Seraphine woke to the soft, almost hesitant knock drifting through the quiet of the suite, the kind of sound that tugged her out of sleep without fully startling her.
She pushed herself upright, heart already reaching for the door, when her eyes landed on the folded note resting on the bed beside her.
A warm, unstoppable smile curved across her face as she looked from the paper in her hands to the two little bodies still lost in peaceful sleep, their faces soft and trusting against the pillows.
Something deep in her chest swelled so full it felt like the whole messy world could stay outside for a little while longer and she would still be okay.
Another gentle knock pulled her back, and she slipped out of bed, bare feet quiet on the carpet as she crossed the room. When she opened the door and saw Vladimir standing there with a tray, her whole face lit up.
"Dad."
She reached for the tray right away, taking the weight from him with an easy familiarity.
Vladimir’s expression softened as he explained that he had been about to bring her the soup himself when the delivery Voren ordered showed up at the same time.
Seraphine carried everything over to the small table by the window, then turned back with a faint crease between her brows.
"Why didn’t you let Voren bring it?"
Vladimir’s mouth twitched like he had only just realized how quickly Voren had disappeared.
"Oh. He said he needed to take care of something, but he insisted that no one leave until he returned."
Relief rolled through Seraphine in a quiet wave, and her shoulders eased.
"That means he’ll be back early."
She quickly excused herself to the washroom to freshen up. When she returned, she lifted the bowl of hot steaming soup, blew across the surface, and took a careful spoonful.
Vladimir watched her with that small, fond smile of his. "Is it to your liking?"
"Very much."
Seraphine nodded, and the middle-aged man’s smile deepened before his gaze drifted toward the two children still sleeping on the bed. "I should take them to my room."
Seraphine shook her head almost at once. "No, Dad. I miss them. Besides, you are still dealing with Olivia."
He conceded with a quiet nod. "You’re right. Just let me know if you need anything. I’ll gather everyone for the meeting in the conference room."
The hotel out here in the outlands had nearly every comfort a luxury place in the city could offer, so she simply nodded her thanks and kept eating after Vladimir left.
She was almost finished when a soft little groan came from the bed. "Mommy? Daddy?"
Seraphine set the spoon down and reached for Esperanza, but the little girl was already pushing herself up, the movement jostling Bryan awake. He blinked blearily, then offered a sleepy greeting to his sister. "Espe, good morning," before turning those same soft eyes on Seraphine. "Good morning, Mom. Where is Dad?"
Seraphine hesitated only a second, trying to figure out which father he meant.
"Are you talking about Ravyn?" Bryan shook his head right away. "No, I’m talking about Daddy V."
The way he said it pulled another smile across her face, warm and a little watery. Esperanza climbed down and came straight to her side, Bryan right behind her.
Seraphine told them their dad had gone to take care of some business and that she would help them freshen up before they ate. Both kids agreed without argument, and once they were ready she guided them over to the table.


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