CHAPTER 4 – Returning Home

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Six Years Later

~ Lily ~

"Mom! Mom! Ethan says I can’t wear my princess crown today!" Eva shouted, stomping her little foot across the living room.

"Of course, but I can!" Ethan shot back, proudly pointing to his own homemade crown. "You think you’re the princess of the castle? Well, I’m the king, and kings make the rules!"

I peeked over the kitchen counter, trying to hold back my laughter at their playful squabble. "What’s all this noise about?" I asked, my voice laced with amusement.

"He said I can’t be the princess today!" Eva exclaimed, dramatically pointing at the stuffed castle in the corner.

"Because you’re the princess every single day! Today, I get to be king!" Ethan declared, puffing out his chest like it was a royal decree.

"Oh really? Then why are you wearing a cape like Superman, Kings don't wear capes?" Eva shot back, a smirk creeping onto her face.

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Alright, you two, calm down. You can both wear your crowns. But first, it’s breakfast time. No royal orders on an empty stomach."

They groaned but slowly made their way to the kitchen, still bickering quietly about whose crown was bigger. Eva tugged at my sleeve. "Mom, can you help me fix my gown? It’s stuck under the chair!"

"Of course, my princess," I replied, kneeling down to smooth out the folds of her pink gown. Ethan kept a watchful eye on her, adjusting his blue cape from yesterday, because apparently, every king needs a cape.

"You’re so bossy, Mom," Ethan grumbled, though the corners of his mouth were twitching with a smile.

"And you’re even bossier than I am," I teased back, ruffling his hair gently. He groaned dramatically, but I could see the laughter sparkling in his eyes.

Just then, my phone buzzed. It was my assistant.

"Good morning, Ms. Harper," she said. "Your flight is set for 9 a.m. this morning. When you arrive in New York, your schedule and work location will be sent to you via email."

"Thanks, I got it," I replied, smiling. "We’re almost ready.”

Eva and Ethan scooted closer to me, their eyes sparkling with excitement. "Can we video call Sophia before we leave?" Eva asked eagerly.

"Of course!" I replied, setting up the video call. In just a few seconds, Sophia’s cheerful face appeared on the screen.

"Good morning, my favorite royals!" she greeted us with a bright smile.

"Hi, Sophia!" the twins shouted in unison, waving their arms like they were on a stage.

"How did the packing go? Did you get everything sorted out?" she asked, glancing at me with curiosity.

"Almost there," I said, watching the twins animatedly debate which crowns they wanted to wear and their excitement for the flight ahead.

"The plane will be huge!" Ethan exclaimed. "And the windows are going to be so big you can see the clouds!"

"And there’s a snack cart! A real snack cart!" Eva added, her enthusiasm bubbling over.

Sophia laughed. "It sounds like my little adventurers are ready to conquer the skies."

After a few more moments filled with giggles and goodbyes, we wrapped up the call, and I ushered the twins into the car. Their chatter was non-stop—they pointed out every sky we passed, dreaming up all sorts of high-flying adventures.

When we arrived in New York, Sophia was already outside the house, hands on her hips and a big smile lighting up her face. The second the twins spotted her, they bolted towards her, squealing, and she scooped them up in a big hug.

"Whoa! Slow down, my little explorers!" Sophia laughed. "And Lily! You’re not getting away without a hug, too."

I hugged her back, grinning. "It’s so great to see you, Sophia. You have no idea how much I’ve missed you.”

Inside the house, the twins raced ahead, bursting with excitement to explore every little corner, while Sophia and I followed behind, laughing and shaking our heads at their boundless energy.

"So, how was the flight?" Sophia asked, watching the twins scramble over the couch.

"It was incredible!" Eva shouted. "It was the biggest plane ever!"

"And it had so many buttons!" Ethan added enthusiastically. "And a snack cart!"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "They’re already plotting their next flying adventure."

Sophia shot me a knowing wink. "Sounds about right. I think they’re going to love it here. And you’ll be just fine, Lily. I promise."

I nodded, glancing at the twins joyfully playing. "Yeah… I think we’re ready for this new chapter."

Once we got settled into the house, Sophia helped me unpack while the twins zoomed around like they owned the place. They were in the living room, trying to build a "castle" out of sofa cushions, arguing over who would get the tallest pillow for their tower.

"I’m telling you, it’s going to fall if you put it like that!" Ethan shouted.

"Will not!" Eva shot back, balancing the pillow anyway.

Sophia leaned against the wall, grinning. "They’ve only been here an hour, and they’ve already taken over the whole house."

I chuckled softly. "That’s pretty much how they roll."

Just then, my phone buzzed, grabbing my attention. It was my assistant again, right on cue.

"Ms. Harper," my assistant said, her voice as brisk as ever, "just a quick reminder that your meeting with the Imperial Hotel management is set for noon. They’ve confirmed the ballroom will be ready for your walkthrough, and your project brief for the Lancaster Diamond Gala will be waiting for you when you arrive. I’ve already sent out the email updates."

