The crisp night air outside the auditorium was alive with the sound of chatter and easy laughter. Under the glow of the streetlamps, the family spilled onto the pavement, a warm, insular circle of joy.
Ewan was in his element, scooping up his twins one after the other with booming laughter, tossing them lightly in the air as they squealed with delight, before showering Kendra with the exact same energetic praise. Lucas stood right beside him, mirroring the pride.
It was an undeniably happy moment—one so pure that Gianna felt the tight coil of tension in her chest finally begin to unwind. She leaned against the stone balustrade, letting the warmth of the scene wash over her, intentionally ignoring the fact that she could feel Zane's eyes on her from a few feet away.
Instead, her mind drifted to business. She wondered if he had actually sat down at his drafting table yet. Had he started on the preliminary sketches for a new line?
