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“Never thought I’d see this day.”

“I’m fucking shocked.”

I hear it from all directions. The guys stare at me, disbelief written across their faces, except for Nick, who’s been smirking from the start.

Since he’s been in love for years—long before he and Sierra got together—it doesn’t surprise me that he understands what I mean.

“We’re all happy for you, Ethan,” Aiden says.

“And for Thalia,” Theo adds. “She deserves everything good and beautiful in this life.”

And we all understand why he says that. Everyone deserves happiness, but Thalia? After the childhood she endured, after everything with her parents, she deserves nothing else than the absolute best. A life that makes up for all she lost.

And I’m going to make damn sure she gets exactly that—happiness, fulfillment, protection, love, without exception.

“And we know you’re going to give her all of that,” Chase says.

I don’t respond. Everything that needed to be said has already been said. I know they want the best for me, just as I will always want the best for them, no matter what.

“But you’ll need to start delegating,” Chris says suddenly, so serious he catches me off guard.

“Absolutely,” Nick agrees. “You need to spend more time at home than the office. And that doesn’t mean working from home,” he clarifies immediately.

I’m not sure I’m ready to share my responsibilities—not because I don’t trust them, but because I’ve been trained my whole life to carry every duty myself, as a CEO.

But I know they’re right. And I want to be a good man for Thalia. I don’t want her to ever feel like she’s getting only half of me.

I’m certain there will be moments when work will call me away. But I will always try to be exactly where I need to be.

And I want her to see it, to feel it, understand it without a single word from me.

“Maybe I will,” I say, smirking. Judging by their expressions, they know what I’m thinking.

There’s only one thing left to do now.

SIXTY-TWO

Thalia

New Year’s Eve in the Hardy-Thomas family is always a grand event.

Well… with the exception of the year when Sierra and Nick first started dating—only for Ser to end up believing that Nick cheated on her, losing him for a few months.

Those months included New Year’s Eve, and that year there was no celebration. Nick didn’t come home from London, Sierra only showed up because the guys and I practically dragged her along, and the whole evening became nothing more than a family dinner—no music, no dancing, no party.

Once they reconciled, everything returned to normal. And proof of that is this year’s celebration, which is nothing short of gigantic.

I have no idea how many people were invited, but the venue is packed. We’re talking a full-scale ballroom, not a modest room in someone’s house. Considering that each of the two houses stretches over what must be about five thousand square feet, the scale is already staggering.

The party started some time ago, yet I still haven’t gone downstairs. Music, laughter, and voices already fill the lower floors, seeping up the corridors.

The mothers are already down there, welcoming guests alongside John and Matthew, probably the guys as well—graceful, elegant, perfectly in control of the chaos that always comes with nights like this.

Sierra and I stayed behind, lingering in quiet, adding final touches to our outfits, savoring the last private moments before stepping into the spotlight.

Nick just came upstairs looking for her, and of course, he was left utterly speechless the moment he saw her. I caught the way time seemed to stop around them, the way his entire world narrowed to her presence alone.

“Are you ready, kitten?” I suddenly hear Ethan’s voice as he steps through the door.