Tous les chapitres de : Chapitre 41 - Chapitre 50

Marcus arrived four days later. Elena had been dreading it and secretly looking forward to it at the same time. Her brother had always been her protector, her safe place, but she knew the moment he learned Damien was back in their lives, the fragile peace they’d built would be tested. Leo was buzzing with excitement. “Uncle Marcus is coming! He always brings me presents!” Elena smiled as she helped him put on his favorite shirt. “Yes, he does. But remember, we have to be gentle with him today, okay? He might be a little upset.” Leo tilted his head. “Why?” She didn’t have a good answer. When the doorbell rang, Leo ran to open it, throwing himself into Marcus’s arms the second the door opened. “Uncle Marcus!” Marcus scooped him up with a big laugh, spinning him around. “There’s my favorite nephew! Look how big you’ve gotten!” Elena stood in the hallway, watching the reunion with a soft smile. Marcus looked the same, strong, loyal, with that protective glint in his eyes that ha

The fragile peace didn’t last long. It was a quiet Thursday evening. Leo was already in bed, exhausted from a long day at daycare and an enthusiastic block-building session with Damien. Elena and Damien were curled up on the couch, her head resting on his chest while a movie played softly in the background. His fingers traced slow circles on her arm, a simple, intimate touch that still felt new and precious. Then her phone buzzed on the coffee table. Elena glanced at the screen and froze. It was Lila. The message was short, but venomous: "Heard you’re back in the picture. Cute. How long until he realizes you’re still the same naive little sister playing house? Some people never change." Attached was an old photo, one from five years ago. Elena and Damien at a family barbecue, laughing together in a way that looked far too intimate even then. Elena’s stomach dropped. She sat up slowly, the warmth of the evening evaporating in an instant. Damien noticed immediately. “What is

The weeks that followed Marcus’s visit brought a cautious kind of peace. Marcus didn’t become best friends with Damien again, but he stopped glaring every time he saw him. He started showing up for family dinners more often, watching carefully as Damien interacted with Leo. Slowly, grudgingly, he began to see the changes. Leo, blissfully unaware of the adult tension, was the glue holding everything together. One sunny Saturday, the four of them, Elena, Damien, Leo, and Marcus, went to the zoo. Leo rode on Damien’s shoulders for most of the day, pointing excitedly at every animal and asking a thousand questions. Marcus walked beside Elena, occasionally glancing at the pair ahead of them. “He’s good with him,” Marcus admitted quietly, almost reluctantly. “Better than I expected.” Elena smiled softly. “He is.” That evening, after Leo was tucked in, the adults sat on the balcony with glasses of wine. The conversation was stilted at first, but slowly it eased into something almost n

The next two weeks passed in a beautiful, terrifying blur of normalcy. Damien had practically moved into their lives. He still kept his penthouse, but most evenings he was at Elena’s apartment, helping with dinner, bath time, and bedtime stories. Leo had started calling him “Dad” without hesitation, and every time the word left his son’s lips, Damien’s eyes would soften with a mixture of awe and guilt. One quiet Tuesday night, after Leo had fallen asleep mid-story, Damien and Elena stood in the doorway of his room, watching their son sleep. “He looks so peaceful,” Damien whispered. Elena leaned into his side. “He is. Because of you.” Damien turned and pulled her into his arms, kissing her slowly, deeply. The kiss quickly grew heated, hands roaming, breaths mingling. “My place tonight?” he murmured against her lips. Elena nodded. They barely made it through his front door. The moment it closed, Damien had her pressed against it, hands sliding under her dress, mouth claiming h

The morning light streamed through the windows of their apartment as Elena stood in the kitchen, flipping pancakes while soft music played from her phone. Damien walked in behind her, freshly showered, wrapping his arms around her waist and pressing a kiss to the side of her neck. “Smells amazing,” he murmured, voice still rough with sleep. Elena leaned back into him, smiling. “Leo’s going to demand chocolate chips in his.” As if on cue, Leo came running into the kitchen in his dinosaur pajamas, hair sticking up in every direction. “Pancakes! Dad, are you making the smiley face ones again?” Damien chuckled and released Elena to scoop Leo up. “Only if you help me with the chocolate chips.” Breakfast was loud and messy and perfect. Leo chattered nonstop about his plans for the day, building a new tower, going to the park, maybe seeing Grandma Victoria. Damien listened with full attention, occasionally stealing glances at Elena that made her stomach flutter. After breakfast, Dami