"Look who’s here!" Alie said warmly as she stepped into the sitting room, Noah secured comfortably in the baby carrier against her chest. "It’s Uncle Denzel."
She gently lifted Noah’s tiny arms and waved them playfully.
"Say hello to him, Noah."
Denzel smiled and bent down slightly so he was at the child’s level.
"Hello there, cutie pie," he said softly.
He reached out and lightly pinched Noah’s cheek with playful affection. But before he could pull his hand back, Noah’s tiny fingers suddenly wrapped tightly around one of his.
"Unca!" Noah babbled happily, his face breaking into a proud little grin as if he had just accomplished sothing remarkable.
Alie chuckled.
"Noah, let go of your uncle’s finger," she said gently, trying to pry open his small fist.
But Noah’s grip didn’t loosen.
Denzel looked at the tiny hand holding his finger and blinked in surprise.
"His grip is surprisingly strong," he remarked, glancing at Alie with a slightly astonished expression.
Then sothing unusual caught his attention. For a brief mont, Noah’s eyes flashed with a faint blue glow, leaving him staring at the child in silent disbelief.
"Alie... his eyes," Denzel said slowly after finally freeing his finger from Noah’s surprisingly tight grip. "They have a beautiful deep shade of blue."
Alie smiled faintly at the remark.
"Yes," she replied. Then she looked at him curiously. "Did they glow?"
Denzel nodded, still slightly stunned by what he had seen.
"They did," he confird.
Before the conversation could continue, he lifted the file in his hand.
"Anyway, where is Prince Gabriel? I need his signature on an important docunt."
"I’m here."
Gabriel’s voice ca from behind them as he stepped in from the garden, Carlos walking beside him.
The mont Noah saw him, his entire face lit up.
"Papa!"
He bounced excitedly in the baby carrier, his tiny hands stretching forward as if trying to reach him.
Gabriel chuckled softly. He placed his large palm gently over Noah’s head before taking the file from Denzel.
"Did you receive the wedding invitation?" Gabriel asked while flipping through the docunt.
He lowered himself onto the couch as he spoke. "You should definitely co."
"Yes, I have. Of course, I’ll attend the wedding," Denzel replied.
anwhile, Carlos stepped closer to Alie and Noah. He plucked a tiny flower from the small bunch he had been holding and carefully tucked it into Noah’s soft hair.
"There," he said with a warm smile. "You look even cuter now."
Then he glanced at Alie.
"You might be getting tired holding him like that," Carlos offered kindly. "I can carry him if you want."
Alie shook her head gently. "It’s alright," she said. She moved to the nearby sofa chair and sat down comfortably, pulling Noah closer against her as the little boy continued to babble happily.
~~~~
"Mom."
Dominick stepped forward and wrapped his arms around his mother. He kissed Mabel gently on the cheek as she welcod him into the palace hall.
Mabel imdiately placed her hands on his back, patting it affectionately before pulling away just enough to look at him properly. She brushed a hand across his cheek and kissed his forehead, her eyes warm with emotion.
"Welco back, Nick," she said softly. "I missed you."
Dominick smiled faintly and held out a small gift box. "This is for you."
Mabel looked at the box in mild surprise before taking it from him.
"Oh? What’s this?" she asked with a light chuckle as she examined it.
Before she could open it, Raidan stepped forward with open arms.
Dominick turned to him and embraced his father warmly. Raidan’s strong hands rested on his back as he returned the hug, patting him proudly.
"We truly missed you here," Raidan said.
He stepped back slightly, his hands still resting on Dominick’s shoulders.
"You did an excellent job in Gridlock."
Dominick lowered his gaze respectfully. "That was possible because of your blessings," he replied.
Then he handed Raidan another gift box. "I brought sothing for everyone."
Next, he turned toward his elder brother, Casaio. The two brothers t halfway and hugged each other firmly.
"Congratulations, Cas!" Dominick said with a wide smile. "You’re about to beco the father of three."
He handed him a gift as well. Casaio laughed softly as he accepted it.
"Yes, I’m still trying to process it myself," he admitted. "Triplets feel like a huge blessing."
He looked at the box in his hands. "Thank you for the gift."
Dominick then turned toward Zilia and stepped forward to embrace her warmly.
"Congratulations, Zilia," he said with a genuine smile. "I’m really happy for you and Cas."
He handed her a neatly wrapped gift bag. Zilia accepted it gratefully.
"Thank you, Nick," she replied warmly. "It’s good to have you back."
She glanced at Casaio with a soft smile before adding, "Cas has been worrying about you a lot." Then she looked back at Dominick. "You must be tired after traveling such a long distance."
Dominick shook his head lightly.
"I slept most of the ti in the jet," he said.
After that, he turned toward Katelyn, who had been watching the exchange with a bright smile.
Without warning, Dominick reached out and pinched her cheeks.
"Ahh!" Kate squealed in protest.
The sudden reaction made everyone in the room burst into laughter.
"Congratulations, my little sister," Dominick said playfully before pulling her into a tight hug. "So you’re finally getting married, huh?"
Katelyn laughed and hugged him back before stepping away.
"Brother Nick, I’m so happy to see you back at the palace," she said.
She looked him up and down with a teasing smile. "And I must say... you look much better than before."
Then she crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow. "So where’s my gift?"
Dominick chuckled and held up two gift bags.
"Here," he said, handing them to her. "I couldn’t decide what my sister would like."
Just then, he sensed a familiar presence. Dominick turned his head toward the entrance.
"You ca too?"
Gabriel was walking in, Noah resting comfortably in his arms while Alie walked beside him.
"Why? You thought I wouldn’t attend Kate’s wedding!?" Gabriel mused.
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