LOGINScarlett’s POV.It started innocently enough. Late afternoon tea in the sunroom, soft music playing somewhere down the hall, and the twins asleep in their bassinets beside the table. Miriam had insisted on making it “a family moment,” which sounded lovely in theory—until she opened her mouth.“So,” she began, stirring her tea like she was preparing for battle. “How many children do you and my son plan to have?”I froze mid-sip. The tea went down the wrong way, and I nearly choked trying to swallow.“I—uh—what?” I managed, wiping my mouth with a napkin.Miriam’s expression stayed perfectly composed, like she hadn’t just dropped the conversational equivalent of a grenade. “Children, dear. You know, siblings for these two. You and Leon make such beautiful babies, it would be a shame to stop at one set.”I blinked at her. I wasn’t sure if she was joking or completely serious. “Oh, we haven’t really… talked about that yet.”“Nonsense. It’s never too soon to think ahead,” she said, waving o
Leon’s POV.Peace never lasted long in my world. It lingered just long enough to make you think maybe, just maybe, things were changing, and then something always came along to remind you where you stood.For a handful of days, the mansion had been quiet. The kind of quiet that should’ve felt comforting. The security guards made their rounds without issue, Ezra had stopped frowning every time his phone rang, and Scarlett had begun to look more rested. She’d started humming to the twins again, walking through the garden when the sun was out, even joining me for breakfast in the mornings when the house was still calm.The babies had filled the place with new sounds—tiny cries, hiccups, the occasional wail that made me drop everything I was doing and run to the nursery before Scarlett even had the chance to stand.Leila had the sharper cry of the two, high and demanding, while James was the one who always followed her lead, as if afraid to let her outdo him.Some mornings I found Scarlet
Scarlett’s POV.Returning to the mansion felt like exhaling after holding my breath for too long. The sight of the tall iron gates and the familiar stretch of the long driveway somehow brought a great sense of peace to me.The stone walls gleamed faintly in the late afternoon light, and the familiar sound of fountains by the entrance reminded me that this place—despite everything—was… home.Even though technically, it was Leon’s, it still felt like it was where I should be.Security was everywhere. Ezra had hired replacement security guards, after the last one who somehow messed up and allowed in whoever had managed to get into Leila and James’s room.Two cars idled by the gate, and another at the side entrance. It was then when I realized, with a quiet ache in my chest, that no matter how much danger followed us, at least this was home.Leon got out first, speaking with Ezra as staff began unloading the bags and the babies’ things. I unbuckled James’s carrier while Leon lifted Leila
Scarlett’s POV.The knock still echoes in my ears when the handle turns. Leon is already there before the door even opens, one hand braced against the frame, his whole body tense like he’s preparing for the worst. I stand behind him, clutching the edge of the couch, my heart thudding hard enough that I can hear it.But when the door swings inward, it isn’t danger waiting on the other side. It’s an older woman, breathless and wide-eyed, bundled in a heavy cardigan and house slippers that look too soft for the sand outside.She clutches her phone with shaking hands. “I’m so sorry to bother you,” she said quickly, voice high with nerves. “I wouldn’t have come over this late, but I thought you should know. Someone was climbing your back fence not even fifteen minutes ago.”Leon froze. His tone when he spoke was sharp and intent. “Someone was climbing the fence? Could you see who—or what they looked like?”She glanced between us, flustered. “I’m afraid I couldn’t see properly. I was walkin
Scarlett’s POV.By the time we arrived back at the beach house, the sun had long begun to sink into the sea, staining the horizon with streaks of deep orange and fading violet. The air outside smelled of salt and summer blooms. The ocean seemed calmer tonight, as though it understood we’d been holding our breath all day and needed the extra peace.The drive home had been silent, but it wasn’t an uncomfortable silence. Leon’s hand had rested over the gearshift, close enough that our fingers brushed now and then, though neither of us said much. I knew he was thinking about what we’d found. Of those letters, the bitterness that lingered through generations, and I couldn’t stop thinking about it either.Dana. My mother. The history between them that I never knew existed until today.It still didn’t feel real. That woman’s hate had shaped so much of my life and I hadn’t even known the root cause until now.When we pulled into the driveway, the beach house looked the same, but it felt diffe
Leon’s POV.The night before hadn’t ended for me; it just bled into morning. I’d dozed off in my chair sometime before dawn, still in the same clothes, the weight of Ezra’s call sitting heavy behind my eyes.I know where Dana is.Those five words had gutted any thought of rest.I sat in the kitchen, half-dressed, half-awake, staring at the coffee I hadn’t touched. The cup had gone cold an hour ago, but I didn’t move to replace it. I was watching the baby monitor on the counter instead, paying attention to the soft breathing sounds and the gentle motion of the twins shifting in their bassinets. Scarlett’s light snores had faded about an hour earlier. Peaceful. I envied that peace.When she finally walked in, sunlight framed her in the doorway—barefoot, her hair loose, her robe tied haphazardly. She looked half-asleep but alert enough to notice my mood.“You’re already up,” she stated. “Or did you not go to bed. Again?”I forced a smile that I knew likely didn’t reach my eyes like I hop







