Chapter 34 – Shadows, Secrets, and Schemes

The morning sun filtered gently through the curtains, casting a soft glow over the living room. Aria was perched on the arm of the sofa, coloring with intense concentration, while Aiden was sprawled across the floor, lining up his toy cars in military precision.

May sipped her coffee quietly, observing them, a faint smile tugging at her lips. Damien leaned against the doorway, arms crossed, his gaze lingering on her.

“They’re growing fast,” he murmured, voice low.

“They always do,” May replied softly. “And they notice everything.”

Damien’s brow furrowed. “Everything?”

“Yes,” May said, eyes flicking toward Aria and Aiden. “Even the little things I try to hide.”

Aria looked up suddenly. “Mum, how did you get those papers fixed for my science project? Mr. Connor said he didn’t know how to approve it!”

May’s heart stilled slightly, though she kept her smile warm. “Sometimes, I help things along quietly.”

Aiden tilted his head, eyes wide. “Like magic?”

“Something like that,” she replied, brushing his hair back gently.

Later that morning, the peaceful rhythm of their home was disrupted by a call from Daxton.

“May,” his voice boomed over the phone, smooth, deliberate, commanding. “I’ve arranged a meeting with the school board regarding Aiden and Aria’s activities. They will be questioning every detail, every approval. Consider it… a test of your… competence.”

May’s fingers tapped against her mug. “Understood,” she said evenly, hiding the quick pulse of tension rising in her chest.

Damien, listening quietly, frowned. “This is unnecessary. He adores the kids.”

“And he wants to control everything,” May replied softly. “Control and admiration rarely coexist.”

Damien’s hand brushed hers. “We’ll handle it… together.”

By afternoon, May was at the school, documents in hand. She entered the boardroom, a picture of calm elegance. As expected, the questions began—thinly veiled scrutiny, subtle digs, implications about her influence over the children’s education and activities.

May answered each calmly, smoothly, leaving the board members impressed yet unaware that she was not just reacting—she was predicting, calculating, adjusting outcomes quietly in real time. Her fingers slipped over her laptop when she thought no one was looking, executing small corrections, resetting permissions, and streamlining approvals—all without leaving a trace.

A small incident drew her attention: one of the school administrators raised a concern about a digital program Aiden had been using for math exercises. She looked over at Aiden, who was watching her closely, his little brow furrowed.

“Don’t worry, champ,” she whispered under her breath, fingers flying across the keyboard. Within moments, the program was approved, and the concern vanished as if it had never existed.

Aiden’s eyes widened. “Mum… how did you do that?”

“Just some magic,” May said, smiling.

Aria, sitting beside him, leaned in. “Like S-Coded?”

May froze for half a heartbeat but kept her expression calm. “Like S-Coded,” she repeated lightly, a hint of mystery in her voice.

The children exchanged glances, excitement lighting up their faces. Damien, observing from the doorway, felt that familiar ache in his chest—a mix of awe, admiration, and love.

Back at the estate, the evening descended quietly. May was preparing dinner while Damien supervised the children’s homework. The soft hum of activity was a comforting rhythm.

Suddenly, a message arrived—Evelyn.

“I hear the children are thriving. How… convenient for you, May. But don’t think it will last.”

May’s lips curved faintly. “Always so dramatic.”

Damien noticed the change in her demeanor. “Evelyn?” he asked.

“She’s back,” May said, voice low. “Trying to make her presence felt. And she’s already angling for control… or chaos.”

Damien’s jaw tightened. “She won’t touch the kids. Not if I’m here.”

May smiled softly. “She doesn’t know the full game.”

And she never would.

Later that night, May and Damien found themselves alone after tucking the children in. The air was charged with a soft, electric intimacy.

“You’ve been quiet,” Damien murmured, brushing a loose strand of hair from her face.

“I’ve been busy,” May replied. “Keeping everything… in order.”

He chuckled. “You’re always busy, yet somehow… you still make me feel like I’m the most important person in the room.”

May pressed her forehead to his. “Because you are.”

Their lips met slowly, deliberately. This kiss was soft, intimate, a promise of trust and safety amid chaos. Damien’s hand cupped her cheek, while hers rested on his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.

“I don’t want anything to disrupt this,” he whispered.

“Nothing will,” she replied, a faint smile in her voice. “We’re stronger than anyone thinks.”

The words were soft, almost a secret between them, but the bond in that moment was undeniable.

Meanwhile, in the shadows of the city, Evelyn observed quietly, her eyes narrowing as she scrolled through social media posts of May, Damien, Aria, and Aiden.

“A perfect family,” she murmured, venom lacing her tone. “Too perfect. Time to remind them the world isn’t so kind.”

Her fingers hovered over her phone. Plans, schemes, and subtle moves were already forming in her mind—a threat that could challenge May in ways Daxton had never even imagined.

And Evelyn was patient. Ruthless. Strategic.

The next day, the children brought the unexpected into their daily lives. While playing quietly with Aria’s school tablet, a small glitch appeared in the program. Aria frowned.

“Mum,” she said, looking at her mother, “something’s wrong. It’s not letting me open my project files.”

May knelt beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder. “Let me see.”

She connected briefly to the tablet, her fingers dancing over invisible commands. Within seconds, the files opened smoothly, permissions restored.

Aiden gasped. “Mum… you did it again!”

May smiled, keeping her tone gentle. “Just making sure everything is okay, little ones.”

Aria tilted her head, whispering, “S-Coded?”

May only smiled mysteriously, pressing a kiss to her daughter’s temple. “Something like that.”

That evening, as the family gathered in the garden for a quiet walk, Damien’s hand found May’s. He squeezed gently, his thumb brushing along her knuckles.

“You’re incredible,” he murmured. “You carry so much… and still, you make everything feel simple for the children.”

May leaned into him, resting her head lightly against his shoulder. “Because I have you,” she said softly. “And them.”

The children ran ahead, laughter carrying through the garden, completely unaware of the stakes surrounding them.

Daxton watched from a distance, arms crossed, a subtle tension in his posture. His admiration for May clashed with his instinct to control, to protect, to assert power over the family. Evelyn’s shadow loomed quietly in the background, unseen but sensed.

And in that delicate balance, May, Damien, and the children held tight to each other, unaware of the perfect storm slowly forming around them.