Page 150 of Stars in Nova

‘I see you, firefly,’ he rasped, his deep rumble warm. ‘You’re dazzling.’

She snickered again, spinning faster, her curls bouncing with each turn. He smiled, his broad shoulders relaxing for a rare moment of peace amid his high-stakes responsibilities.

From the doorway, a figure appeared.

‘Illanna,’ he breathed, his heart leaping.

His red-haired woman, his wildfire volcano, stepped into the room with the quiet confidence that always seemed to captivate him.

Her emerald dress clung to her silhouette in all the right places, her fiery locks cascading over one shoulder. The glimmer in her eyes held the mischievous charm that had first drawn him to her.

‘She’s got your energy,’ she teased, nodding toward their daughter. ‘It’s going to be a challenge getting her to bed tonight.’

He chuckled, his muscled torso rumbling. ‘She gets that from you.’

She moved closer, her light floral scent wrapping around him.

He rose from his chair and went to her, tilting his head down as she pressed up on her toes, her hands brushing his chest as their lips met.

The kiss was soft but lingering, filled with a quiet promise of years shared and more to come.

When she pulled away, her smile deepened as she caught the groan he let out. ‘Later,’ she murmured, her voice just above a whisper. ‘If you’re lucky.’

His grin widened, and he shook his head as she turned to leave. Her hips swayed as she walked, and his gaze followed her until she disappeared down the hallway.

He sucked his teeth, his heart ad body thrumming for her.

‘Daddy!’ the little girl exclaimed, breaking his trance.

She stood still now, her tiny hands on her waist, a miniature version of her mother’s fiery demeanor. ‘Are you watching me or Mommy?’

He laughed, crouching and opening his arms as she ran toward him, her stuffed animal trailing behind.

‘Always you, firefly,’ he said, scooping her up and spinning her around as her giggles filled the room. ‘Now go off with Mommy for dinner.’

With his daughter in his embrace and the memory of his woman’s kiss lingering, the world’s concerns outside his office seemed to vanish for a fleeting moment.

He placed the girl on her feet, and she took off after her mother.

With a wistful sigh, he turned away and sat behind his desk.

Eyes slicing to the walls lined with sleek panels that pulsed with data streams cast a soft glow reflecting off his chiseled features.

His dark eyes narrowed as he scanned the logs from the battle of Orilia XIV, searching for anomalies.

His gaze landed on a term that stood out against the lines of code: Illu.

He leaned forward, tapping the interface to access more details. The word appeared several times, linking it to spikes in energy and peculiar atmospheric disturbances during the conflict.

‘Mirage,’ he called. ‘What’s this?’

The AI materialized before him, her holographic form shimmering like a ghost.

Her luminous eyes flicked over the data, and for a moment, the room was silent save for the whir of the fan above.

With a sigh, she spoke, her tone subdued. ‘It’s an extraterrestrial divergence that appeared integrated into the cyborg army. The same anomaly just manifested over Genovia.’

Zane straightened in his chair, his jaw tightening.

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