When his car rolled through the tall iron gates of his mansion, he expected to find silence — the kind that had become normal since Elena’s death. But as he stepped out of his car, he heard something unexpected: laughter.

Soft at first, then louder. Children’s laughter.

Curious, Nathan followed the sound through the marble hallway and stopped at the dining room door.

What he saw made him freeze.

The dining table was covered with flour, bowls of frosting, and half-cut fruit. The air smelled of chocolate and sugar. Lucas was standing on a chair, proudly decorating a cake with strawberries while Maya giggled uncontrollably beside him.