Chapter 117 His Two Tiny Daughters

Chapter 117 His Two Tiny Daughters
By the time the massive Stark family finally said their goodbyes in the zoo parking lot, the birthday girl and her little sister were officially running on empty.
Owen securely buckled Olive and Hazel into their car seats in the back of the towncar, his parents on the side with Hazel and Olive between himself and Leona, then Marcus pulled out of the parking lot and navigated the heavy evening traffic back toward the city, the two exhausted toddlers sat quietly, their heavy eyelids drooping as they watched Leona and Owen. Within ten minutes, the gentle hum of the engine had lulled them both into a deep, peaceful sleep.
Assuming they were in for a quiet, effortless bedtime, Owen used the Bluetooth to order their favorite takeout from a quiet Italian place near their building. They swung by to pick it up, the rich smell of garlic and marinara filling the car as they finally pulled into the private underground garage of the Zenith tower.
Owen carried the sleeping girls up to the penthouse while Leona carried the dinner. They set the bags down on the kitchen island, fully expecting the toddlers to eat a few sleepy bites and immediately crash for the night.
They were so incredibly wrong.
The absolute second Olive’s sneakers hit the hardwood floor of the penthouse, her eyes snapped open. Hazel, sensing her big sister’s sudden burst of energy, was immediately awake too. The legendary toddler "second wind" had officially arrived.
Instead of a quiet dinner and an easy bedtime, the next hour devolved into absolute, hilarious chaos.
Owen and Leona abandoned their plan for a peaceful meal and instead collapsed onto the plush living room sofa, flipping the massive television to a true crime documentary. But they could barely hear the narrator over the rapid-fire pitter-patter of tiny feet tearing across the penthouse.
"Wanna race!" Olive’s bright, energetic voice echoed from the hallway.
"Race!" Hazel babbled back enthusiastically.
A chorus of wild, breathless giggles erupted as the two girls took off, their matching denim overalls a blur as they sprinted laps around the kitchen island and down the long corridor.
Leona leaned her head back against Owen's shoulder, a tired but infinitely happy smile on her face as she listened to the chaos. Suddenly, the rapid footsteps grew louder, heading straight for the living room.
Olive and Hazel came tearing around the corner at top speed, not paying attention to where they were going. They collided right in front of the coffee table, a tangle of limbs and denim that ended with both girls plopping aggressively onto their behinds on the soft rug.
For a split second, the room went quiet. Leona braced herself for the inevitable tears.
But instead, Olive looked at Hazel, Hazel looked at Olive, and both girls absolutely dissolved into a fit of hysterical, side-splitting giggles. Without missing a beat, they scrambled right back up onto their feet as if nothing had happened and took off down the hallway again, squealing at the top of their lungs.
Leona let out a bright laugh, shaking her head. She turned to look up at Owen, her eyes catching the soft light of the television reflecting in his storm-gray eyes. He was watching his daughters run with a look of pure, unadulterated devotion.
Leona's gaze dropped to his cheek, taking in those devastatingly cute dimples. It was the exact same smile that had completely stolen her breath during that first quarter toss at a crowded, sticky frat party what felt like centuries ago. From a loud college basement to a sprawling New York penthouse, he was still the only man she would ever want.
She reached up, her fingers gently brushing his jawline.
"Ready for round three, Mr. Stark?" Leona asked softly, her voice full of warmth and humor.
Owen didn't even hesitate. He turned his head, pressing a lingering kiss to the palm of her hand while keeping his eyes locked on the hallway where their two happy girls were still playing.
"You bet I am," Owen rumbled, a completely genuine, fearless smile pulling at his lips.
Leona arched an eyebrow at him, leaning a little closer. "Just remember you said that when you are wide awake at 3 a.m. while I'm feeding a crying baby."
Owen let out a deep, gravelly chuckle. He shifted, wrapping both of his heavy arms around Leona and pulling her completely across his lap, holding her tight against his chest. He looked around the beautiful, toy-cluttered penthouse, and then down at the incredible woman who had built this life with him.
"Worth every minute of my life, Leona Stark," Owen swore softly, his voice echoing with absolute, unshakeable certainty. "I wouldn't trade a single day of our chaotic, happy, toddler-filled funny farm."
Owen’s beautiful, heartfelt declaration hung in the quiet living room for exactly three seconds before the chaotic reality of their "funny farm" delightfully interrupted him.
From all the way down the hall, the rapid-fire footsteps had suddenly stopped. A bright, melodic, and highly demanding voice echoed out from the girls' shared bedroom.
"Daddy~!" Olive sang out into the penthouse.
And exactly two seconds later, a tiny, identical echo followed right behind her, perfectly matching her big sister's sing-song tone.
"Da-da~!" Hazel chimed in.
Leona completely lost it. She burst into a fit of bright, ringing laughter, her head falling back against Owen's broad shoulder. She looked up at the formidable billionaire, whose devastatingly handsome face had already melted into a helpless, completely whipped smile.
"Well, Superman," Leona teased, patting his solid chest as she started to slide off his lap. "It sounds like the citizens of Metropolis are officially calling for you. You'd better go see what the Stark girls want before they start tearing the apartment apart."
Owen let out a deep, rumbling chuckle, completely unfazed by the sudden disruption of their quiet, romantic moment. He pressed one last, lingering kiss to Leona's lips before easily lifting his frame off the sofa.
"Duty calls," Owen grinned, flashing those signature dimples. "Don't move, Leo. I'll have these two little menaces tucked in and fast asleep in five minutes, and then I'm coming right back here to you."
Leona curled her legs underneath her on the couch, pulling a soft throw blanket over her lap. She watched her husband—the ruthless, untouchable CEO—happily jog down the hallway in his sweatpants to go answer the melodic, demanding calls of his two tiny daughters.
She rested her hand gently over her stomach, a soft, incredibly peaceful smile taking over her face. With baby number three officially on the way, the penthouse was only going to get louder, crazier, and infinitely more beautiful. And she wouldn't trade a single second of it.