“Ollie,” Astrid said pointedly, “Lucas. Come say hi.”
Oliver—the older one, about six—gave a polite nod, clearly doing what he was told. Lucas, on the other hand, stared openly, suspicious.
“This is Haille,” Astrid continued. “She’s going to play with you.”
Lucas frowned. “I don’t wanna.”
Oliver shrugged. “She’s little.”
Haille peeked at them from Adrian’s shoulder, eyes curious, unbothered.
Astrid sighed. “Just—go show her the toys.”
There was a pause. Then Lucas shuffled closer, clearly reluctant.
“You like cars?” he asked.
Haille’s face lit up instantly. “Cars!”
That was all it took. Within seconds, the three of them were on the floor, tension forgotten, toys scattered everywhere like it had never been an issue to begin with. Typical kids.
I let out a quiet breath.
“I’ll just put this in the kitchen,” Astrid said, already heading off.
And then I heard it.
“Elena?”
I turned.
Jeremy—William’s brother—was coming down the stairs, taller than I remembered, his grin easy and familiar.
“Hey,” he said, stepping forward. “It’s been a while.”
“Yeah,” I smiled. “It has.”
He pulled me into a brief hug, casual and warm. “You look good.”
“Thanks,” I replied lightly. “You too.”
“This is Beatrice,” he added, nodding toward the woman beside him.
She was already watching Adrian.
Beatrice smiled brightly when she noticed me looking. “Hi, I’m Beatrice.”
“Elena,” I replied.
Her gaze flicked back to Adrian almost immediately, lingering just a second too long.
“You must be Adrian,” she said, smiling lightly.
Adrian gave a polite nod, “Nice to meet you.”
Beatrice tilted her head slightly. “That accent...” she said, almost teasing. “It’s dangerous.”
I stiffened, just barely.
