Chapter 4 - The First Smile
Two weeks passed. Steel Manor was slowly transforming.
The cold, museum-like halls were now filled with the soft sounds of children's footsteps. The expansive sunroom had been converted into a brightly lit playroom filled with art supplies, building blocks, and giant stuffed animals.
Yet, despite the luxurious surroundings, Lily and Owen remained hesitant. They walked on tiptoes, spoke in quiet whispers, and apologized profusely whenever they dropped a toy or spilled a drop of juice.
Ryker noticed everything.
On a rainy Saturday morning, Ryker canceled all his meetings and spent the day at the Manor. He sat on the rug in the sunroom, wearing plain grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt—a drastic contrast to his usual sharp suits.
Owen was sitting near the window, carefully stacking wooden blocks into a tall tower, while Lily sat nearby drawing with crayons.
"Owen," Ryker called softly.
The little boy immediately froze, looking up nervously. "Did I do something wrong, Mr. Steel?"
"First," Ryker said, leaning forward on his knees, "stop calling me Mr. Steel. You can call me Ryker. Or whatever you feel comfortable with."
Owen blinked, looking at his sister. "Okay... Ryker."
"Second, your tower is crooked. It's going to fall," Ryker said, pointing to the base of the wooden structure.
Owen lowered his head. "I'm sorry..."
"Don't be sorry," Ryker said, reaching over and deliberately knocking the entire tower over with his hand. The blocks crashed loudly across the hardwood floor.
Lily gasped, putting her hands over her mouth. Owen stared at the fallen blocks in utter shock, expecting a reprimand.
Instead, Ryker smiled—a real, genuine smile that rare few people in the world had ever seen.
"Building things is fun," Ryker said, grabbing a handful of blocks. "But tearing them down and rebuilding them better? That's the best part."
Owen looked at the scattered blocks, then at Ryker's gentle eyes. A sudden, tiny spark lit up inside the boy.
Slowly, Owen reached out, took a heavy red block, and threw it against the remaining stack, sending it tumbling again.
Clack! Clack! Clack!
Lily let out a tiny, high-pitched giggle.
Ryker laughed—a deep, booming sound that filled the entire room. He picked up another block and handed it to Lily. "Your turn."
Lily grabbed the block and hurled it at a nearby toy castle. It collapsed with a loud crash.
Within minutes, the sunroom was filled with uncontrollable laughter. The twins were running around, knocking over block towers, throwing soft foam balls at Ryker, who pretended to be dramatically defeated every time a ball hit his chest.
Mrs. Gable stood at the doorway, wiping tears from her eyes with her apron. In thirty years of service, she had never seen Ryker Steel laugh. She had never seen him smile like this. The cold billionaire was melting away, revealing a father.
Later that afternoon, after a lunch of homemade pancakes, the children fell asleep on the giant velvet sofa in the living room, exhausted from playing.
Ryker sat on the floor beside them, a soft blanket draped over their shoulders. Lily’s hand was resting against his knee, her breathing soft and rhythmic.
Suddenly, Ryker's phone buzzed on silent mode. He picked it up and walked quietly out into the hallway.
"Speak," Ryker whispered into the receiver.
"Sir," Marco's voice was tense. "We have a problem. Vanessa Vance's high-powered defense attorney just filed a motion in family court. They're claiming that Vanessa was suffering from a 'temporary severe mental breakdown' at the airport due to grief and financial stress. They are challenging your temporary custody and demanding that the children be placed in state foster care pending trial."
Ryker's eyes hardened into ice. "On what grounds?"
"They are claiming that you, a single bachelor with no parental experience and an aggressive corporate reputation, bought your way into temporary custody through illegal influence. And there's more... Julian Vance has allied with Vanessa’s legal team. He’s testifying that you threatened his life."
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Ryker looked back through the open doorway at the two sleeping children who were finally beginning to feel safe.
"Assemble the entire legal team," Ryker commanded, his voice deadlier than ever. "We go to court tomorrow. I am going to end this fight once and for all."
