Chapter 186: The Invitation

The morning sun spilled through the villa's wide windows, casting golden rectangles across the cool terracotta floors. Evelyn stood on the terrace, Noah cradled against her shoulder, watching the waves roll in below.

Lena appeared beside her, a cup of coffee in hand. "You're up early."

"Couldn't sleep." Evelyn shifted Noah to her other arm. "He was hungry, and then I couldn't stop watching the sunrise."

Lena took a sip of her coffee, looking toward the horizon. "It's beautiful here."

Evelyn smiled. "Come on. Let's take him to the beach."

—

The beach was a short walk from the villa, a crescent of golden sand tucked between rocky cliffs. The water was clear and calm, lapping gently at the shore.

Evelyn spread a large blanket on the sand and settled Noah on it, his tiny legs kicking in the air. He stared up at the sky with wide, curious eyes, his small fists opening and closing.

Lena sat beside her, watching the baby explore the world with innocent wonder. "He's so calm today."

"He's been like this since we landed." Evelyn reached out and gently tickled Noah's belly. His face scrunched into a gummy smile, and a soft coo escaped his lips. "I think he likes the ocean air."

Lena managed a smile, but it didn’t reach her eyes.

Evelyn noticed. "What's wrong?"

“Nothing.” Lena shook her head. “I’m fine.”

"You're a terrible liar."

Lena exhaled slowly. "I'm just... thinking."

"About?"

Lena was quiet for a moment. Then she gestured toward Noah. "Look at him. So tiny. So... innocent. He has no idea what's waiting for him in the world."

Evelyn's expression softened. "He'll be fine. He has us."

"I know.” Lena’s voice softened. "It's just... I never got to see my baby like this. I never got to hold him and watch him discover the world. I know I found out late, but…”

Evelyn reached over and squeezed her hand. "Lena..."

“I’m okay.” She forced a smile. “Really. It’s just… sometimes I wonder what my baby would have looked like. Whether they would’ve had my eyes or Rhys’s. Whether they would’ve been calm like Noah or completely restless.” Lena swallowed the lump forming in her throat. “Sometimes… I wonder if they would’ve blamed me.”

Evelyn said nothing. She only tightened her hold on Lena’s hand.

Noah let out a squeal, his little arms flailing. The sound broke the heavy silence.

Lena laughed—a wet, shaky sound. "Look at him. Already causing chaos."

"He gets it from his godmother," Evelyn said dryly.

Lena snorted. "Sure. Blame me."

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, watching the waves roll in and out. Noah eventually fell asleep, his tiny chest rising and falling with each breath.

"He's perfect," Lena whispered.

Evelyn looked down at her son, her heart full. "He is."

Lena's voice cracked. "I'm glad you got your happy ending, Eve."

Evelyn squeezed her hand. "You'll get yours too. I know it."

She looked away. "I don't know. Some things are just... broken."

Evelyn didn't push. She just sat with her friend, the sea stretching endlessly before them.

—

They spent the rest of the morning building tiny sandcastles that Noah delighted in destroying with every enthusiastic wave of his little arms. Lena laughed until tears gathered in her eyes.

When the sun reached its peak, they returned to the villa. Mrs. Chen had prepared lunch, and they ate on the terrace, the sea breeze cooling their skin.

Noah was placed in a bassinet beside them, fast asleep.

Evelyn set down her fork. "I need to tell you something."

Lena raised her head.

"Jessica called. She invited us to the estate."

Lena's fork clattered onto her plate. "What?"

"Today. This afternoon." Evelyn's voice was calm. "She wants to see us and Noah."

Lena searched her face. "You agreed?"

"Yes."

Lena lowered her eyes to her hands. "Eve..."

"Lena, you can't avoid them forever. They're going to see you eventually.“

"I know." Lena's voice was strained. "I'm just not ready. Jessica and Caspian were kind to me, but I lied to them. I pretended to be something I wasn't."

Evelyn reached across the table and took her hand. "They don't seem angry, Lena. They seem worried."

"Worried?" Lena's throat tightened. "How can they not hate me? I was married to their nephew. And—"

"Lena." Evelyn cut her off. "You were in a difficult situation. You did what you had to do to survive. I don't think they blame you for that. They should blame their son.”

Lena lowered her gaze. "But what if they blame me?"

Evelyn squeezed her hand. "Let’s just go.”

Lena let out a long, shaky breath. "Fine. But if Jessica starts interrogating me about my intentions with Theon, I'm blaming you."

Evelyn laughed. "Deal."

—

A few hours later, they stood in front of the Kensington estate.

Lena's breath caught. The mansion was even more imposing than she remembered, its white stone gleaming under the afternoon sun. The gardens were immaculate, bursting with color.

And all she could think about was walking through those doors and facing the people she'd lied to.

She rambled under her breath. "Are you sure this is a good idea? What if they're just being polite? What if they invited us to confront me? What if they—"

"Lena."

Lena's rambling stopped. She turned to Evelyn, her eyes wide.

Evelyn gave her a steady look. "It's going to be fine."

The front door swung open before Lena could respond. Jessica stood in the doorway, her face breaking into a warm smile.

"Oh, you're here!" She crossed over and pulled Evelyn into a hug, careful not to squish Noah. "And look at this little one. He's grown so much since the last video call."

Jessica turned to Lena. The warmth in her expression only deepened.

"Lena." Her voice was warm and genuine. "Welcome back."

Lena swallowed, her fingers clenched so tightly. "Thank you, Mrs. Kensington."

Jessica waved a hand. "Please. I told you before. Call me Jessica."

She moved aside, gesturing them in. "Come in, come in. Caspian is waiting in the drawing room. He's been asking about you both all morning."

Lena stepped through the doorway, her heart pounding against her ribs.

