LOGINLucas's question hung in the air, unanswered."…Where's Ethan?"For the first time since the chaos began, the room stilled.Bianca blinked, her expression shifting almost instantly from mild amusement to something closer to concern."Oh…"Her gaze drifted around the dining area as if Ethan might suddenly materialize from behind one of the tall doors or emerge from the shadows near the windows. "That's true," she murmured, her voice softening with a mother's instinctive worry. "He's usually here by now…"A small crease formed between her brows as she glanced toward the hallway, then back at the empty chair that should have been occupied."He hasn't come down yet."That alone wasn't unusual. Ethan had always been the quieter one, the one who preferred solitude to the bustling energy of family meals. But today, everything felt different. The morning carried an undercurrent of tension that made even small absences feel significant.Bianca turned slightly, her posture straightening with de
Lucas's fingers tightened slightly around his cup, the porcelain warming against his palm. Axel didn't miss it. He never did. "Oh, Mom," he said with a laugh that held far too much amusement, "who else would it be?"Bianca's mouth fell open, her fork clattering against her plate. "Wait… wait—"She looked between both her sons, searching their faces for confirmation of what she'd just heard. "Lucas, you were serious? When you said there was someone?"Axel rested his chin on his hand, watching the scene unfold like it was his favorite show. The corner of his mouth twitched with barely suppressed delight. "Oh, he was very serious," he added, nodding slowly for emphasis. "Very invested too, if you ask me."Sebastian, now recovered from his initial surprise, glanced between them with quiet interest. His expression remained neutral, but there was a glimmer of curiosity in his eyes that hadn't been there moments before."Axel."Lucas's voice was low. Measured.A warning.But Axel just grinne
Lucas didn't rush.He never rushed. Even after that strange, unexplainable morning, he moved through his routine with his usual precision. The memory of what had happened clung to him like morning fog, refusing to dissipate entirely.A faint distraction at the back of his mind, persistent and unwelcome. A pair of sleepy eyes staring at him through a screen, unguarded and vulnerable in a way that had caught him completely off guard. A flustered voice, breathless with surprise. A scream that still echoed faintly in his ears.He adjusted his cufflinks, his jaw tightening slightly. The motion was automatic, practiced, a physical anchor to pull himself back to the present.Focus.The hallway outside Lucas' room was already alive with the sounds of a household in motion. Soft footsteps echoed against polished floors. Muted voices drifted from distant rooms. The distant clink of porcelain against glass signaled breakfast preparations underway.Morning had settled into the house with the kind
Lucas stood motionless, the phone resting lightly in his palm as though it might shatter under too much pressure.The screen glowed faintly in the dim room, casting a soft reflection across his otherwise unreadable expression. Shadows played across the sharp angles of his face, softening features that were usually set in careful control.He exhaled… slow and measured, then gave a small shake of his head, almost as if trying to dislodge something invisible that had taken root there."This has to stop," he murmured under his breath, the words barely audible in the stillness.It wasn't like him. None of this was. He prided himself on discipline, on the ability to compartmentalize every aspect of his life into neat, manageable sections.Yet here he was, holding onto a call he had no reason to continue, watching a woman sleep on the other side of a screen as if her presence somehow anchored him to something he couldn't name.It was irrational. Unnecessary. A disruption to the carefully con
The call ended.The screen went dark.And Nina, completely alone in her apartment froze for exactly two seconds before she released a muffled scream into her palm."Arghhh!"She hurled the phone onto the couch as though it had personally betrayed her. It bounced once against the cushions, the screen still glowing faintly before fading to black."This is so embarrassing!"Her voice echoed in the quiet room, bouncing off bare walls that suddenly felt too close. She began pacing immediately, dragging her fingers through her hair until the strands tangled around her knuckles. Her heart hammered against her ribs,.. not from fear, but from the mortifying replay of every word she'd just said."And I actually argued with him—"She stopped mid-step, one foot hovering above the hardwood floor."…I argued with him."Her face scrunched up as realization sank deeper, settling like a stone in her stomach. Heat crept up her neck, spreading across her cheeks in waves she couldn't control."Is he laug
Ethan didn't stop running until he reached his room.The door shut behind him with a soft thud… Click.Locked.Safe.He leaned against it for a moment, his small chest rising and falling as he caught his breath, as if he had just escaped something truly dangerous. His fingers trembled slightly as they gripped the phone.Then he lifted it again, bringing the screen close to his face.Nina's image filled the display, her expression warm and expectant. He stared at her, gathering his thoughts with the seriousness of someone preparing to deliver crucial testimony.His jaw set. His eyes focused. Then, with the complete conviction of a prosecutor presenting damning evidence, he spoke;"...Bad."A weighted pause."...Daddy bad."For a second, Nina blinked, processing the solemn declaration. Then she burst into laughter. A soft, uncontrollable sound that filled the quiet of her apartment, bubbling up from somewhere deep and genuine. She pressed her hand to her mouth, but it did nothing to con







