Stella's POV"And what would you think… about having another dad?" My heart stopped for a full second. The fork slipped from my fingers and hit the plate with a sharp metallic clink that echoed through the kitchen. Apollo and Orion froze too. Their little eyes widened, confused. Like they couldn't tell if it was a joke, a serious question, or just another strange adult comment they didn't understand. "Another dad?" Orion repeated, scrunching up his nose. "But… we already have Daddy Alexander." The name came out innocently. And still, it made Damian's jaw tighten. "You mean… two dads?" Apollo tilted his head. My eyes flew to Damian, burning. I wanted to scream. I wanted to stand up and drag him out of there by the shoulders, but he didn't look at me for a single second. His eyes were locked on them only. We hadn't even talked about when or how to tell the boys anything like this. And I definitely wouldn't have chosen this approach. "Yes," he said calmly. "Tw

Damian's POV "Well, there's no other way. Looks like I'll have to sleep here," I said, letting a wicked smile slip out. Because the idea of being close to her tonight sounded way too tempting. Stella's eyes widened, and she took two quick steps back. "You can't sleep here, Damian." "I can," I replied without hesitation, meeting her gaze head-on. "And I will." She let out a deep sigh, running a hand through her hair, clearly too exhausted to keep fighting. "If you insist so much, sleep in the guest room," she gave in, her voice tired. "Guest room?" I raised an eyebrow and stepped closer. "That makes no sense. It's much more convenient to sleep in your room… since it's closer to the boys' room too." She let out a humorless laugh and lifted her eyebrow right back at me. "Convenient?" she mocked. "Then in that case, it's even more convenient for you to sleep on the couch in the living room. That's where the front door is, isn't it?" I tilted my head, enjoying how she al

Damian's POV She collapsed against me, like all the strength had drained from her body. Her face was tucked into my neck, her blonde strands falling in soft waves over my skin. I stayed still, listening as her heavy, uneven breathing slowly calmed. I didn't come. I didn't need to. Just seeing her like that, surrendered, exhausted, vulnerable in my arms, was satisfying enough. Almost without thinking, my hand slid into her hair, tangling in the soft strands. I couldn't stop the small smile that tugged at my lips when she snuggled even closer to me in her sleep. I smiled because of that. It was ridiculous. And yet, I couldn't stop. I held her tighter, breathing in the scent caught in her hair, something naturally sweet, filling my lungs with it like it was oxygen. And despite myself, I fell asleep. - The sharp sound of the alarm ripped me out of sleep at exactly six. I reached out automatically and turned it off. That was when I realized I was alone in

Damian's POV The constant sound of keyboards, ringing phones, and footsteps coming and going through the conference room usually worked like background noise for me. Today, it didn't. My phone vibrated on the table. Jonas almost never disturbed me during work hours. I opened the message, and the calm I'd been holding onto shattered like glass. Jonas: Sir, another member of the team reported that Ms. Stella received a threatening letter. Attaching photo. The image was sharp. The elegant handwriting was instantly familiar. My blood surged. 'Hello, Stella Harper, I have been very patient with you…' It was Sophie. There was no room for doubt. Jonas: She asked that you come see her after work. She said she needs to speak with you. My jaw clenched hard. Sophie had crossed a line she never should've even thought about touching. She was choosing direct attacks now. I took a slow breath, forcing myself to control the rage pulsing through every vein in my body,

Stella's POV "Mom… are you dating Daddy Damian?" Apollo's question hit me out of nowhere. I looked at him and saw his big brown eyes fixed on me, full of that unsettling seriousness he sometimes had, far too mature for his age. "Of course not, sweetheart," I answered too fast, the words tumbling over each other. I forced a smile that never quite reached my eyes. "Daddy Damian and I aren't dating. Not anything like that." Apollo didn't look convinced. He tilted his head to the side, the way he always did when he was trying to figure out if someone was lying. "But do you love each other?" he asked, with the blunt honesty only a child could have. Orion was staring at us now too, suddenly interested in the conversation. My body went rigid. The air caught in my throat. How could I explain something I didn't even understand myself? How could I put into words this tangled mess of feelings, this chaos Damian had dragged back into my life? Before I had to answer, the doorbell