Chapter Eighty-Nine: The Way He Looks at Her

The heavy oak doors swung open with a bang.

"Mama!"

Carter barreled into the room with a paint-streaked hand and a backpack slightly bigger than his body. Chloe had just turned toward the sound when he launched himself into her lap like a bullet made of laughter and limbs.

She caught him with an oof and a stunned smile.

"You're back! You're back! Was it beautiful? Were there jellyfish? Did you bring me sand? Did you forget me or were you just very busy swimming and kissing Uncle Kian?"

The last question made Chloe's eyes widen.

The Redgrave brothers—Mikael from across the room, Lorence mid-drink, Damian from the hallway—froze in unison like someone had pressed pause on their perfectly timed chaos.

Chloe gave a mortified laugh and gently covered Carter's mouth.

"Sweetheart. Inside voice. And maybe… less commentary."

"But you promised a story."

She kissed his forehead. "You'll get two. If you stop talking for ten seconds."

Meanwhile, the study door creaked open.

Kian stepped out, hands tucked in his pockets, his expression soft in a way few people got to see. He saw them—mother and child curled together under golden afternoon light—and something in his chest twisted. In the best way.

He hadn't expected his life to feel like this.

And yet—here it was.

A tap came to his shoulder.

"You got your chance," Mikael murmured. "Don't screw it up."

Kian turned, one brow arched, smile lazily smug.

"There's no turning back now,"

he said.

"Even hell would give her up to let her stay with me."

Damian chuckled behind them. "Dramatic."

"Ashford," Mikael replied. "It's in the blood."

Then Lorence joined, glass in hand, tone dry but eyes fond.

"So when's the wedding?"

That froze Kian—only for half a second.

Then he smiled.

Not flustered. Not defensive.

Just... certain.

Because even if it hadn't been said aloud, he'd already seen the ceremony in his mind: bare feet, wind through Chloe's hair, Carter holding the rings with sticky fingers and too much pride.

He didn't say a word.

But he didn't need to.