As Sophia headed over to check if our private security team had safely brought Daisy back from school, I gestured for my chief shadow guard to follow me into the ground-floor study.
Once inside, the shadow chief locked the heavy double doors behind us. "Boss, as per your orders, almost every major commercial project has been successfully poached from the Young Group and brought under the Cosmos Group umbrella."
I pulled out my phone, glancing at the crashing stock charts. "How are they holding up?"
"The Young family is practically bankrupt, sir," the shadow chief reported respectfully. "While we couldn’t strip every single paper asset in a single afternoon, their last remaining political and financial backers have completely collapsed. Every prominent family member involved in illegal activities or criminal cover-ups has already been taken into custody. The entire business sector in Metro City knows you were the mastermind behind this, and they are so terrified of your influence that not a single soul dares to offer the Young family a hand."
He paused, a subtle glint of pride in his eyes. "By tomorrow morning, the biggest headline across the nation will be how the decades-old Young family went bankrupt in a single day. No media outlet will dare publish your name directly, but we’ve ensured that even the high-society elites in River City know who wiped out a multi-hundred-billion-dollar dynasty overnight."
A cold, satisfied smirk touched my lips. "Good. Then it’s time I fulfill the promise I made to Patriarch Young—that I would visit him one last time before he’s thrown into a prison cell or onto the streets."
"I’ll have the motorcade ready whenever you give the word, Boss."
Leaving the study, I walked into the bright, spacious living room. Daisy was sitting on the plush rug, happily drawing with her colored pencils while Sophia watched over her with a warm smile. I looked around, hoping to see Seraphina and Clara, but neither was in sight.
Walking over, I took a seat on the couch beside Sophia and looked down at the little girl. "How was your day at school, Daisy?"
Daisy looked up instantly, her big eyes sparkling. "Uncle Julian! My teacher gave me a gold star today for my drawing!"
"Is that so?" I feigned grand surprise, leaning in closer. "Can I see this masterpiece?"
"Yep!" Daisy proudly held up a sheet of paper from behind her back.
The drawing showed five stick figures standing hand-in-hand under a bright yellow sun. I chuckled softly, pointing at the figures. "Who’s who, princess?"
Daisy pointed her small finger at each one with immense pride. "This little girl in the middle is me! On my left is you, Uncle Julian, and on my right is Mommy! Beside you are Aunty Clara and Aunty Sera!"
Warmth flooded my chest. I reached down, scooping Daisy up into my arms and tossing her gently into the air, making her burst into a fit of giggles. "Princess, you just made me the happiest man alive! Ask me for anything you want—a toy store, a playground, anything!"
Daisy gasped, her eyes widening at the endless possibilities, but then she shook her head adorably. "Not right now, Uncle Julian! I’ll tell you after I make a really big decision, okay?"
"Deal, my princess," I laughed, setting her down gently. "Go play for a bit while the maids prepare dinner."
As Daisy scampered off toward her play area, I leaned sideways toward Sophia, my voice dropping to a whisper near her ear. "So... should I tell Daisy to start calling me ’Dad’ from now on?"
A deep blush swept across Sophia’s neck and cheeks. She looked away shyly, murmuring, "Why don’t you focus on fully winning over her mother first? Besides... you still haven’t introduced me to your other women as your partner."
"Well, for that, Clara and Sera need to be here," I smiled faintly. "Sera is upstairs in her office going over the monthly villa expenses since tomorrow is payroll day, and Clara hasn’t made it home from the headquarters yet."
Sophia teased with a soft smirk, "I don’t know about money and power, Mr. Vance, but the one thing you definitely never run out of is excuses."
I let out a soft laugh, resting my arm along the back of the sofa behind her. "You took my kiss and my heart this afternoon, Miss Starling. There’s no backing out now."
Sophia looked at me, her gaze softening into pure warmth. "I don’t want to back out either, Julian... I’m just waiting to see if Clara and Sera will truly accept me."
