“I am so sorry, Mr. Harper, I will clean everything immediately,” she said.
Dominic did not raise his voice or show anger, and instead he reached down, touched the flour lightly, then looked at his sons with a quiet question.
“Are they happy?” he asked calmly.
Minutes later, something unthinkable happened as Dominic Harper, wearing a suit worth thousands of dollars, sat on the kitchen floor eating a slightly undercooked pancake with his sons. It tasted imperfect, yet it felt better than any meal he had ever had in expensive restaurants.
For the first time in years, the house felt alive.
That fragile peace did not last long.
The front door slammed loudly, and the sharp sound of heels striking marble echoed through the house. Natalie entered the kitchen with controlled anger, her expression tightening as she took in the scene.
“What is this mess supposed to be?” she demanded sharply.
Dominic tried to explain that they were simply having fun, but Natalie twisted the situation effortlessly into something else. She called it irresponsible and inappropriate, criticizing Olivia harshly in front of the children while suggesting that boundaries had been crossed.