Zayan slowly opened his eyes, the soft rays of morning light pouring in through the large windows. Nora wasn't beside him in bed. Instead, he could hear her laughter mixed with the twins' soft voices from the other room.
Then it hit him—flashbacks of the night before. The way Nora had taken control. The way she made him crumble.
He glanced down at himself and smirked.
"Damn, Nora…" he murmured with a grin, falling back onto the bed for a moment before finally getting up.
After a quick shower and getting dressed, Zayan headed downstairs. Nora turned to him with a bright smile.
"Morning, baby," she said, pressing a kiss to his cheek.
He smiled. "Good morning, love."
Nearby, Liam was trying to feed Lysander with a spoon.
"Ahhh!" Liam said, holding the spoon in front of his twin brother's mouth. Lysander burst into laughter, finally opening his mouth and letting Liam feed him.
"Good morning, Dada!" Liam called happily.
Zayan picked him up, smiling. "Morning, handsome boy."
Nora clapped proudly. "Good job, baby!" she praised, tickling Liam's belly as he giggled uncontrollably.
"Alright, darling," Zayan said, grabbing his coat. "I'm heading out now—with Asher."
"Okay. Bye-bye," she said with a wave.
Just then, Aaila walked over to Nora, her eyes glassy with tears.
"N…Nora," she began hesitantly, "Ash and I… we had a fight. He hasn't spoken to me since we left London."
Nora quickly held her. "Why? What happened?"
"I thought he was cheating on me," Aaila admitted, tears starting to spill. "Some woman messaged me, saying she and Ash were together. I just… panicked."
She poured out her heart, explaining how it made her feel—scared, betrayed, insecure.
Meanwhile, Asher was in the car with Zayan, venting about the same situation.
"I didn't cheat, Zayan. At all. I don't even entertain those girls. What the hell is wrong with women?" he said, rubbing his face in frustration.
Zayan looked at him seriously. "First of all, what Aaila did was wrong—but she was scared and hurt. That doesn't mean you go two months ignoring her. She gave birth to your son, Ash."
Asher stared out the window, silently listening.
"She probably thought if she asked, you'd lie. That woman wanted to ruin your marriage. But by shutting her out, you hurt her worse. You should've cleared the air immediately."
Asher let out a deep sigh. His thoughts turned inward.
She was scared. And I just abandoned her. I miss her… I miss her kisses… everything…
When they returned, Nora was holding little Hael. She looked up and spoke in that motherly voice that somehow made even the toughest men freeze.
"Asher."
He blinked.
"Yes?"
Aaila was in the kitchen trying to compose herself. Distracted, she accidentally burned her arm and rushed off to the bedroom, trying to hide her pain.
"Asher, listen to me," Nora said, handing Hael to him. "Yes, Aaila was wrong—but avoiding her for two months? That's dumb as hell. Don't forget your vows. Don't forget what I taught you. Always clear the air. Storms don't pass if you ignore them."
"She was in the kitchen, trying to cook something for you—she had a panic attack and burned herself up to her elbow. Now she's locked herself in your room."
Asher's heart dropped.
He bolted up the stairs. "Aaila! Open the door, please!"
No response.
He pounded again. "Aaila, open up!"
Inside, Aaila sat on the floor by the window, blood slowly dripping from her burned arm. Her eyes were hollow.
Asher turned to Nora. "Is there a spare key?!"
She shook her head. "No."
Without a second thought, Asher kicked the door open. Aaila flinched.
He rushed to her side, cradling her face. "You're a doctor, baby—why didn't you fix this?"
She said nothing. No tears, no reaction. Her silence was louder than any scream.
Asher swallowed hard. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry…"
Aaila finally looked down. "I should've just asked you," she whispered. "I was scared. I'm sorry for everything…"
Asher's tears flowed as he kissed her deeply—long and slow—with all the love and regret in his heart. He gently bandaged her wound as she finally drifted to sleep in his arms, Hael resting peacefully beside her.
Zayan and Nora watched the scene from the doorway, holding each other in silence.
Later that evening, the twins woke up. Seraphina yawned and crawled onto Nora's lap.
"Mama," she said sleepily, "I had a dream about you."
Nora smiled, brushing her daughter's hair. "Really? What happened in the dream?"
"We had three more siblings," Seraphina said confidently. "And Mama… by the end of this month, you'll have a baby in your tummy. It's a girl."
Nora blinked in surprise.
"And Papa," she added, pointing at Zayan, "your beard grew out more."
Zayan raised a brow, staring at her. "Lilly… can see the future?" he said, glancing at Nora.
"Lilly has a superpower!" Liam said in his tiny voice, causing the room to burst into soft laughter.
Zayan leaned toward Nora, his lips brushing her ear. "Did you hear that?"
She kissed him sweetly. "Yes, I did."
The family all cuddled together, warm in each other's arms, as the snow fell quietly outside.