Before I could answer, the heavy front doors swung open. Clara stepped inside, looking noticeably tired after a long day of corporate maneuvers. Spotting us, she walked over, kicking off her heels, and sank into the couch beside Sophia and me.
"Julian... your security chief sent so many contracts to my office today that they literally piled up into a mountain on my desk," Clara sighed, resting her head against my shoulder.
I leaned over and pressed a soft kiss onto her forehead. "You did a flawless job as always, sweetheart."
Just then, a maid stepped into the living room, bowing respectfully. "Sir, dinner is served. Should we bring out the dishes?"
Checking my watch, I realized it was already 8:00 PM. "Yes, go ahead. And please head upstairs to inform Miss Sera that dinner is ready."
We made our way into the grand dining room. The maid helped Daisy into her boosted dining chair, and I took my place at the head of the table. Sophia sat right next to Daisy. Clara walked over and pulled out the chair to my left, leaving the seat directly on my right empty.
I looked at Clara in mild curiosity. "Clara, why leave that chair empty? You could have sat right beside me today."
Clara smiled gently, shaking her head. "That seat belongs to Sera. You love us both equally, Julian, and I know that. But Sera was the first woman in your life, and she welcomed me into this home with open arms. I will always make sure that whenever she comes to the table, her place right beside you is waiting for her."
I looked over at Sophia, giving her a subtle, knowing glance that said: See? You have nothing to worry about.
A moment later, Seraphina walked down the stairs, her face lighting up when she saw us all gathered. As we settled into dinner, I casually mentioned what Clara had just said.
Sera laughed softly, pouring herself a glass of wine. "Oh, Clara... even if you sat there, I wouldn’t have minded at all! I consider you and Sophia my sisters now, so of course there’s no need for formal rules between us."
The atmosphere around the table was lively, filled with laughter, delicious food, and fine wine. By the end of the meal, little Daisy had gotten sleepy from all the chatter and was fast asleep in Sophia’s arms.
After dinner, I guided Sera and Clara toward the master bedroom suite. While they went inside to get changed, I lingered in the hallway with Sophia, who was cradling the sleeping little girl.
I stepped closer, wrapping an arm gently around Sophia’s waist, and leaned down to press a slow, tender kiss against her lips.
When we separated, she flushed, looking at me with wide, affectionate eyes. I leaned in close to her ear, whispering softly, "Don’t worry about a thing, love. I’ll take care of everything. And starting tomorrow morning... tell Daisy she can start calling me ’Dad’."
Sophia’s face turned completely crimson, but a radiant smile broke across her face. She nodded softly before stepping into her room and closing the door.
Turning back, I opened the double doors to my master bedroom, switching the AC to a cool 22°C. Sera and Clara were already lounging on the massive king-sized bed in their silk sleepwear. I walked over, taking a seat right between them.
"Sera, Clara... I have something important to tell you both," I said, taking a hand from each of them. "This afternoon, I officially confessed my feelings to Sophia... and she accepted me. But she was very anxious about whether you two would be comfortable with her joining our family."
Sera and Clara exchanged a quick glance before both of them burst into sweet smiles.
"Of course we accept her!" Sera said warmly, pressing her hand over mine. "Sophia is wonderful."
Clara giggled, resting her head on my chest. "Besides, if she becomes your woman, doesn’t that mean we get a super cute little daughter in the house too?"
A wave of profound affection washed over me. I pulled both of them into a tight, warm embrace, pressing deep kisses onto their lips. "Thank you both for being so understanding."
As they snuggled against me, a playful thought crossed my mind. "Hey... how about we tease Sophia a little bit tomorrow morning just to break her nervous shell?"
Sera laughed, swatting my chest lightly. "You’re terrible, Julian!"
"Also, tomorrow morning’s financial news is going to be massive," I added with a smirk, stroking Clara’s hair. "Sera, love, let’s have breakfast served in the living room tomorrow so we can watch the Young family’s empire collapse on live television together."