The weeks after the Ariadne Center's opening were the most peaceful I'd experienced in years.
It was strange, really. After so much chaos—the battles with Kai, the fight against Cavendish, the media wars, the legal fights, the constant fear that something would go wrong—the sudden quiet felt almost unsettling. Like the world was holding its breath, waiting for something to happen. Like I was waiting for the other shoe to drop.
But nothing happened. Day after day, there was just peace.
I spent my mornings in the garden, tending to my flowers. The twins were growing inside me, their kicks getting stronger every day, their presence a constant reminder of the life we were building. I'd sit on the bench near the conservatory, my hand on my belly, feeling them move, feeling the miracle of it all.
