Chapter 281. Contentment, Child

“Uncle Carter!” Zayne and Dwayne exclaim in unison, finally detaching from their mother and rushing toward him. They wrap their arms around his legs in a fierce hug. Carter chuckles, patting them both on the head.

“Hey, little guys,” he says warmly. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

Dwayne tilts his head back to look up at Carter, his stomach gurgling loudly. “Uncle Carter, I’m hungry,” he announces, rubbing his belly with a frown.

“Me too!” Zayne chimes in, nodding enthusiastically. “This whole drama has made me so hungry I could swallow a whole horse.”

Carter smiles and exchanges a look with Lara. Her face softens, and she gives a small shrug, an unspoken agreement passing between them. “Then I think it’s time to go home and get you both fed,” Carter says, ruffling Dwayne’s hair.

“Can we go to your house, Uncle Carter?” Dwayne asks, his eyes shining with excitement. “We’ve missed your cooking so much!”

“Yes, yes, yes!” Zayne agrees, bouncing on his toe