Chapter 139
I set my coffee down and leaned against the counter. “So… what’s the plan today?” I asked.
Lila’s eyes flickered to Alexander, then back to me. “Nothing… boring,” she said sweetly.
Alexander smirked. “Yeah. Just… adventure stuff.”
I sighed. Already, I could feel it in my gut. Adventure stuff with these two was code for chaos, mischief, and minor destruction. And probably a trip to the ER for one of them.
Breakfast ended with minimal casualties, though I had to confiscate Alexander’s ninja-star-shaped cookie cutter before he turned it into a weapon. Lila helped him, which means I confiscated hers too. Partnership in crime, double the trouble.
Afterward, I tried to get some work done. My office overlooked the backyard, a perfect view of everything that could go wrong. And of course, within thirty minutes, I spotted them sneaking around the garden, backpacks slung over their shoulders like secret agents.
I pinched the bridge of my nose. This is why I can’t have nice things. Or quiet. Or peace.
By 11 a.m., I followed them stealthily, because Alexander would disappear into the cracks like a ghost if he caught me staring. Lila was pulling him toward the old abandoned warehouse at the end of the street. I debated calling Zia to handle it, but she was buried in a Quantum meeting, running a global expansion like it was a Sunday stroll. I’m the field agent today.
I parked a few streets over and watched. They climbed fences like pros, Alexander laughing like he had no sense of fear, Lila grinning wider than ever. And honestly? I couldn’t stop the corner of my mouth from twitching into a grin. They were insane, but that fire… that spark. It was Thorne blood. Pure and dangerous.
I considered intervening but knew I’d never hear the end of it. “Dad, you ruined the fun,” they’d say. And honestly? They were right. Sometimes, a Thorne has to let chaos run wild, just a little.
By the time they were halfway across the warehouse roof, I realized something else. They were practicing teamwork. Alexander was watching Lila like she was the blueprint for surviving this chaotic world. Lila was teaching him without words, guiding him without knowing she was the teacher. I’d raised a little strategist and a tiny chaos agent, all wrapped into one dynamic duo.
I stayed hidden but recorded a few minutes on my phone. Not to punish them. Not yet. But for evidence. Later, when they claimed they were innocent, I’d have proof. I smirked. Parenting meets intelligence gathering. Perfect combo.
Eventually, I followed them back home, making sure they didn’t climb any more walls or jump from any dangerous heights. Lila tried to distract me with a story about the “underground neon skate park” they’d discovered. Alexander chimed in with exaggerated drama about guards and alarms. I let them talk, but inside, my brain was already plotting ways to keep them alive, maybe even out of jail.
Dinner was tense in that familiar way. Zia still had that calm authority, even though she was tired from meetings. Angie and Lucas were watching with keen eyes, the energy doubling now that they were here. And Alexander? He acted like nothing had happened. Totally normal. Except… totally not.
He winked at Lila across the table. That’s how I knew they were scheming again. I caught Zia’s eye. She sighed, half amused, half resigned. I nodded. She knew. I knew. Everyone knew. The Thorne kids are never quiet. Ever.
After dinner, I dragged Alexander aside. “Kid, tell me everything.”
He grinned. “Nothing.”
“Don’t lie,” I said. “I can hear the thrill in your voice.”
He smirked. “Fine. We went to the warehouse. We climbed fences. We… may have stolen candy from the corner store.”
I groaned. “May have?”
“Okay… definitely,” he admitted.
I rubbed my forehead. “You’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“Worth it,” he said proudly.
Later, I checked Lila’s room. She was already asleep, planning her next adventure in dreams I hoped didn’t involve fire or explosives. Alexander was passed out like an angel, if angels screamed at street signs and pulled pranks on random strangers.
I sat back in my chair and realized something. This was it. This was the chaos I’d been warned about but never fully understood. And honestly? I didn’t hate it.
Being Xander Thorne meant living on the edge. Raising Thorne kids meant living on the edge… squared. And I wouldn’t trade it. Not even for a perfectly quiet life.
Zia
I knew I should’ve seen it coming. Every parent in their right mind knows that when Thorne blood runs in the veins, quiet mornings are a lie. But still… I underestimated them. Again.
It started with the phone call. One of the school administrators, tone tight and hesitant, said, “Ms. Thorne… Alexander left campus early today. And Lila was with him.”
I blinked. Twice. And then once more for good measure.
“Nope. Not happening,” I muttered to myself, shoving my laptop aside. Alexander, my little tornado of energy and intelligence, had somehow orchestrated a sneak-out operation without me noticing a single warning sign. And Lila, sweet little Lila, whose brain I sometimes underestimated, was clearly in on it.
I dropped my coffee. Not because I wanted to, but because apparently, that’s how mornings work in Thorne-ville now.
By the time I got to the school, I was fuming but controlled. Alexander and Lila were sitting on the curb outside, backpacks thrown over their shoulders like tiny war generals, grinning like they’d just conquered the world. And honestly… maybe they had.
“Alexander,” I said, crouching down to meet his eyes, “what the hell did you think you were doing?”
He shrugged, innocent as a cat caught knocking over a vase. “Just… checking out the city, Mom. Lila said it’d be fun.”
I shot a look at Lila. She smirked, that same dangerous grin that makes me think she knows exactly how to get what she wants.
“Fun?” I repeated. “You could’ve gotten hurt. You could’ve—" I stopped myself before I unleashed a full-on lecture. It wouldn’t matter. They never listened when I went all corporate on them. All logic and reasoning and fear of consequences? Pointless. I had to switch tactics.
Instead, I crouched lower. “Okay. Adventure’s fine. But let’s make a deal. Next time, you run a plan by me first. Or… I get to join the adventure. Deal?”
Alexander’s eyes lit up. “Join us? For real?”
I nodded. “For real. But you two plan properly. Maps. Timelines. Exit strategies. And snacks. Always snacks.”
Lila’s grin softened. That little acknowledgement of structure seemed to make her feel like she’d won without realizing she’d lost a bit of freedom. Smart girl. Dangerous too, but smart.
By the time we got home, I realized something else. Chaos isn’t just a state of being with these kids; it’s a full-time career. And my job? Not just Mom, not just CEO of Quantum. Mom CEO of Thorne junior chaos operations.
I dragged Alexander to the backyard and planted him on the grass. “Tell me everything,” I said.