Chapter 45

Sienna’s POV

The smell of garlic and herbs filled Daniel’s kitchen, a comforting warmth pushing back the chill of the past few days. It was just us tonight, the kids with a sitter, a rare moment of peace that felt both earned and fragile. After Leo’s sweet, unexpected visit to Daniel, and the talk at the restaurant, a different kind of calm had settled. Not the uneasy calm before a storm, but the quiet after one, when the air felt clean and the ground solid again.

I chopped vegetables, my knife clinking softly against the cutting board. Daniel moved around the kitchen with an easy grace, preparing something that smelled incredible. He didn’t hover, he just was, a steady presence beside me. My heart felt lighter than it had in years.

“So,” Daniel began, his voice a low hum that vibrated through the quiet space, “no more dramatic restaurant entrances from Leo, then?”

I chuckled, a genuine laugh bubbling up. “Probably not. He thinks he’s a master strategi