LOGINThe next morning, sunlight poured softly through the tall windows, painting golden streaks across the marble counter and the half finished breakfast spread.Mira’s laughter echoed faintly from the living room where she sat cross legged on the rug, building a lopsided tower out of cereal boxes and crayons.Elara smiled faintly at the sound as she sipped her coffee, the silk robe she wore loosely tied around her waist.The air smelled of pancakes and the faint sweetness of strawberries, Julian’s doing, apparently.He stood at the stove, sleeves rolled up, flipping something in the pan like he’d been doing it his whole life, though she knew full well he’d only learned because Mira had declared one morning that “daddies make pancakes too.”It was the kind of domestic peace Elara had once thought she’d never have again.“Don’t stare too hard, Hayes,” Julian said without turning around, voice low and amused. “You’ll make me nervous.”Elara smirked over her coffee. “I wasn’t staring. I was…
As the two older women gathered their things to leave, Vivienne leaned in to kiss Julian’s cheek. “You’ve grown into a good man, my son. Just remember, even the strongest men need someone to lean on.”Julian smiled faintly. “I’ve got that covered.”Vivienne’s gaze drifted to Elara, then back to him, knowingly. “I can see that.”A few minutes later, the elevator doors slid shut behind them, leaving the penthouse in soft, peaceful quiet once more.Julian turned to Elara, his expression gentle but weighted. “You okay?”Elara nodded, though her voice came out low. “I just… hate that it’s even being said. But I know you.”He stepped closer, brushing a thumb along her cheek. “That’s all I need.”And with that, she leaned into his touch and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head, his arm draping protectively around her shoulders.“Your mom and mine together are a dangerous duo,” Elara murmured, half laughing. “I feel like we just survived an ambush.”Julian chuckled lowly. “You mean a doub
Mira beamed proudly, completely unfazed by the chaos. “So when do I start? Tomorrow?”“Not tomorrow, sweetheart,” Elara said gently, crouching down to Mira’s level. “We’ll talk about it soon, okay? Daddy and I will figure it out together.”Julian crouched beside her, his hand resting lightly on Elara’s back. “That’s right. We’ll make sure it’s the best place for you.”Mira’s frown eased into a happy grin. “Okay! But I want to wear the hat. Grandma said there’s a hat.”Julian looked up at his mother again, deadpan. “A hat, Mom?”Vivienne smiled sweetly. “Oh, don’t be dramatic. It’s adorable.”Lydia chuckled and stepped forward, reaching out to smooth Mira’s hair. “You’ll look like a little scholar, darling. But maybe let Mommy and Daddy breathe first, hmm?”As Mira skipped off to grab her coloring book, the two mothers shared another knowing glance, this time with a touch of satisfaction.Julian leaned closer to Elara and muttered under his breath, “You realize my mother’s trying to se
Outside the bedroom, the penthouse was full of soft laughter and the faint hum of the city below.Vivienne and Lydia sat on the plush couch, glasses of wine in hand, doing their absolute best to look relaxed, except for the fact that someone was pacing back and forth in her little socks, arms crossed, an adorable scowl scrunching her nose.“Mama’s been in there for soooo long,” Mira announced dramatically. “Daddy too. They said they were going to ‘freshen up,’ but they’ve been freshening up forever.”Lydia choked on her sip of wine, quickly pressing her napkin to her mouth to hide her grin.Vivienne, less subtle, bit her lip to stifle a laugh.“Well, darling,” Vivienne began carefully, “sometimes adults… need extra time to, uh, get ready. There’s a lot of… facial cream involved.”Mira frowned, unimpressed. “Daddy doesn’t wear facial cream.”Vivienne blinked. “Touché.”Lydia jumped in, voice airy. “Maybe they’re just very tired after the trip, sweetheart. Geneva was a long flight, reme
The door clicked softly behind them, the muffled laughter of their mothers and Mira fading into the background like a memory.For a moment, neither of them spoke. The quiet stretched, warm and charged, the kind that hummed with everything left unsaid.Elara leaned against the door, her breath unsteady, her lips curved in a mix of amusement and exasperation. “You really couldn’t wait, could you?”Julian’s smile was slow, dangerous in its softness.He took a few steps toward her, the golden light from the city filtering through the curtains, painting his face in shadows. “I’ve waited long enough,” he said, his voice low, rough at the edges. “Days. Nights pretending I didn’t want to touch you every second.”Her heart gave a traitorous flutter. “You were the one who said we needed to take things slow,” she reminded him, even as her voice softened with every word.“I was lying,” he murmured, stopping just in front of her.His hand came up to trace the side of her face, fingers brushing her
Mira barreled into her embrace, laughter spilling out like bells.Lydia smiled warmly, bending down to stroke Mira’s hair. “You’ve grown again, haven’t you? Look at you, little lady.”Elara appeared behind Julian then, barefoot, wearing one of his shirts, the sleeves a little too long, her expression shifting from confusion to mild horror and then reluctant amusement as she realized who it was.“Vivienne. Lydia.” She forced a polite smile, though her cheeks warmed. “What a… lovely surprise.”Vivienne straightened, her eyes softening when they met Elara’s. “Darling, don’t look so alarmed. We come in peace. Truly. We just wanted to check in, see how you three are doing after all the chaos.”Julian stepped aside, suppressing a chuckle. “Come in before my mother makes a scene in the hallway.”“Oh, please,” Vivienne said airily, gliding past him. “I am the scene.”Lydia followed with a warm smile, setting her bag down by the door.The penthouse immediately felt fuller, lighter, somehow.Mi







