Chapter 8

Lucian Thorne had negotiated with oil magnates in Dubai and stared down hostile takeover bids from Wall Street sharks, but as he stood outside Classroom 4B of the "Little Einsteins Academy," his palms were sweating.

He looked down at his attire. Per Elara’s strict instructions, he wasn't wearing his suit. He wore a simple navy sweater and dark jeans. He felt naked without his silk tie. In his hand, he clutched a cardboard box of supplies he’d bought at a craft store at 6:00 AM.

"Mr. Thorne? The children are ready for you."

The teacher, a bright-eyed woman who clearly had no idea she was speaking to a man whose net worth could buy the entire school district, ushered him in.

The room smelled of apple juice and finger paint. Twenty-five pairs of curious eyes looked up at him from a colorful rug. In the second row, Leo was sitting with his arms crossed, his "Shark Man" expression firmly in place. Beside him, Mia was doodling on a piece of paper, but she perked up when she saw him, her curls bouncing.

"Hi, Shark Man!" she chirped.

A few kids giggled. Lucian felt his face heat up.

"Hello, Mia. Hello, Leo," Lucian said, his voice uncharacteristically soft. He walked to the front of the room and sat on a chair that was roughly three sizes too small for him. His knees were practically at his chin.

"So, Lucian," the teacher said, "Tell the class what you do for a living."

Lucian looked at the expectant faces. How do you explain 'Global Venture Capitalist' to people who still believe in the Tooth Fairy?

"I... I help people build their dreams," Lucian started, hesitantly. "If someone has a great idea, like a new toy or a special kind of candy, I give them the tools they need to make it real."

"Do you have a candy factory?" a small boy in the front row asked, his eyes wide.

"Not exactly, but I help people who do."

"My Daddy J is a doctor," Leo interrupted, his voice loud and clear. "He fixes broken hearts. Do you fix anything, or do you just give people paper?"

The jab hit Lucian right in his own "broken" heart. He looked at Leo, seeing the fierce loyalty the boy had for Julian.

"Sometimes," Lucian said, looking directly at his son, "I realize that I’m the one who is broken. And I have to learn how to fix myself before I can help anyone else."

The room went quiet for a moment. Elara was leaning against the doorframe in the back of the room, her arms crossed. Her expression was unreadable, but she didn't look away.

"I brought something to show you how we build things," Lucian said, opening his box. He had spent all morning researching what four-year-olds liked. He pulled out a large set of magnetic building tiles.

"We’re going to build a bridge," he said. "Because bridges help us get from where we are to where we want to be."

For the next hour, the Billionaire King of New York was on his hands and knees on a primary-colored rug. He helped a boy named Toby build a tower, and he patiently showed a little girl how to balance the magnets.

But his eyes were constantly on the twins.

Mia eventually crawled over and started handing him blue tiles. "Build a castle for my bunny!" she commanded.

Lucian smiled—a real, genuine smile that reached his eyes. "A castle it is, Princess."

Leo stayed back for a long time, watching with a calculating gaze. Finally, when Lucian was struggling to keep a large arch from collapsing, a pair of small, sturdy hands reached in to steady the base.

"It’s structurally unsound," Leo muttered, using words no four-year-old should know. "You need a wider foundation."

Lucian looked at his son. Their eyes met—gray on gray. "You’re right, Leo. I’ve been building things the wrong way for a long time. Will you help me fix the foundation?"

Leo didn't say yes, but he didn't pull his hands away. Together, they finished the bridge.

As the class ended and the kids headed for snack time, Mia ran up and hugged Lucian’s leg. It was the first time one of his children had touched him willingly. Lucian froze, his breath catching, before he gently patted her hair.

"You're not a very scary shark," she whispered before running off to join her brother.

Lucian stood up, his joints aching from the tiny chair, and walked toward Elara.

"You did well," she said, her voice softer than it had been in years. "You didn't mention the company once."

"I forgot about the company the moment Mia hugged me," Lucian admitted. "Elara... I know I’m not Julian. I know I missed the first five years. But please, let me have this. Let me be the man who builds the bridges."

Elara looked at her children, then back at Lucian. The ice in her gaze was beginning to melt, revealing the pain underneath.

"One bridge at a time, Lucian," she said. "But remember... bridges can still collapse if you put too much weight on them too fast."

As Lucian walked out of the school, he felt a strange sense of peace. But as he reached his car, his phone rang. It was Marcus.

"Sir, we have a problem. Serena’s lawyer just filed a motion. They’re claiming that the security footage was tampered with... and they’ve subpoenaed Elara’s old medical records. They’re trying to prove she was 'mentally unstable' during the divorce to throw out the evidence."

Lucian’s jaw tightened. The bridge was being attacked before it was even built.

"Find out who their judge is," Lucian hissed, the Shark returning to his eyes. "And tell my legal team to prepare for war. If they touch Elara's medical history, I will burn their entire firm to the ground."