Chapter 4 The Return

Thira sat by the window, watching as the airplane dipped through thick white clouds. The skyline of New York City appeared below them - tall silver towers rising out of the morning mist. Her heart beat faster in her chest. Five years ago, this city had swallowed her whole and spat her out in pieces. Now she was coming back, stronger, but still holding old wounds. Sometimes, she wondered if it was all worth it.

"Mum, are we in New York?" Kai asked from beside her. He is the most inquisitive of Thira's triplets and a tech genius.

She glanced at him and smiled tightly. "Yes, sweetheart. We're almost there."

Kai leaned forward, his eyes scanning the cityscape with focused excitement. "Is Daddy here too?"

Thira's fingers tightened around her seatbelt. That particular question sliced through her chest like it always did, but she tried to keep her calm. She swallowed and heart skipped at his question.

Kai nodded like it didn't bother him, already turning to tell his twin brother Niko about the bridges and highways they could see below. Niko pressed his nose against the window while Elara, curled against Thira's arm, hummed a little tune under her breath.

Behind them, Carden chuckled softly. "You three look like baby hawks hunting mice down there," he teased.

Niko grinned. "I'd catch the biggest mouse."

Elara wrinkled her nose. "Ew, no. I'd design a dress for the mouse."

Kai shot her a look. "Mice are meant to be mice. No catching or playing dress up."

Carden laughed warmly, and Thira felt her chest loosen a little. His voice always felt like a gentle shield between her and the world.

As the plane began its slow descent, Thira's mind drifted back to the day she met Carden again. Five years ago, she had knocked on his apartment door, broken and trembling, after her father threw her out. She remembered how he pulled her into his arms without a word, his strong chest steady and warm against her sobs.

When he told her he was relocating to Florence for work, he offered to take her with him. She had refused at first, too ashamed to accept. But he simply smiled and said, "You deserve better than this place."

Two weeks after arriving in Florence, Thira found out she was pregnant. Her world tilted with fear, but Carden never let her fall. He helped her through every wave of sickness, every scan, every silent crying night. He refused to let her give up on herself. When people asked if he was the father, he never corrected them. But the kids always called him "Uncle."

With his support, she studied hard, earning top certifications in finance, branding, and luxury management. He never let her forget who she was meant to become.

Now, here she was - flying back to New York with a job offer from Dax Holdings. When their HR manager first called her about the position, she had almost refused. How could she work full-time while raising three five-year-olds?

But the company insisted. They offered her a four-bedroom apartment in one of their high-security estates, assigned her a company vehicle, and tailored her contract to fit her family's needs. There was literally no way out of it.

"You're running again," Carden told her one evening in Florence, his voice quiet but firm. "This job is your chance to stop running."

She was conflicted, yes, but the pros were looking far more than the cons. So she accepted it, clutching her fear and hope together like threads of the same fabric.

At the arrivals gate, a cheerful man in a clownish yellow tie stood holding a placard with her name. "Miss Calderon?" he asked brightly. "Welcome to New York. I'm your driver for today."

"Thank you," she said softly, guiding the kids towards him.

The driver led them to a shiny Toyota Highlander parked outside. Kai slid in first, scanning the seats and dashboard with sharp eyes.

"Mum, this car is outdated," he said seriously, tapping at the seatbelt buckle. "They should've gotten the 2025 model."

The driver chuckled as he helped Elara into her booster seat. "That sounds like something my boss would say."

Thira smiled politely but barely heard him. Her mind was busy counting backpacks, water bottles, and snack bags, making sure nothing was left behind.

Carden climbed into the backseat beside the kids while Thira settled into the front passenger seat. As they drove away from the airport, the city rushed past her window in a blur of silver towers, bright billboards, and busy crowds.

Soon, the roads quieted as they entered a gated community. A large sign read: Dax Holdings Private Estate – D Avenue.

The guard waved them in, and the car rolled down smooth brick roads lined with tall trees. Thira felt her chest tighten with mixed emotions - fear, excitement, nostalgia. It was beautiful. It was powerful. And it belonged to the world that once broke her.

She glanced back at the kids. They were whispering to each other suspiciously, their little heads huddled close together.

Without warning, Kai looked up with bright, triumphant eyes.

"Yes!" he said loudly. "And I found him!"

Thira turned in her seat, startled. "Found who, Kai?"

But before he could speak again, Niko clamped a hand over his brother's mouth. Elara shook her head quickly, her curls bouncing.

"Nothing, Mum," Niko said with a quick smile.

"Yeah," Elara added softly, blinking her innocent eyes. "Nothing at all."

Thira studied their faces, her heart ticking faster with unease. What are you hiding from me? she wondered silently, turning back to the window as the car rolled deeper into the estate, towards a future she could no longer run from.