Chapter 158 Epilogue
ARA
I watched as Thayne tossed Dain, one of our twin sons, into the air, my heart leaping straight into my throat.
I knew he would catch him. He always did.
But the mother in me didn’t care about logic.
“Thayne, I think that’s enough!” I called over the loud music Stuart was blasting through the living room.
Today was Thayne’s birthday. And instead of celebrating, he was right where he wanted to be, playing with our son.
“I think Dain wants more!” he shouted back, laughing as he lifted the baby again before settling him across his shoulders.
“Maaaa!” Dain squealed and immediately began smacking Thayne’s head with his tiny, chubby palms.
“He learned that from you, Ara! You're corrupting the twins!” Thayne accused, grinning.
I laughed, because… well, he wasn’t wrong. I did have a habit of smacking Thayne's head when he got out of line.
Life had changed in ways I never imagined.
Thayne had dismantled every single one of his father’s operations, wiping the slate clean. What remained of Slade Corps had been rebuilt from the ground up.
It was stronger, cleaner, and untouchable. The company now stood as one of New York’s most powerful and respected enterprises, dominating the Forbes list like it had something to prove.
And somehow… We had peace.
Sasha staggered into the hallway and drifted out to the balcony to join me. She smelled like wine, fruit juice… and very questionable decisions.
She was drunk and not even pretending otherwise.
“Hey, boss!” she yelled at Thayne.
Thayne looked over and, instead of waving, grabbed Dain’s tiny hand and waved it for him.
“Can I talk to you?” she called out, still shouting like we were miles apart.
“Yeah!”
She took a dramatic breath.
“I’m pregnant!” she screamed.
Silence hit for half a second, then chaos followed.
Lenora and my sisters came rushing onto the balcony like they’d been summoned by the announcement itself.
Lenora's little brother was still getting used to the billionaire lifestyle. He hadn't yet warmed up to us.
It was only Dain and Rain who he treated differently. He'd talk to the kids like he'd known them since forever, but he would go and hide whenever we were around.
“There’s going to be another baby?” Millie asked, propping Rain on her hip, her eyes lighting up.
Of the three girls, Millie looked the most ready to steal the twins and run away with him. Rain had his father's hair and eyes but he hadn't been able to escape my nose and lips.
Rain had my hair and my nose, but everything else was Thayne's.
“What did you say?” Thayne shouted back, cupping his ear.
Dain immediately copied him, placing his tiny hand behind his ear with perfect seriousness.
“I said I’m pregnant!” Sasha yelled again.
“You’re pregnant?” Stuart’s voice came from behind us, thin, stunned.
We turned. The color had completely drained from his face.
Sasha blinked at him, looking genuinely shocked, like she’d forgotten her husband was even in the house.
“Yes.”
That was all it took.
Stuart closed the distance in two long strides and pulled her into his arms, holding her like she might disappear if he didn’t.
I looked at them, at all of us, and felt something settle deep in my chest.
This was everything. I loved the family we had become. And I would go through every moment of pain, every fear, every battle all over again.
As long as it meant ending up right here.
Happily ever afters were real. And though I never thought it would ever happen to me, I was lucky enough to have mine.