Chapter 6 - A New Routine
With the threat eradicated, the Sterling mansion began to change.
The heavy curtains were opened. The formal, sterile rules were thrown out. Alexander stopped working weekends. He started cooking breakfast, burning the pancakes more often than not, which sent Clara and Sophie into fits of giggles.
Elena tried to maintain her professional distance, but it was impossible. The girls wanted them both. They watched movies together on the giant sofa. They went to the zoo together. To the outside world, they looked exactly like a family.
One evening, after putting the girls to bed, Alexander poured two glasses of wine and handed one to Elena on the terrace.
"They're laughing again," Alexander said, looking at the stars.
"They always had it in them," Elena smiled warmly. "They just needed their dad to see it."
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Alexander turned to her. The moonlight caught her dark hair, and suddenly, he couldn't look away. He reached out, gently tucking a loose strand behind her ear. Elena froze, her heart hammering against her ribs.
"They needed you, too," he whispered. He leaned in, the space between them disappearing, and kissed her. It wasn't rushed. It was soft, deeply grateful, and burning with a passion he hadn't felt in years.
