jacket in the living room has already told me the truth, but my brain is still trying to reject it.I push the door open, the hinges giving a tiny, familiar groan.The nightlight casts a soft, amber glow over the room. At first, all I can see are the three cribs, lined up side by side. Then, my eyes drop to the floor.Norman.He is sprawled out on the rug, his long legs bent awkwardly. A small, blue nursery pillow is tucked under his head. His eyes are closed, his face softer and younger in sleep than I have seen it in years. A few feet away, Nova is curled up on the small nursing couch in the corner, her head resting on her hand, completely dead to the world.I stand frozen. I don’t know whether to scream, to cry, or to turn around and run back out into the night. A
~Sienna~The silence of the third-floor waiting room is the kind that eats at your nerves, a thick, sterile quiet broken only by the soft squeak of a janitor’s cart somewhere in the distance. I sit on the edge of a hard plastic chair, my fingers digging into my palms so hard I can feel my pulse thrumming in my fingertips. Every time the double doors hiss open, my breath hitches, my heart performing a violent, rough dance against my ribs.Finally, the doors swing wide, and a man in pale blue scrubs emerges. I spring up so fast the room tilts for a second, my vision swimming with black spots."Family of Jane Davis?" he asks, pulling his mask down to his chin."I’m her daughter. Sienna," I say, my voice coming out in a breathless rush. "Please, tell me she’s okay."The doctor offers a small, tired smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes, but it is enough to let the air back into my lungs. "She’s a very lucky woman, Sienna. The impact is significant, the car is definitely over the speed l
~Sienna~A prickle of unease starts at the base of my spine. I wait ten minutes and try again. Still nothing. My heart starts a slow, heavy drumbeat against my ribs. "Maybe she’s just in a checkout line," I whisper, trying to soothe the rising panic.I return my focus to the babies, clearing off any negativity from my mind. Suddenly, my phone vibrates in my hand. It’s my mother’s caller ID."Mom! Where are you? I was getting worried," I say, the words rushing out.There’s a beat of silence. It’s not the sound of the mall. It’s a sterile, humming quiet, broken by the distant, beep of a monitor.I think I’m getting too much ahead of myself with these crazy thoughts. “Mom,” I call, softly. "Hello? Is this the daughter of Jane Davis?"The voice is male. Professional. Calm in a way that makes my blood turn to ice."Yes. This is Sienna. Who is this? Where is my mother?""Ms. Davis, my name is Dr. Oliver. I’m calling from the City Hospital emergency department. Your mother was involved in
~Sienna~The lunch rush at the small restaurant three blocks from the office is a deafening. Hums of clinking silverware and chatter, but Elias and I sit in a secluded booth in the far corner, where the world feels pin-drop silent. I’ve spent so long guarding the truth like a physical weight in my chest that now, as I prepare to let it spill, my hands are trembling so hard I have to tuck them under the table.Elias watches me, his expression patient but etched with a deep, lingering concern. "Sienna," he says softly, "you’re shaking. Whatever it is, you don’t have to force it. I don’t mind you not telling me."My hands tremble more. His blind trust in me is just too strong. It’s the more reason why I can’t continue to keep I’m in the dark. I take a deep breath, the scent of toasted bread and coffee suddenly making me lightheaded. "I had an affair with him, Elias. Years ago, when I was just a junior assistant at Gray Stone Luxury Real Estate and Hospitality."Elias doesn't blink, he b
~Sienna~“This is not the route to work, Norman.” I observe, still looking around.My apartment soon comes into view.The frown on my face deepens as I wonder why we’re here when we are dressed for work.“I want you to take a break from work today. Stay in and recover fully.” he says as he parks th
~Sienna~ “Not at all,” comes Norman’s swift response. “At least not anymore.” Nova frowns, glancing at me. “Sea? What happened?” She walks over to me. I force a smile, my lips try to move but no words come out. My heart keeps racing, I can only smile foolishly as I struggle with what to tell he
~Sienna~My palm presses flat on my stomach, my face squeezing with pain as the car creeps through the traffic.“Sienna,” Norman calls, cautioned and worried. “What’s wrong?”I shake my head, forcing a smile.He stares hard, then returns his gaze to the road. I nestle deeper into the seat, and turn
~Sienna~The sound of a zipper sizzle in the air, Nova’s hurried footsteps pad loudly around the room. I can’t hide the delightful glow in my heart, a hidden joy over the fact that Lilian is finally leaving. She’s going back to whatever hellhole she crawls out of. Nova is leaving with her. My ch







