Chapter 27
The next morning, Julian woke up to the soft, golden light streaming through the sheer curtains of the master suite. He stretched lazily, feeling a profound sense of absolute contentment. He turned his head, expecting to see Elena sleeping peacefully beside him.
But the bed was empty.
A brief, irrational spike of panic flared in his chest—a residual instinct from the dark days of their past. But before he could leap out of bed, he heard a melodic, bright sound coming from the terrace.
Laughter.
Julian threw on a casual robe and walked quietly toward the sliding glass doors.
Elena was sitting on the sun-drenched terrace floor, wearing a simple yellow sundress. Isabella was sitting across from her, surrounded by a dozen brightly colored wooden blocks. Elena was patiently trying to teach the baby how to stack them, but Isabella found it far more entertaining to aggressively knock them down the moment they were stacked.
"Crash!" Elena laughed enthusiastically, throwing her hands in the air as Isabella giggled wildly, clapping her tiny hands together.
Julian stood in the doorway, completely captivated by the beautiful scene. He leaned against the doorframe, crossing his arms over his chest, simply watching them.
This was his entire world. The massive skyscraper in New York, the billions in offshore accounts, the ruthless corporate power—it all meant absolutely nothing compared to the sound of his daughter’s laughter and the radiant smile on his wife’s face.
Elena finally noticed him standing there. She looked up, her brown eyes shining with warmth.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she teased gently.
"Good morning," Julian replied, his voice deep and raspy. He walked over, sitting down on the warm terrace floor right next to them.
Isabella immediately abandoned the wooden blocks, crawling rapidly across the tiles to launch herself into Julian’s waiting arms.
"Papa!" she babbled happily, grabbing a fistful of his robe.
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Julian lifted her high into the air, making her squeal with delight, before pulling her into a tight hug. He looked over Isabella’s dark curls at Elena.
"I could do this every single day for the rest of my life," Julian said softly.