"Great. Thanks," I replied, glancing at the clock. That gave me just enough time to change before heading out.

Sophia raised an eyebrow. "First day in the city, and you’re diving right into work?"

I shot her a wry smile. "New city, new life, remember? I have to make it work."

She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. Go get 'em, boss lady."

The Imperial Hotel was just twenty minutes away, a classy venue with gold accents and stunning crystal chandeliers. When I arrived, I checked in at the front desk and was directed to the ballroom where the event was set to unfold.

I was checking the event schedule on my phone as I rounded the corner, only to collide with someone hard enough to make me stumble.

A hand shot out, steadying me before I could fall.

"Lily?."

I froze.

That voice.

Slowly, I lifted my gaze, my breath catching even before our eyes locked.

Julian Stone.

Six years hadn’t changed him. Same sharp jawline, same unreadable eyes, same commanding presence.

"You’re here," he said, his voice low but tinged with surprise, as if he couldn’t quite believe what he was seeing.

I straightened up, hoisting my bag higher on my shoulder. My face shifted into a calm, polite mask, the same one I wore during business meetings when I wanted to keep my true feelings under wraps.

"Julian." My voice came out flat and steady.

He searched my eyes, as if he was waiting for something—recognition, warmth, or maybe even a hint of guilt.

But before the silence could stretch on too long, a hotel coordinator hurried over, clipboard in hand.

"Ms. Harper? The ballroom is ready for your review."

"Thank you," I replied coolly, already turning to leave.

I didn’t look back at him as I walked away with the coordinator.

I could feel Julian’s gaze burning into my back all the way down the hallway.

---

By the time I stepped out of the office, my head was pounding. I swung by the supermarket on my way home, grabbing the twins’ favorite treats—strawberry puffs for Eva and chocolate chip cookies for Ethan. My phone buzzed with work emails, but I decided to ignore them. I just wanted to get home.

When I finally walked through the front door, two little bundles of energy launched towards me.

"Mommy!"

I barely had time to set the grocery bag down before I was wrapped in hugs, sticky little hands clinging to my legs, their faces pressed against my coat.

"Hey, you two," I chuckled softly, ruffling their hair. "I missed you both too."

Eva’s eyes lit up the moment she spotted the bag in my hand. "Did you bring snacks?"

"Of course I did." I handed them over, watching as they tore into the packages like they hadn’t eaten in days. "Where’s Aunt Sophia?"

"In the kitchen!" Ethan mumbled with a mouthful of cookies. "She said she’s making something special!”

I smiled, kicked off my heels, and tiptoed into the kitchen. Sophia was busy at the stove, stirring a pot that smelled absolutely amazing.

"Need a hand?" I asked, already heading to the sink to wash up.

She glanced back at me, grinning. "Only if you promise not to burn anything."

"Ha ha," I chuckled, drying my hands and tying an apron around my waist.

Sophia laughed but didn’t push it further. Instead, she handed me a cutting board piled with veggies. We chopped in silence for a moment until she casually asked,

"Long day?"

I let out a slow breath. "You have no idea."

She shot me a knowing look. "Want to talk about it?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "I… ran into Julian today. At the hotel."

Her stirring came to a sudden halt. "Julian as in?"

I gave her a pointed look. "Yes. That Julian."

Sophia raised an eyebrow but stayed quiet, waiting for me to spill.

I kept chopping, my voice barely above a whisper. "He saw me. We didn’t talk much, but… Sophia, I can’t let him find out about the twins. I don’t want him anywhere near them."

She set the spoon down and turned to face me fully. "Lily, listen. You’ve raised those kids on your own for six years. You built this life. No one, not even Julian can take them from you."

I swallowed hard, trying to take in her words. "I just… I don’t want the past to mess up what we have now."

"It won’t," she reassured me, giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze. "You’re stronger than you think."

I nodded slowly, feeling grateful for her unwavering support.

—

Dinner was a lively mix of warmth and chatter, a delightful kind of chaos that only kids can create. The twins were babbling away non-stop, crumbs flying everywhere, and milk nearly spilling over not once, but twice.

"Mom," Eva suddenly exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Can we go to the park tomorrow?"

"Please?" Ethan added, a cookie halfway to his mouth. "We haven’t gone in forever!"

I took a moment to think. "I’m not sure, kids. I have a lot to.."

"Pleeease, Mom?" Eva said, dramatically putting her hands together. "Just for a little while?"

With a sigh, I glanced at Sophia, who was wearing a knowing smirk.

"Alright," I finally gave in. "Tomorrow after lunch."

The twins erupted in cheers, as if they had just won the lottery.

After dinner, we cleaned up and then cuddled on the couch to watch a movie until their yawns became too big to ignore. I tucked them into bed, with Eva clutching her princess doll tightly and Ethan already starting to drift off.

"Goodnight, my darlings," I whispered, planting soft kisses on their foreheads.

As I closed their door, a soothing calm washed over me, but deep down, I knew it wouldn’t last forever.