Chapter 9 - The Cottage by the Sound
Julian refused to let Maya take the children back to their cramped apartment, but he understood she could never breathe inside the oppressive halls of the Vance estate.
Three days later, he drove them two hours north along the coast to a weathered stone cottage overlooking Long Island Sound. The property was wild with sea grass and salt air, completely isolated from the prying eyes of the financial press that had begun buzzing about the board upheaval.
"This belonged to my maternal grandmother," Julian explained as he carried Noah on his shoulders, Iris holding his hand. "She left it directly to me before Arthur took complete control of my mother’s estate. It has never been touched by Vance Global. It’s clean."
Maya walked onto the wooden deck, breathing in the brisk Atlantic wind. For the first time in years, the crushing weight on her shoulders lifted slightly.
"What about Leo?" Maya asked, turning to Julian.
A young nurse, hired on temporary contract, carried the baby in a carrier behind them. Julian looked down at his shoes, running a hand through his wind-tousled hair.
"He needs family, Maya. Not nannies, not cold estates. But I know I have no right to ask anything of you."
Maya walked over to him, looking at the little girl who had now wrapped both arms around Julian's leg. Iris looked up at her father with complete trust—the innate, unbreakable compass of a child who recognizes their own kin.
May you like
"You aren't asking for yourself, Julian. You're asking for him," Maya said softly. "We will stay here for the summer. You will live in the guest suite above the boathouse. You will learn how to change diapers, how to make oatmeal without burning it, and how to read bedtime stories until your voice is raspy. You will learn to be a father, not a CEO."
Julian’s eyes brightened with an overwhelming, humble gratitude. "I'll do whatever it takes."
