Chapter 161 Chapter 161
The words landed wrong immediately, leaving a feeling of abandonment even though logic argued otherwise. "What if she needs something?" I asked.
"We’ll call," they said.
"What if she cries?"
Mom answered calmly. "Then we comfort her until you return."
I hesitated, and Tessa turned toward me fully now, eyes warm but serious.
"Zaiel," she said quietly. "She’s safe."
I met her gaze and saw understanding there because she knew exactly where this fear came from and knew how many times I arrived too late in the past and protection defined everything I was.
"You trust me," she added.
Always, that realization settled heavily. I handed Elowen back slowly, resisting the irrational urge to cancel every meeting permanently. She whimpered the second distance formed, and my body reacted automatically.
"I should stay."
Tessa smiled knowingly. "Go to work," she said. "Your girls will be here when you come back," Dad said.
"My girls," the phrase grounded something chaotic inside me. I kissed Elowen’s forehead carefully, then Tessa’s.
"I’ll be reachable."
"We know," they said.
"I’ll check cameras."
"We know," they replied.
"I’ll come home early."
Mom laughed behind us.
"We know."
Driving away felt physically wrong. Halfway to the office, I opened live security feeds just to confirm movement inside the house, watching Tessa walking slowly through the living room while Arthur hovered nearby and Alina carried Elowen expertly.
At Rhyland Global employees straightened instantly when I entered, normal order returning like nothing had changed, but everything had. During meetings my phone remained face up; every notification pulled my attention instantly.
When Carlo sent an update confirming all clear at home, relief hit stronger than closing any deal ever had. By afternoon I stopped pretending concentration worked. I ended the final meeting early.
"Emergency?" Joe asked.
"Yes."
"What emergency?" he asked.
"I miss my daughter," I said. He stared at me and then started laughing. I ignored him and left.
T
he moment I walked through the front door hours later, Elowen cried upstairs, and adrenaline surged through me so fast I barely registered dropping my briefcase before taking the stairs two at a time. I reached her in seconds, lifting her gently while checking instinctively for harm.
She settled immediately against my chest; behind me, laughter echoed again. Damon’s voice carried up the hall. "Record time," someone said.
I didn’t care. Tessa watched from the bed, smiling softly, exhaustion mixed with affection.
"See," she said quietly. "She survived without you."
I sat beside her, carefully holding Elowen between us. "I didn't," I confessed.
She rested her hand over mine, understanding completely. The world outside still demanded my attention and still required decisions and authority and control, but here in this room none of that mattered. Here I was simply a man terrified of losing the two people who made my existence meaningful.
And as Elowen slept safely against my chest while Tessa leaned into my side, one truth settled firmly in my mind.
I could rule empires, I could destroy enemies, but nothing would ever matter more than coming home fast enough when my daughter cried.
Tessa
Motherhood didn’t arrive gently the way people described in movies or books, where everything suddenly felt natural and calm and instinctive; it came loudly, emotionally, and unpredictably and completely rearranged my brain until entire days disappeared between feedings, naps, crying, laughing, and staring at a tiny human who somehow depended on me for survival, and honestly, I was still shocked they trusted me with her.
Elowen slept beside me that morning, making soft little noises like she was arguing with her dreams, her tiny fists opening and closing while sunlight slipped through the curtains, and I watched her longer than necessary because every day still felt unreal; she existed.
After everything my body had failed to carry before, after fear and loss and months of terror waiting for something to go wrong, she was finally here, healthy, warm, and mine.
The door opened quietly, and Zaiel stepped inside already dressed for work, but instead of leaving immediately like a normal person, he walked straight to the crib and began his inspection routine again.
He checked her blanket, her breathing, her hands, and her position. Then he leaned closer, like he expected hidden danger to appear if he blinked too long. I smiled into the pillow.
"You already checked her ten minutes ago," I murmured.
He didn’t look away. "Things change," he said.
"She’s asleep."
"Exactly," he replied.
I laughed softly because arguing was pointless, and honestly watching him panic over our daughter healed something inside me I didn’t realize still hurt. This man, who once terrified entire rooms and had killed for me, now froze every time a newborn sneezed.
Elowen stretched suddenly, letting out a dramatic cry, and Zaiel moved so fast the mattress shifted beside me, lifting her instantly while scanning her face like a doctor diagnosing catastrophe.
"It’s okay," I said through laughter. "She just woke up."
He paced slowly while rocking her, his voice dropping into soft murmurs I rarely heard from him before.
"I’ve got you," he whispered. "You’re alright."
She quieted almost immediately; of course she did, she already knew him.
Downstairs noise filtered upward, meaning the family had started another morning rotation of hovering support whether we asked for it or not. Alina insisted recovery required supervision, Michelle reorganized baby supplies daily, and Damon claimed security observation while secretly entertaining Elowen with ridiculous faces.
Anthony read to her even though she understood nothing yet; nobody wanted to leave, and I didn’t want them to.
Getting out of bed still required effort, but each day felt easier, my body slowly remembering itself while exhaustion lingered like background noise. Zaiel refused to let me carry anything heavier than the baby, which resulted in constant negotiations.
"I can walk downstairs alone," I told him.
"I’m aware," he said.
"You’re still following me."
"I’m supervising," he continued. I rolled my eyes but let him hover anyway because beneath the overprotection lived fear I understood too well; loss changed people, and we both carried memories of almost losing this moment.
When we reached the kitchen, Elowen immediately became communal property; Alina took her smoothly while instructing me to sit. Dad handed me tea, and Kevin adjusted pillows behind my back. It felt ridiculous and comforting at the same time.
"You’d think I fought a war," I muttered.
"You did," Alina replied calmly.
Elowen hiccupped suddenly, and I tensed automatically until Zaiel appeared beside his mother within seconds.
"She’s fine," Alina assured him.
He still checked, and everyone laughed. He ignored them, which has become routine now. Watching him with her still stunned me sometimes because the world saw Zaiel Kai Rhyland as controlled, ruthless, and untouchable, yet here he was making soft sounds trying to convince a newborn to burp and failing.
I laughed openly this time. "You run companies," I reminded him.
"She is significantly more difficult," he replied.
The day passed quietly, filled with small victories. Elowen stayed awake longer, I managed a short walk outside, and we ate dinner together without interruption. Normal moments that once felt impossible now built something steady around us.