Page 65 of Captive Bride

“I’m not saying you have to get married today. But just talk to her, would you?”

I closed my eyes, letting Kieran's words sink in. "Yeah, I'll talk to her. Thanks, lad."

"Anytime. Stay safe, brother."

I knew he was right. I just…had no idea how I was going to approach her.

And that scared the shit out of me.

Chapter Twenty-Eight: Tristan

There was no time to think about it then.

Taking care of a baby was…all-consuming, difficult, and it made it hard to think about other things.

Adriana handed me a tiny bundle wrapped in blue, his little chest rising and falling in that new, fragile rhythm of sleep. I held him with a kind of reverence, feeling the weight of this tiny life in my hands.

"So I don’t know about this DNA test," I broke the silence. I’d onboarded her onto some of the conversation I’d had with Kieran and now I watched her as she settled our daughter into the crib next to her brother. "Kieran's coming tomorrow to help get things sorted."

Adriana paused, laying a protective hand on our daughter's chest, feeling the gentle rise and fall. She met my gaze, her eyes searching mine. "It's not just a piece of paper, Tristan. It's proof.For them." Her chin gestured towards the sleeping infants. "For their future in the Callahan Legacy."

I didn’t say anything, looking down at our son instead. God, he was so beautiful. I’d hardly had time to look at him, really, and now I’d hardly had time to look at him, really, and now I traced my finger along his tiny cheek, marveling at the softness of his skin. His eyes fluttered open for a moment, a piercing blue that mirrored my own. My heart clenched.

Adriana smiled at us. “And don’t you want to know?”

“I mean, I don’t know.” I sighed, running a hand through my hair. "I guess I do. But it's just... it's complicated."

Adriana crossed the room, her steps silent on the plush carpet. She placed a hand on my arm, her touch warm and reassuring. "I know it is. But we need to do this, for them."

I looked down at our son, his tiny features peaceful in sleep. "What if it changes everything?"

"It already has," Adriana whispered. "The moment they were born, everything changed."

I nodded, feeling the weight of her words. We stood there in silence, watching our children sleep, the gravity of our decision hanging in the air between us.

"Right, and that’s why we have to do this. Because they need to be legally entitled to the estate’s money, if nothing else," I confirmed, adjusting the little one in my arms. "They deserve to know where they come from. And no one can question their place in the family once it's done."

"Right. So you’re going to do it.”

“I am,” I replied. “I’m just…trying to talk myself into it.”

"That said," she began, her voice steady but cautious, "I know why you want to do this DNA test, and I'm behind you. But we can't ignore the risks. This is poking the bear, inviting scrutiny we might not be ready for."

"Ade," I said, reaching out to gently brush my fingers against her arm, "I won't let anything happen to our family. Proving my Callahan bloodline...you know it’s about securing our twins' future, ensuring they never have to look over their shoulders."

She nodded, the corners of her lips tilting upwards in a faint smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. Trust was hard-won with her, every bit as much as it was for me.

I sat there, frozen in a moment of sheer peace as the twins' steady breaths whispered through the nursery. The clock ticked softly, an accompaniment to their synchronized exhales, a lullaby that eased the tension from my shoulders. Kieran had prepared this room, made it into a nursery. It was so nice to arrive and know that he had been painting walls with clouds and skies, hoping to give them dreams as boundless as the heavens we depicted.

Adriana glanced at me, her eyes reflecting the soft glow of the nightlight, and I could read the storm of emotions swirling within them. With a simple look, she said everything—fear, hope, love—all mingled into one silent conversation. Our hands found each other's in the dimness, fingers entwining like the roots of ancient trees, seeking strength from shared soil.

"Finally asleep," she murmured, her voice barely more than the rustling of leaves in a gentle breeze.

"Like angels," I replied, gazing down at the two tiny faces that held my world together. They were oblivious to the legacy hanging over their heads, the invisible crown they were born to wear.

Adriana squeezed my hand, grounding me back to the here and now—away from the worries of tomorrow, away from the ghosts of my past that lingered in the shadows. We were doing this for them, venturing into uncertain waters so they wouldn't have to swim against the tides of our making one day.

“Thank you,” I said.

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