Chapter 87
The morning sunlight filtered through the kitchen windows, painting soft gold streaks across the marble counters. The smell of breakfast lingered in the air— fresh pancakes, sizzling bacon, and coffee brewing in the corner. Jace stood by the stove, stirring a pot absently, his mind elsewhere.
“Daddy, can you help me open this?” Mason’s small voice broke the silence.
He was clutching a pickle jar in both hands, his brows furrowed with determination. But Jace didn’t hear him,his eyes were distant, his grip tightening unconsciously around the spoon as the pot bubbled quietly.
Mason frowned. “Daddy?”
Elias, stepping into the kitchen with his sleeves rolled up and tie loosened, noticed the boy struggling. He smiled, walked over, and crouched down beside him. “Let me help you, sweetheart.”
He took the jar, twisted the lid with one quick motion, and handed it back. “Here.”
“Thank you, Dad!” Mason beamed and darted away, his laughter echoing faintly down the hall.
Elias straightened up and walked toward Jace, sliding his arms around his waist from behind. Jace tensed slightly at first, startled out of his thoughts, before leaning into him.
“What’s going on in that head of yours?” Elias murmured against his neck, his breath warm. He pressed a soft kiss against Jace’s skin.
“Oh, nothing serious,” Jace said, forcing a small smile, though his eyes betrayed the weight behind his words.
“Don’t lie to me,” Elias teased gently, brushing his lips against Jace’s temple. “You’re thinking about the note again, aren’t you?”
Jace did not answer. His hand trembled slightly as he stirred the pot, the rhythmic motion of the spoon slowing.
Elias sighed, turning Jace around to face him. “Hey. Look at me.”
Jace finally lifted his gaze, his eyes reflecting both fear and exhaustion.
“I told you,” Elias said softly. “You do not have to worry about it. It’s been five years already. The police are still investigating, we have moved out of that apartment, and I have doubled the security around the house. There’s no way anything could happen to us now.”
Jace’s lips parted, his voice catching. “I know, Elias. But I am still worried. This is Justin we are talking about, the same man who was hired to kill my parents. He even got to Lorenzo.” His voice broke on the name, and he turned away, gripping the counter for support. “Nobody could touch Lorenzo, but Justin did. He is like a ghost. What if he already knows where we are? What if he hurts Mason or Mila? What if— ”
Elias stepped forward, placing a firm hand on Jace’s shoulder. “I know, sweetie. But you have to relax and trust me. Nothing is going to happen to anyone, okay?”
Jace shook his head, his breathing uneven. “You don’t understand. He’s not like other people, Elias. I don't think he is going to stop. If he’s still out there…”
Elias gently tilted Jace’s chin upward until their eyes met again. “Do you trust me?”
Jace stared at him, the question sinking into him like a quiet challenge. The steady confidence in Elias’s dark eyes calmed him a little. He nodded slowly. “Of course I do.”
“Then stop worrying about this.” Elias’s tone softened, and he brushed a thumb across Jace’s jaw. “You’re my family now. My main priority. Let me handle the worrying for once, okay?”
Jace managed a faint smile. “Okay.”
Elias leaned down and pressed a kiss to his lips slow and grounding. “Good.”
He released him and moved to set the table while Jace turned back to the stove, stirring the food again, this time with a little less tension in his movements.
The sound of the twins’ laughter echoed from the living room. Mason’s voice was loudest, competing with the cartoons playing on the TV. Mila’s giggles followed, high-pitched and full of life.
Jace glanced toward the sound, his heart swelling despite the anxiety curling in his chest. They were his entire world, his new reason for fighting through every nightmare.
Elias slid behind him again, his arms circling Jace’s waist, pulling him close until Jace could feel the steady thud of his heart against his back.
“You know,” Elias murmured, “you look beautiful when you worry. But I would rather you didn’t.”
Jace chuckled softly. “You’re impossible.”
“That’s why you married me.” Elias grinned, his hands lingering on Jace’s hips before he reached for a mug and poured himself some coffee.
Jace smiled faintly, shaking his head. He plated the food it was pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon and he began setting them out. The domestic routine felt comforting, a small illusion of peace in a world that had taken so much from him.
But as he placed a plate on the table, his eyes caught on the small details, the way the front gate shimmered under the morning light, the faint shadows of security guards beyond the glass, the reflection of his own face in the window. For a moment, something felt off.
The wind rustled through the garden trees outside, brushing the curtains lightly. He thought he saw movement a flicker of black, gone before he could process it. His pulse jumped.
“Elias,” he said quietly.
“Hm?”
“Did you… see that?”
Elias looked up from his coffee. “See what?”
Jace blinked, squinting through the window again. Nothing. Just sunlight and shadows. Maybe his mind was playing tricks on him. “Nothing,” he whispered. “Forget it.”
Elias watched him for a moment, concern flickering briefly across his face. Then he smiled again, brushing off the tension. “Come on. Let’s eat before it gets cold.”
Jace nodded and sat down. Mila climbed onto her chair, swinging her legs while Mason scooped pancakes onto his plate. The sound of their chatter filled the room, softening the edges of Jace’s unease.
For a little while, everything felt normal again.
Elias talked about work and about a new project Crane Corp was developing. Jace listened, smiling and nodding.
After breakfast the twins went back to the sitting room to play with their toys while Elias and Jace cleared the table and took the plates to the kitchen.
“Daddy, look!” Mason ran back into the kitchen, holding a toy car. “I made it go faster!”
Jace smiled, kneeling to ruffle his hair. “That’s great, sweetheart. You are so clever.”
“Can I play outside?”
“Just for a little bit,” Jace said. “Stay inside the gate, okay?”
"Daddy, can I go with mason?"
"Of course sweetie, just be careful, watch over your brother okay."
“Okay!”
Mason and Mila both darted towards the back door. Jace turned back to the sink, humming softly as he washed the plates.
Hours passed and Mila ran back into the house,
Elias and jace were now in the sitting room watching a show.
"Sweetie, where's your brother, Mason" Elias asked.
“Mason is gone.”