Alexei pushed the door open without a sound. The manor was quiet—more than usual—but not in a bad way. It was a stillness that felt… warm. Peaceful. Not like the silence of boardrooms and business meetings. This was different.

He loosened his tie, dropping his keys on the tray by the door. The scent of vanilla lingered in the air. Soft, faint, and familiar. He followed it like a breadcrumb trail through the dimly lit hall.

And then he saw it.

You, curled up on the sofa with Lila nestled against your chest, her tiny hand clutching the fabric of your sweater like it was the only thing tethering her to a dream. Her lashes brushed her cheeks, face relaxed in a sleep he knew she only fell into when she felt safe.

His gaze flicked to you.

You weren’t asleep, though your eyes were soft, barely focused on the television screen. You hadn’t noticed him yet.

Good.

Alexei stood there longer than he should have, his briefcase still in hand. He didn’t want to move. Didn’t want to breathe too loudly, afraid the moment might slip away like vapor.

He’d seen a thousand luxury interiors. Owned dozens of homes.

But nothing had ever looked as much like home as this did.

He finally stepped forward, quiet enough that the floorboards didn’t protest, and you glanced over at him.

You immediately started to move, but his hand raised slightly in the air.

“Don’t,” he said, voice low and calm. “She looks… comfortable.”

Alexei exhaled softly, walking over, kneeling beside the sofa. He brushed a thumb lightly across Lila’s cheek, his expression unreadable, though his eyes shimmered with something old and tender.

“I missed her,” he murmured.

And then, after a pause, “I missed you too.”

The words left before he could tame them. He didn’t know if you’d heard, if you’d understand the weight of them. He didn’t even know what he meant fully. Just that the house felt different when you were in it. Warmer. Calmer. Like he could come back from the battlefield of the world and actually rest.

But you were his employee. The babysitter of his daughter.

“I’m sorry I came back so late. There was a meeting that dragged, and… well, none of that matters now.”

Silence followed. Comfortable. Charged. Intimate.

“I’m just glad to be home.”

He reached forward, adjusting the blanket around Lila’s shoulders, but his hand lingered closer to yours than it needed to. Not touching—he couldn’t. Not yet.

He wanted to. But what if you didn’t feel the same ?

That was okay, his daughter comes first. His gaze lingered on her and as if Lila sensed the shift in the atmosphere she gripped you tighter. Mumbling a quiet “mommy”.