The Heiress's Return

Elaris’ POV

The private jet slowed down as it rolled along the airport runway, and as soon as the small plane came to a complete stop near the terminal, the cabin door opened, allowing the warm afternoon light to flood inside. I unbuckled my seatbelt, stood up from my chair, and reached out to take my twins by their hands, guiding them toward the open door where the stairs were lowered.

"Are we finally here, Mommy?" Casey asked, holding his small backpack against his chest while looking out at the buildings across the runway with wide, curious eyes.

"Yes, we are back in the city now, sweetie," I answered, giving his hand a gentle squeeze as we slowly walked down the steps together, "so I need both of you to stay right beside me while we get into the car."

"Is Uncle Enzo waiting for us down there?" Cassandra asked, holding my other hand tightly while smoothing down the front of her blue dress with her free fingers.

"He is standing right by the black car," I replied, pointing toward the bottom of the stairs where Enzo Everhart stood waiting for us with a warm smile on his face.

"Elaris, welcome back," Enzo called out, stepping forward to take my small bag from my hand, then leaning down to pull both Casey and Cassandra into a quick, warm hug. "How was the long flight for my two favorite kids?"

"It was so long, Uncle Enzo," Casey said, hugging him back before stepping back to stand beside his sister, "and Cassandra took up all the space on the small couch during the last two hours."

"I did not," Cassandra argued immediately, crossing her arms while looking up at her brother, "you were sleeping the whole time, so you didn't even notice where I was sitting."

"Alright, you two, stop arguing on the runway," Enzo said, laughing softly as he opened the passenger door of the car and helped both children climb into the back seats. "We have plenty of time to unpack, get some food, and settle down at the house."

I walked around to the passenger side, sat down beside Enzo as he took the driver's seat, and pulled my seatbelt across my lap while he started the engine and drove out of the airport gates.

"Did your team manage to prepare the penthouse downtown?" I asked, turning my head to look at him as we merged onto the highway leading toward the center of the city.

"Everything is completely ready," Enzo answered, keeping his eyes on the road while driving smoothly through the afternoon traffic, "the staff stocked the kitchen with fresh food, the children's rooms are fully furnished, and my assistant dropped off all the financial documents for our upcoming project."

"Thank you, Enzo," I said, leaning my head back against the seat while looking out at the tall buildings passing by outside, "I really appreciate everything you have done to help us get settled so quickly."

"You don't have to thank me for anything, Elaris," Enzo replied, giving me a quick glance before turning his focus back to the road, "we are business partners, and you know I care about you and the twins like my own family, so I will always make sure you have whatever you need."

"Mommy, are we going to see the city from our new rooms?" Cassandra called out from the back seat, leaning forward against her seatbelt to talk to us.

"Yes, Cassandra," Enzo answered for me, smiling as he looked in the rear-view mirror, "the penthouse is on the top floor, so you can see the whole city and the river right from your bedroom window."

"That sounds amazing," Casey said, looking out his side window with an excited expression on his face, "can we go to the park near the river tomorrow?"

"We will see how busy tomorrow gets, sweetie," I told him, turning around in my seat to look at both of them with a gentle smile, "because Mommy has a very important meeting to take care of first thing in the morning."

"Is it about the work you were doing on your laptop yesterday?" Cassandra asked, looking at me with a thoughtful expression that always reminded me of how sharp she was for her age.

"Yes, it is just some old paperwork that needs to be signed and registered," I explained simply, not wanting to burden them with any details about their father or the past that I had left behind six years ago.

"Is someone giving you trouble with the paperwork, Elaris?" Enzo asked softly, keeping his voice low so the children would not focus on our conversation.

"No, it is just the final registration of my divorce with Cassian," I whispered back, looking straight ahead at the road as we pulled into the underground parking garage of the luxury apartment building. "I signed those papers six years ago, but he never officially registered them with the city court, so I am going to his office tomorrow morning to force him to put his final signature on the registry so I can be completely done with him forever."

"Do you want me to come with you to his office tomorrow?" Enzo offered, turning off the car engine as we came to a stop in a reserved parking space near the private elevator entrance. "I know how complicated things were between you two back then, and I don't want him trying to cause any trouble for you or your business."

"No, I need to handle this by myself," I said firmly, reaching for the door handle and stepping out into the garage, "Cassian Virelli is just a stranger to me now, and once he signs those final documents tomorrow morning, he will have no connection to my life ever again."

"Alright, if that is what you want, I will respect your decision," Enzo said, stepping out of the car to open the back doors for the twins, "but if he gives you even the slightest bit of trouble, you call me immediately and I will handle it."

"I will," I promised, taking Casey and Cassandra by their hands once again as we walked toward the elevator that would take us straight up to our new home.