243. HIDDEN

243. HIDDEN
Layla woke first. The first thing she felt was Zaley’s arm draped heavily across her waist, pinning her against him like she was some prized possession. The second thing she noticed was the blanket tucked neatly over them.
Her lips curved instantly. The girls.
Life felt so simple in that moment, so heartbreakingly easy and happy that she stayed there for a while, staring at the golden sunlight spilling across the couch, tracing the sharp edges of Zaley’s face as he slept.
When he stirred and blinked at her, his first words were a husky, still-sleepy, “Don’t move.”
She smiled. “Good morning.”
But then, her mother’s instinct kicked in. The couch was warm, Zaley was warm. But the house was too quiet.
Her smile faded. “Where are the kids?”
Zaley rubbed his temple, frowning like she had just said something impossible. “Probably playing.”
“They don’t play this quietly.” Layla pushed off him and stood. “Not both of them.”
That got him up immediately. Within seconds, they were moving room to room, calling their names. No answer. The bedrooms were empty. The kitchen was empty. The bathrooms, the balconies. They are nowhere to be found.
Layla’s heart began to pound. “Leon, they wouldn’t have gone out, right?”
He was already at the front door, asking the guards stationed outside.
“No, sir. We didn’t see anyone leave.”
Layla’s hands trembled. “They’re so small. What if—”
“Calm down,” Zaley cut in, his voice firm, steady. “If they were outside, the guards would’ve seen them. They’re inside.”
But even he was scanning the rooms faster now, his jaw tight.
And then, there was only one place left. The office.
Layla hesitated at the door. “No way they—”
But Zaley was already striding in. He went straight to the wall, pulled a certain heavy book from the shelf, and with a quiet click, a hidden door slid open.
Layla held her breath as the lock released with a hiss, and the door swung open.
What they saw nearly made Layla cry with relief and laugh at the same time.
Inside, Lilly and Luna sat cross-legged on the floor like two secret agents who had built the world’s worst but happiest hideout.
A blanket was spread across the ground, cookies and candy wrappers scattered like treasure, a small army of stuffed animals arranged around them. Luna was munching on a half-eaten cookie, crumbs dotting her cheeks. Lilly was “pouring tea” into tiny cups for their toys.
Both girls froze the moment the door opened, their little eyes round as saucers.
Slowly—so, so slowly, they wiped the crumbs off their cheeks, like thieves trying to erase the evidence.
Layla’s hand flew to her mouth. She didn’t know whether to scold, cry, or burst out laughing. “You...You were in here the whole time?!”
Lilly straightened, adjusting her crooked pink spectacles, and declared with unshakable seriousness, “We were undercover.”
Luna copied her with a muffled, “Unda-cuwwah,” her cheeks still stuffed with cookie.
Zaley pressed a hand over his mouth, but his shoulders shook. He was laughing, actually laughing.
Layla swatted his arm, half in tears. “Don’t laugh! I thought they were—” Her voice broke. She crouched down and pulled both girls into her arms. “You scared me. I thought something happened to you.”
Lilly, muffled in her hug, whispered matter-of-factly, “Don’t be scared, Mommy. We were safe. Daddy’s secret room is the safest.”
Layla pulled back, glaring through wet eyes. “You are not supposed to know about this room.”
That made both girls look guilty for the first time. They peeked up at Zaley, who leaned casually against the doorframe, arms crossed, that faint, smug smirk tugging his lips.
“Well,” he drawled, “at least now we know they’ve inherited my survival instincts.”
Layla groaned and hugged the girls tighter, while Zaley finally gave in to quiet laughter at the sight of his little family, their “secret picnic,” and Layla's exasperated face.
Zaley crouched down in front of them, his voice quiet but heavy.
“What if we didn’t find you?”
Lilly pushed her pink spectacles higher on her nose, answering without missing a beat, “That’s the thing, Daddy. We were hiding.”
“Hiding?” His brow lifted.
She nodded with all the seriousness of a general leading her army.
Before she could expand, Luna burst out with her tiny fists balled, “Y-Yes! Hiding ‘cause… ’cause…” She struggled, then proudly announced, “Wi-yi don’t wanna go school!”
The words hung in the air like a bomb.
Layla’s eyes widened. “What?”
Lilly snapped her head toward Luna, scandalised. “Luna! You weren’t supposed to say that!”
Luna gasped and clapped a hand over her mouth, as if she had just given away the nation’s top secret.
Zaley pinched the bridge of his nose, trying not to smile. When he looked up again, his eyes flicked briefly to Layla, whose expression was pure Don’t you dare laugh. But he couldn’t help it. A low chuckle escaped him.
“So,” he said, folding his arms, “an undercover operation just to skip school.”
Lilly crossed her arms too, lips pushing out in a pout. “School is boring. The papers are boring. You said they’re boring.”
Layla’s head whipped toward him instantly. “You said what?”
“I meant my papers,” he corrected smoothly, shaking his head. “Not school.” His gaze lingered on Lilly, soft despite the faint edge of warning. “And trust me, little one, you don’t get to hide from the things that matter.”
Lilly scowled, muttering, “Mom would understand.”
That made Zaley pause. Slowly, he turned his eyes toward Layla. She was trying very hard not to smile, lips twitching, her arms crossed in the same stubborn way her daughter’s were.
Recognition flickered in his gaze. He leaned back on his heels, sighing. “Of course. You take after your mother.”
Layla gasped, mock-offended. “Excuse me?”
“Oh, don’t act innocent.” His smirk deepened, the memory clear in his mind. “You used to pull stunts just like this when you were younger, didn’t you? Sneaking, hiding, dragging everyone into your little chaos.”
Layla pressed her lips together, cheeks pink, but the way Lilly perked up told Zaley everything.
“See?” Lilly beamed. “Mom understands! It’s in the genes.”
Zaley exhaled through his nose, resigned. He wasn’t raising rebels. He was outnumbered by two little Laylas.
"And you," Layla pointed her finger at Luna. "Don't just follow Lilly everywhere. Come to me first."
Luna held Lilly's hand. "Wi-yi, my bestie." She declared.
Once they dashed to their room, Layla sat on the floor in the safe house.
"I thought life was easy."
"You thought wrong," Zaley said, sitting beside her.
He took Luna's bear toy in his hand, "We are going to keep her forever, aren't we?"
Layla unwrapped a candy. "That's what we agreed on."
"No, we didn't."
"You forgot."
"We said we would look after her for a while." He argued."
Layla shook her head, "You forgot. Don't you want her? She is a cute little girl. Lilly likes her."
"What I want is for you to be happy and peaceful."
"I am happy," Layla said. "I am peaceful."
Then she got up, stretching her hand. "Get up. If this room looks like this, I don't know how the kitchen would look."