To ease her nervousness, she leaned toward Evelyn. "Apparently, they call the living room the drawing room here. So they have two drawing rooms? Or was it called the painting room?"

A soft laugh came from behind them.

Lena's face turned red as she realized Jessica had heard every word.

"The 'painting room'?" Jessica's eyes sparkled with amusement. "I like that. I think I'll start calling it that."

Lena wanted to sink into the floor.

"Lena was just trying to be cultured," Evelyn said smoothly, saving her friend from further embarrassment. "She's been reading up on Olyndrian architecture."

"Has she now?" Jessica chuckled. "How delightful."

Lena shot Evelyn a death glare, which she ignored.

They entered the drawing room—or the "painting room," as Lena would now forever think of it. Caspian Kensington rose from his chair the moment they walked in, a broad smile spreading across his face. He removed his reading glasses and set them aside.

"Finally!" He crossed the room with surprising energy for a man his age. "I was beginning to think you'd forgotten about us old folks."

"We would never," Evelyn said, accepting his warm embrace. "We've been settling in. The villa is beautiful, by the way. Thank you for arranging it."

"Nonsense. It's the least we could do." Caspian turned to Lena, his eyes crinkling with warmth. "And Lena. So good to see you again."

Lena offered a small smile. "Thank you, Mr. Kensington."

"Caspian." He corrected her gently. "I thought we settled this last time."

"Right. Caspian." Lena's voice came out slightly strangled.

Caspian clapped his hands together. "Butler! Tell the cook to prepare something nice. We'll have a proper meal."

Evelyn raised a hand politely. "Oh, we've already eaten. Please don't go to any trouble."

"Nonsense," Caspian repeated firmly. "You're guests. You eat when we say you eat."

Lena blinked. "That's... very hospitable of you."

"Of course it is. I'm a hospitable man." Caspian's gaze dropped to Noah, who was blinking in Evelyn's arms. "And who is this little one?" The stern lines on his face eased. "May I?"

Evelyn handed Noah over. Caspian cradled the baby with surprising expertise, his large hands steady and careful.

"Well, well, well," he murmured, peering down at Noah's tiny face. "You look just like your father. Same serious expression." He chuckled. "Tiny Roman."

Jessica moved to his side, peering at the baby over his shoulder. "Oh, he's lovely."

Caspian turned to Evelyn. "He has your eyes, though. Roman's expression, but your eyes."

Evelyn felt warmth spread through her chest. "Thank you."

Jessica’s eyes settled in Lena.

“And you, Lena.” She smiled. “You look lovely. So much more feminine than before. It suits you.”

Lena’s cheeks warmed. “Thank you, Jessica.”

“You could use that femininity as a lethal weapon against…” she gave a small cough. “…Theon.”

Lena froze. Her face turned crimson. "I don't think—"

"He's been impossible lately," Jessica continued, as if Lena hadn't spoken. "Moody. Distracted. I've never seen him like this." She shot Lena a meaningful look. "I suspect he's been thinking about someone."

Evelyn bit her lip to suppress a smile.

Lena looked like she wanted to disappear.

Caspian chose that moment to shift Noah in his arms, and the baby's face scrunched. A moment later, a loud wail filled the room.

"Oh dear." Caspian's expression turned comically panicked. "What did I do? I didn't do anything wrong. He was fine a second ago."

Evelyn stepped forward. "I think he's hungry." She took Noah back. "I'll feed him."

Caspian watched the baby go with obvious reluctance. Jessica patted his arm in comfort.

He sighed. “I just wish that hopeless boy would make his move already.”

Lena, who had been chugging her juice to avoid the conversation, promptly choked. The juice went down the wrong pipe, and she dissolved into a coughing fit.

Evelyn looked up from Noah, who had begun to doze. "Are you okay?"

Lena waved a hand, still coughing. "Fine. I'm fine. Just... wrong pipe."

She glanced at Caspian, who was watching her with a knowing expression. Her face flushed again.

‘He knows,’ she thought. ‘He definitely knows.’

Jessica rang for the butler, who appeared moments later. "Take the baby to the nursery. The nanny will watch him until he wakes."

"Nursery?" Evelyn asked skeptically.

"We had a room prepared for Noah. We weren't sure if you'd bring a nanny, so we arranged one of our own."

Evelyn's eyes widened. "You prepared a nursery?"

"Of course. You're family." Jessica replied. "Why wouldn't we?"

"Thank you. That means a lot."

Evelyn handed Noah to the butler, who carried him away with care.

Caspian watched the baby disappear, then turned to Lena. His expression remained warm, but there was a glint in his eye.

“Lena.”

She looked at him.

“Walk with me for a moment.”

Lena met Evelyn’s eyes, uncertainty flashing across her face.

Evelyn gave her an encouraging nod.

She drew a quiet breath and followed Caspian out of the drawing room.

Once they were gone, the conversation shifted to lighter topics.

"Mrs. Chen stayed behind?" Jessica eventually asked.

Evelyn nodded. "She decided to stay home. She wanted to give us space to bond with Noah."

"That's thoughtful of her." Jessica nodded. "She seems very loyal to your family."

"She is. She's practically family."

A thoughtful hum escaped her. "Good help is hard to find."

The conversation drifted into harmless small talk. Evelyn picked up another biscuit from the tray, nibbling on it while Jessica chatted about the garden.

"Roman always loved this time of year here," Jessica said. "The spring blooms. He used to spend hours in the garden when he visited."

Evelyn paused mid-bite. "He came here often?"

"Every few months." Jessica fell quiet for a moment. "Even when he was engaged to Victoria, he would always find excuses to visit. I don't think he ever felt quite at home anywhere else."

Evelyn stiffened. She hesitated before looking up. “Victoria… how is she?”

Jessica choked on the water she had just lifted to her lips.