Chapter 386: The Quiet Evening
Evaline:
By the time late afternoon rolled around, the mansion had fallen into a strange, quiet rhythm. It wasn’t tense like before, nor peaceful either. It was something in between... the kind of calm that followed a storm that had shaken every wall, yet somehow hadn’t broken anything.
After everything that had happened earlier - me sneaking out to the old headquarters, Oscar joining me, the way River and Kieran had been waiting for us when we came home, the explosive argument that followed, and then... what happened between River and me in his room - I wasn’t sure if I should call this calm a relief or the calm before the next inevitable argument.
None of my mates had returned to work after that.
River had called his secretary to cancel the rest of his schedule for the day. Since Kieran had no classes after lunch, he didn’t go back to the Academy. And Oscar, who had already called in for half a day, stayed home too.
It was the first time in a while that all of them were home together in the middle of the week. The reason wasn’t ideal, but still, the house felt... full.
After I finally left River’s room - dressed in my own clothes, his shirt folded neatly in my hand - the first thing I did was look for my son. I had missed Lioren more than I had realized.
Maybe it was guilt, maybe it was the instinctive pull of a mother who had spent too long away from her child, but the moment I saw him, all the chaos of the day faded into a blur.
He was awake, tiny fingers wrapped around his blanket, his dark lashes fluttering as he turned his head toward me. The second he saw me, his little face lit up, and my heart melted completely.
I gathered him into my arms, inhaling the familiar scent of milk and warmth that was uniquely his. My little boy. My anchor in this whirlwind of a life.
He was hungry, of course. The moment I sat down, he was already fussing, so I nursed him quietly, watching his tiny fingers curl against my skin. The steady rhythm of his breathing calmed me more than anything else could.
After he finished feeding, I changed him into fresh clothes and then slipped into something more comfortable myself - a soft cotton dress in light blue, loose enough to move easily. Jeans and blouses were fine for going out, but at home, comfort came first.
With Lioren in my arms, I headed downstairs to the living room.
The house was bright, the late afternoon light spilling in through the wide glass windows. The scent of brewed coffee and toasted bread drifted through the air. I found River sitting on one of the couches, his laptop balanced on his lap, his brows drawn together in quiet focus.
Even though he had canceled his schedule, work had always been an inseparable part of who he was. Still, the moment he looked up and sensed me and Lioren, his expression softened.
He set the laptop aside without hesitation and stood.
"Come here," he murmured in a rare gentle voice.
I stepped closer, and he reached out, taking Lioren from my arms with practiced ease. Watching him hold our son always stirred something inside me - something deep, raw, and tender. He looked so effortlessly natural like that, as if he had been born to protect this tiny life with everything he had.
Oscar and Kieran appeared from the kitchen just then, each carrying a tray. Kieran’s had sandwiches while Oscar’s carried coffee and two glasses of juice.
"I figured we could use something to eat," Kieran said, setting the tray down on the center table. "It’s practically evening and none of us had lunch."
We didn’t go to the dining table. Instead, we all settled into the couches in the living room - River with Lioren on his lap, me beside him, Oscar and Kieran sitting across from us.
The food wasn’t anything fancy, but it felt warm, domestic. Simple moments like this had become rare lately, and I tried to soak in every bit of it - the easy laughter, the clink of coffee cups, the quiet hum of normalcy.
Lioren gurgled happily as River bounced him lightly, his tiny hands reaching for his father’s shirt. River gave up trying to pry his fingers away after a while and simply let his son play with it while he smiled faintly, a softness I rarely saw lingering on his face.
Oscar was the one filling most of the silence with light conversation, talking about the Academy’s upcoming events and new lesson plans for the final year students.
For a moment, I almost believed the tension of the day had dissolved.
Almost.
Because when the plates were finally cleared away and the kitchen maids came to collect the dishes, the quiet shifted again - heavier, more expectant.
Kieran leaned forward slightly, his gaze flickering between River and me.
"So," he began, his voice calm but edged, "what are we going to do now?"
The question hung in the air like a blade.
My fingers tightened around the green tea cup in my hands.
Right. That.
Even though I had managed to make River understand my point earlier, Kieran hadn’t changed his stance one bit. He was still set against me getting involved in the Soul Death investigation outside the Academy walls.
I let out a small sigh and looked at River. He was still playing with Lioren, pretending not to feel the weight of Kieran’s question, though I could sense the tension in the bond that connected us.
Oscar, noticing it too, reached over and gently took Lioren from River’s arms. "Here," he said softly. "Let me take him."
River hesitated but eventually let go, brushing his hand across our son’s soft hair before withdrawing.
The moment Lioren was safe in Oscar’s hold, River leaned back in his seat, his expression shifting - not cold, not angry, but serious in a way that made my heart skip.
He looked at Kieran. Then at me. And then back at Kieran.
The silence stretched before he finally exhaled, and announced -
"I have agreed with Eva."