NATHAN'S POV ✧✦Two Days Before the Anniversary✧✦The soft shuffle of feet woke me before the sun had properly risen.I opened one eye and immediately smiled.Alexia stood at the side of the bed, arms folded, her curly hair wild and defiant against the morning light streaming in through the curtains.“Dad, Aiden tried to eat Alex’s cereal again.” She said matter of factly.From behind her, the unmistakable giggle of Aiden echoed."It wasn’t cereal! It was just floating stuff!"Alex’s voice cut in next. "It was cereal, Aiden! You just drowned it in milk. Again."I rolled out of bed with a groan and followed the chaos down the hallway. The twins had taken to mornings like soldiers to battle – fiercely, dramatically, and with no warning.Aiden was standing on the kitchen chair, spoon in one hand, a milk soaked mess in front of him. Amara sat beside him, delicately stirring her yogurt with regal disdain. Alex stood with a towel, clearly moments away from committing a crime against his lit
LOLA'S POV I always said I’d never let a man touch my espresso machine. That was sacred. Holy even. And definitely not to be tampered with by large Alpha hands that didn’t know the difference between a flat white and a cappuccino. Well, Alpha regent, but Nathan lets him have the title. after all, Nathan is the King Alpha now of the territories.But we'll, here I was, five years later, married to the Alpha of the Silverfang Pack – which was still under the Moonstone Pack, renamed Moonstone Territories – who currently stood shirtless in my flagship coffee shop, holding my beloved portafilter like it was some enchanted artifact.“I think I broke it.” Hernandez muttered, frowning at the steaming mess pouring over the edge of the cup.I stared. Just stared.“Baby, how do you even manage to get espresso above the machine?!”He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "I was trying to impress you."I laughed. Not just a giggle – a full bellied, nose wrinkling, heart clenching laugh. "Oh m
MRS JACKSON'S POV The morning of the anniversary dawned bright and golden, the kind of summer sunlight that slipped through the curtains like a gentle invitation. I stirred awake slowly, blinking at the patch of sun warming my bedsheets. I could hear little Mira's soft breathing from the child monitor on my nightstand. Daniel and Kate had dropped her off earlier so they could run an errand – something about picking up a surprise centerpiece. I didn’t ask too many questions. I loved having my granddaughter around. I stretched, my bones creaking like old floorboards, and sat up with a groan. “You're not twenty anymore, Josephine Jackson.” I muttered to myself as I shuffled into my slippers and headed downstairs. The kettle was soon on, and as I waited for the water to boil, I looked out the kitchen window to my garden. My roses were blooming, their heads heavy with fragrance and color, nodding gently in the breeze. I smiled. Gardening was still my peace, my quiet joy. After breakfas
MARIA'S POV ***A Day Before The Anniversary*** I tilted my head slightly as I added a single white rose to the centerpiece on the display table. The sun slanted through the tall windows of the event hall, casting warm streaks of gold across the polished floor. It was perfect – the lighting, the symmetry, the soft pastel palette that gave everything a breathless, dreamy glow. All a bunch of jargons I didn't understand at some point in time. Still, I stood back with a sigh and narrowed my eyes. Something was off. “Frank!” I called. A second later, he popped his head around the corner, a red pen in his hand and glasses sliding halfway down his nose. "If this is about the flower arrangements again, I swear, woman, I will—" I cut him off with a smirk. “You’ll what? Re edit your life like you do every article that lands on your desk?” He chuckled and walked in, stepping over some folded linen napkins and a rogue helium balloon that had escaped the decorators. "I will say that they loo
DANIEL'S POV It had taken me longer than I liked to admit to getting used to pink glittery bows on the floor, teacups arranged on my workbench, and being called “Daddy Dino” at the top of tiny lungs first thing in the morning. But now, two years into fatherhood and three years into living with Kate, the air I fucking breathe, I couldn’t imagine my life without the chaos. Boy was I glad the hustle and bustle of the city was no longer a daily occurrence. We were at our family house in the quiet place of Staten Island. We had to take a break from Boston and experience something else. I smiled to myself. And it has been one of the best decisions we have ever made. Taking a break from work too, being the new CEO of the company was not an easy task. And it didn't come easy as well. There had been ups and downs, but the journey was worth it. I wouldn't be here without it. “Daniel, where’s Sparkle?” came the familiar yell from the living room. Sparkle. A stuffed purple unicorn wi
GRACE'S POV Five Years Later... ✧✦✧✦✧✦✧ It had been five years since the night everything changed. Five years since secrets nearly shattered us. Five years since I looked Sophia in the eye and knew she was holding something bigger, heavier, than any of us could understand. ✧✦✧✦✧✦✧ I stood barefoot in my living room, dodging a flying banana peel and trying to coax one of my twins out from under the couch. I could honestly say, well, I wouldn’t trade this life for anything. “Emelia!” I called, peering beneath the couch where only two tiny feet stuck out. “Come out of there, or your brother is getting all the cookies!” “I don’t like cookies today!” Emelia's tiny voice shot back. “I’m a dinosaur!” “Dinosaurs eat cookies too.” I said, trying not to laugh as Lucas walked into the living room, holding our other son – Leo – by one leg. “Found this one climbing the pantry like it’s Everest,” Lucas said dryly. “What’s your plan of survival today, Captain?” “Bribe and surrender.” I re