LOGINThe Walker mansion was no longer quiet. Once, it had been a place where silence lingered in every hallway, where every member of staff moved with practiced precision, and where the loudest sound was usually the ticking of an expensive clock or the distant hum of Alaric's office door closing after another late-night meeting. Everything had always been orderly, immaculate, and almost intimidating in its perfection. Now, silence had become a luxury no one expected. The mansion woke before sunrise most mornings—not because of business calls or emergency meetings, but because three tiny people had collectively decided that sleeping was highly overrated. "She's awake." Kimani didn't even bother opening her eyes as she mumbled the words into her pillow. Beside her, Alaric let out a sleepy sigh. "Which one?" A second cry drifted through the baby monitor. Then another. Kimani slowly opened one eye before turning toward her husband. "I think that answers your question." For a brief
ALARIC The door opened slowly.A young woman stepped into my office, dressed in the standard corporate attire worn throughout Walker Enterprises. If anyone had passed her in the hallway, they would have seen nothing unusual—a neatly dressed employee answering a summons from the CEO. She carried herself with practiced composure, though I noticed the slight stiffness in her shoulders as soon as she crossed the threshold."Good morning, Mr. Walker," she greeted politely."Take a seat."She obeyed without hesitation, smoothing her skirt before sitting across from my desk. Her hands rested neatly on her lap, but I noticed her fingers tightening around each other.She was nervous.Good.Not because I enjoyed intimidating people, but because she understood this meeting wasn't routine.I closed the file I had been reading and looked directly at her."Do you know why you're here?"She blinked once before offering a confused smile."No, sir.""I see."There wasn't any point dragging the conver
ALARIC The note remained on my desk long after Kimani had fallen asleep. She had been calmer than I expected during the drive home. She had explained everything without embellishment, handed me the folded paper, and trusted me to handle it. After dinner, she had carried on with her evening as though nothing had happened. We watched television together for a while before she excused herself, claiming the day had finally caught up with her. Within minutes of lying down, she was asleep beside me. I, however, wasn't. The bedroom was quiet, illuminated only by the warm glow of the bedside lamp. I sat in the armchair near the window with the note unfolded in my hands, reading the same three sentences over and over again. Just because no one is saying anything doesn't mean you are free. I will expose all you have done and everything about you. You do not deserve Mr. Walker. They weren't empty words. Whoever had written them had taken the time to walk into another department, wait u
Hospitals had a way of making everything feel still. Too still. Like the world outside had been paused, waiting for something important to finish before it could start again. Inside Kimani’s room, however, there was no such thing as stillness. There was life. Three tiny, soft, unpredictable lives. And Kimani couldn’t stop staring. “They’re real,” she whispered, almost to herself. Alaric, seated beside her bed, followed her gaze to the bassinets lined neatly beside her. Three of them. Side by side. Each one holding a piece of them. “They are,” he said quietly. Kimani exhaled slowly, her hand resting gently over the closest one. “They were inside me.” Alaric raised a brow. “Yes. That is typically how that works.” She shot him a look. “Don’t ruin my moment.” “I’m not ruining it,” he said, completely unbothered. “I’m grounding it.” She huffed softly, but her lips curved. Her attention drifted back to the babies. “They’re so small,” she murmured
Labor did not begin the way Kimani expected. There was no dramatic scream in the middle of the night. No sudden rush of panic. It started… annoyingly. “Alaric.” He didn’t look up immediately, still focused on the document in his hand. “Hmm?” “Alaric.” Something in her tone made him pause. He slowly lifted his head. Kimani was standing in the middle of the room, one hand on her lower back, the other resting protectively over her stomach. Her expression was… off. Not pain. Not yet. But something close. “What is it?” he asked, already standing. “I think…” she hesitated, brows furrowing slightly. “I think something’s happening.” Alaric was beside her in an instant. “What kind of ‘something’?” he asked carefully. Kimani opened her mouth— Then froze. Her grip tightened on his arm. “…Okay,” she whispered. “That… hurt.” Alaric’s entire body went still. “How bad?” he asked. She exhaled slowly, eyes closing. “Not… terrible,” she said. “Just… weird.” A beat. Then ano
Peace in Alaric’s house never lasted long. Kimani had just started enjoying one of those rare, quiet afternoons—the kind where everything felt still, calm, and manageable. She was curled up on the couch, a bowl of cut fruits beside her (which she had insisted must include mangoes, strawberries, and—strangely—pickles), scrolling through her phone. Alaric sat nearby, working, though his attention shifted to her every few minutes like it had become second nature. Everything was calm. Suspiciously calm. Which meant— The door burst open. “WE’RE HERE!” Kimani didn’t even flinch. She just closed her eyes. “…I spoke too soon.” Alaric didn’t look up immediately, but the tightness in his jaw said everything. Ava walked in first, full of energy, sunglasses perched dramatically on her head like she had just returned from a red carpet event instead of… wherever she actually came from. Behind her, Alex strolled in like he owned the place, hands in his pockets, completely unbothered.
KIMANIAfter dinner, the house felt unusually calm—softer somehow, warmer than usual. Maybe it was the smell of roasted chicken still floating faintly in the air, or the sweetness of the cupcakes cooling on the counter. Maybe it was the quiet jazz humming through the lounge speakers. Or maybe it wa
Kimani’s POVBy the time our department meeting ended, I felt like my brain had melted into mush. My supervisor had spent thirty minutes explaining something that could’ve easily been summarized in two PowerPoint slides, and half the room had either zoned out or silently prayed for escape. I was o
KIMANI “Where are we?” The question slipped out of me in a breath, barely louder than the waves rolling against the shore below. Alaric stood in the doorway, watching me from across the room as dawn began to bleed into the horizon behind me. The sky was shifting from deep navy to soft gold,
KIMANI When we sat, Alaric gave a small nod to the people closest to our table. The executives, it was subtle and effortless. A quiet acknowledgment that somehow carried weight. Heads dipped back in return, polite smiles exchanged. I followed his lead, smiling too, and was met with warmth inste







