Chapter 7
715words
Morning light cascaded through the massive windows like liquid gold, flooding the penthouse.
Leo's Legos and drawings scattered across the carpet. The once-pristine leather sofa now casually draped with a cashmere throw, dinosaur plushies nestled in its corners.
From the kitchen came sizzling bacon and rich coffee aromas. Ilara, in a cheerful apron, hummed while flipping eggs with practiced ease. Her face glowed with contentment, the past year having erased the worry lines from her brow, softening her entire being.
Strong arms encircled her waist from behind.
A stubbled chin rested on her shoulder, accompanied by a sleep-roughened voice.
"Morning." Killian's deep voice carried a hint of satisfied laughter. "What's cooking, chef?"
"Bacon and egg sandwiches—by royal decree of His Majesty." Ilara smiled, turning to kiss his cheek. "And for you, black coffee. No sugar."
She'd long since memorized the preferences of both her boys—one big, one small.
Killian tightened his embrace, burying his face in her neck and inhaling deeply. "Smells amazing."
Whether he meant the food or her remained deliciously ambiguous.
"Dad! Mom! Are you stealing food?" A bright voice piped from the doorway.
They turned to find five-year-old Leo in dinosaur pajamas, cheeks puffed out in mock sternness.
He'd grown taller, his features more defined.
"Wouldn't dream of it." Killian grinned, releasing Ilara to scoop Leo into his arms, rubbing his stubbled chin against the boy's cheek.
"Dad! That tickles!" Leo squirmed, his laughter ringing through the apartment like silver bells.
These warm, ordinary moments had become their treasured routine.
Ilara had rocketed to architectural stardom.
The Davenport European headquarters—her design—had just been completed in London. "Urban Oasis," as she'd named it, had won the Pritzker Prize for its revolutionary environmental integration and futuristic aesthetics, catapulting her to international acclaim.
At the award ceremony, she'd stood in the spotlight, articulating her vision with eloquence and confidence. In the front row, Killian had sat with Leo on his lap, watching her with undisguised pride and love.
In that moment, Ilara knew she was no longer a woman who needed his shadow for protection.
They were equals standing shoulder to shoulder, each the other's strongest foundation.
After breakfast, Killian and Leo hunched over a checkerboard, debating each move with theatrical seriousness. Ilara sat by the window with her magazine, glancing up occasionally at her boys, a smile playing at her lips.
The light was golden, the moment perfect.
Wasn't this precisely what she'd prayed for during those lonely nights?
That evening, after tucking Leo in, Killian took Ilara's hand and led her to the rooftop terrace.
The night breeze played with Ilara's hair as she leaned into Killian's embrace. Below them stretched the sleepless city, its lights flowing like a river of stars.
"Remember?" Killian wrapped a blanket around her shoulders, resting his chin on her head. "Five years ago, I brought you here once."
How could she forget?
Then, this building had been an empty shell. Young Killian, brimming with confidence, had stood pointing at the city lights, declaring: "Ilara, one day I'll make you the queen of this city."
He'd been so brash then, so certain that wealth and power were all she could want.
"I remember," Ilara said softly. "I thought you were an arrogant idiot with delusions of grandeur."
Killian's laugh rumbled through his chest into her back. "I was. I had no idea what actually mattered."
He tightened his arms around her. "I thought I needed to give you skyscrapers and empires. Power that made people bow."
"I was so wrong."
He turned her to face him, cradling her face in his hands. His dark eyes reflected the entire galaxy, yet held only her.
Ilara's eyes glistened with tears.
She gazed at this man—once cold as ice, now gentle as summer rain. No longer a distant god but her husband, her partner, her home.
Killian smiled. He pressed his forehead to hers.
Under the glittering New York sky, their lips met in a kiss that spoke of belonging.
This time, there was no pain or regret, no fear of loss.
Only love.
Love that had transcended time, healed wounds, and settled into something unbreakable.
Five years ago, she'd fled his world in desperation.
Five years later, they'd found each other again.
And everything was just beginning.
