Chapter 10 - The Real Family
One year later.
The nursery in the east wing looked completely different.
The bulletproof glass was still there, but the sterile gray walls had been painted a warm, sunny yellow.
The room was cluttered with toys, books, and the joyful chaos of three toddlers running in every direction.
Toby, now three, was wearing a tiny cape and zooming around the room, shouting about being a superhero.
Leo and Lucas were chasing him, giggling wildly, trying to grab the edge of his cape.
Elena sat on the plush rug, watching them with a gentle smile.
She absentmindedly rubbed her slightly swollen belly, feeling the kick of the newest Vance baby on the way.
The door opened, and Julian walked in.
He had just returned from a board meeting, but he had already taken off his tie and rolled up his sleeves.
The moment the boys saw him, the room erupted.
“Daddy!” Toby yelled, abandoning his superhero mission and tackling Julian’s legs.
“Da-da!” the twins echoed, piling on top of their older brother.
Julian laughed—a bright, genuine sound that echoed through the mansion.
He scooped all three boys into a massive bear hug, tumbling onto the rug next to Elena.
He leaned over the giggling pile of toddlers and pressed a soft kiss to Elena’s lips.
“How was your day, Mrs. Vance?” he murmured.
“Loud,” Elena smiled, leaning into his touch. “Perfectly loud.”
Julian looked around the room, listening to the shrieks of joy and the constant chatter.
He remembered the silence that used to suffocate this house.
He remembered the fourteen nannies who ran away.
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He looked at his beautiful wife and the family she had saved.
Julian Vance finally had a sanctuary, and he knew he would never let it go.
