Annie chuckled. "You’re more responsible than , you know that?"
Bella bead, proud. "That’s because you’re family. Family takes care of each other."
Annie felt her eyes sting a little. She’d lost so much, so many faces fading from her mory—but here was this girl beside her, nursing her through sickness, watching over her like a hawk, and never once asking for anything in return. She pulled Bella into a side hug, careful not to press too much against her belly.
"You’re the best little sister I never asked for," Annie whispered.
"And you’re the big sister I always needed."
Roy pretended not to hear as he turned onto the highway, the rcedes gliding like a silent beast through Philadelphia’s morning traffic.
In the rearview mirror, he saw Annie rest her head on Bella’s shoulder while Bella kept glancing at her with that sa hawk-like protection.
For the first ti in weeks, he allowed himself a tiny smile.
They were almost ho.
Lukas straightened his blazer in front of the full-length mirror of the suite. The morning had started like any other: a sunrise jog in the high-rise gym, followed by a lavish breakfast delivered to his suite.
But now, the day was in motion.
Class at Princeton had been light, his professors going easier on him than usual—partly because of his rising fa, partly because he submitted his assignnts early. As he stepped out of the lecture hall, his phone buzzed. It was Ashmika.
Ashmika: "Lukas, you need to be in the office. Yaho’s prepping the team for a big eting."
He didn’t ask questions. Within the hour, Jay pulled up in the matte black rcedes and whisked him off to the Facebook headquarters in downtown Philadelphia. This was the new office that he has never co into; Yaho has done all the work, as she felt like Princeton will hinder many things.
The building stood tall, right beside the Princeton Chase Bank tower, glass reflecting the morning light like a beacon of innovation. It wasn’t just an office—it was a symbol. Inside, the Hugo Agency handled the legal and land contracts, while the Facebook team had claid the upper floors.
Yaho was already in the conference room, sharp in a slate-gray suit, eyes like razors scanning over financial forecasts. The mont Lukas walked in, she smiled subtly and gestured for him to sit.
"Glad you could make it," she said, tapping the screen behind her.
The presentation began.
"We are currently sitting at a six-million-user cap comfortably handled by our existing servers," Yaho started, pointing to a chart. "But I propose we expand our infrastructure imdiately to hold a hundred million active users."
There were murmurs. Lukas sat up straighter.
"Why the rush?" asked one of the board mbers.
Yaho didn’t blink. "Because Lukas is becoming one of the most recognized nas on the East Coast. His na has weight—and his face is viral. If we wait until the IPO, we’ll be chasing the storm instead of surfing it."
Everyone turned toward Lukas.
He looked around, arms folded.
"How much are we talking?"
"Ten million in server expansion. It’ll be phased. We can use your assets for leverage until the IPO, or invest more in the future with cash."
The room was silent for a mont.
Then Lukas nodded. "Make it happen."
The room broke into applause. It wasn’t just about the tech. It was about montum.
As the clapping died down, Lukas’ phone buzzed again.
Roy: "The girls have arrived. Safe and sound."
He stood up imdiately. "The eting’s over."
Yaho smirked and followed him to the elevator.
"Off to play Prince Charming?" she teased.
He chuckled. "Sothing like that."
At the elevator doors, she stopped and placed a gentle hand on his arm.
"Good luck. Tell Annie and Bella I’ll drop by the suite when I’m free. Got three more calls with Tokyo this afternoon."
He nodded and stepped into the elevator.
His mind was already drifting to the girls.
Family was waiting.
The mont Lukas stepped through the glass doors of the Hotel Four Seasons penthouse level, the warm hush of luxury surrounded him. But what struck him wasn’t the opulence—it was the pair of familiar figures waiting near the grand lounge.
Annie sat on the plush beige couch, her hands protectively resting on her belly, her eyes flicking up the mont she heard the soft click of Lukas’ shoes against the marble floor. Bella stood beside her, dressed in a casual sky-blue hoodie and jeans, but sohow glowing with a quiet elegance. She was holding a small bag, probably filled with Annie’s necessities, and imdiately straightened up at the sight of Lukas.
He froze for just a second. It wasn’t nervousness—it was the quiet awe of sothing deeply personal returning to him. Annie stood slowly, her hands instinctively reaching out, and Lukas closed the distance in a few long strides.
"You look beautiful," he said softly, his eyes locked on hers.
Annie let out a shaky breath, a smile tugging at her lips. "You look like soone who owns the world, so busy."
Bella watched the exchange in silence, then smiled when Lukas turned to her and opened his arms. She didn’t hesitate. The hug was brief but full of emotion.
"Thank you for taking care of her," Lukas murmured.
"She took care of too," Bella said. "We’re a team now."
Lukas nodded, a flicker of emotion dancing across his face. "Then the team is ho."
He led them inside the suite, where the rich mahogany table had already been set with a light spread of fruit platters, herbal teas, and delicate pastries. Roy, as always, had taken care of the details.
Annie lowered herself slowly onto the cream leather chair, and Bella joined her, letting out a tiny sigh of relief as she sank into the comfort.
"This place is very good," Bella whispered, looking around.
"It’s just the beginning," Lukas said, pouring Annie a cup of warm ginger tea. "I’m glad you’re here. Both of you. I have etings, pressure, expansions, and a CFO I sotis want to fire and sotis want to crown—but none of that matters when I see you two."
Annie gave a tired but happy laugh. "That’s because you’re emotional, and tired, and hungry."
Lukas grinned. "Maybe. But mostly, I’m just lucky."
They spent the next hour talking about little things—how the suite was laid out, the view from the window, how Annie had started craving weird food combinations, and how Bella was obsessed with organizing their walk-in closet. Lukas listened more than he spoke, soaking it in.
Then, as he stood and pulled out his phone, he looked at both of them.
"Tomorrow, we shop for the mansion. I want you both to make it your ho. I don’t want it to feel like sothing I bought—I want it to feel like sothing we built."
Bella blinked, clearly overwheld.
Annie just smiled and said, "Then let’s build it right."
And in that mont, with the evening sun streaming in through the high-rise windows, Lukas felt sothing rare and grounding. A beginning—not of business, not of empire—but of sothing far more aningful: a family ho, where even their kids may grow old.
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