The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy!-Chapter 803: Where To Begin?

[Flashback]

"Atlas."

Atlas blinked as he turned to the side of the bed, catching Lola lying on her side, facing him.

"You’re awake?" he said, stretching his arm while she moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder. "Too early."

She smiled, tugging at his hips. "You’re earlier."

"Sleep some more," he hummed, bending the arm she was using as a cushion and casually massaging the top of her head.

But Lola didn’t close her weary eyes. She kept looking at him with a smile on her face.

"You really wake up early, do you?" she hummed. "I think I wake up early too, but... you guys wake up earlier."

It honestly made her feel like a slacker.

His brows rose in surprise, only to hear her chuckle before she poked the tip of his nose.

"You and your family," she clarified between light chuckles. "I just noticed."

Even if she didn’t want to, she had no choice but to notice. After all, his siblings had joined their honeymoon and were making the best of it. And every morning, whenever Lola woke up and joined them, there were at least five dramas that had already happened while she was sleeping.

"Well." Atlas blinked as a light smile formed on his face. "I thought that was pretty standard."

She stifled a laugh but didn’t say anything. Of course, if he grew up in a household of early birds, he would think that was normal.

"What time is it?" she asked, moving closer to him and resting her head on his shoulder, then on his chest.

"Five — almost six in the morning."

Her brows rose as she looked up at him. "Really?"

"That’s why I told you to sleep."

"But isn’t that a little late for you?" she asked. "I thought it was still around four. Why haven’t you gotten up?"

She knew he got up every morning and then came back to her around the time she woke up. So she found it strange that he hadn’t gotten up and was just lying there.

He looked down at her with a smile before lifting his eyes to the ceiling.

"I don’t know," he said after a moment of thought. "I just want to stay with you."

Lola blinked repeatedly, drawing her head back slightly before pushing herself up to look at his face.

"But you didn’t know I would wake up," she answered innocently, watching his eyes drift from the ceiling to her. "Hmm?"

Atlas didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he reached out and caressed her cheek with his fingertips. He looked at her as if memorizing every pore of her face while she stared back at him curiously.

Just as her lips parted, he spoke quietly.

"I love you."

The words that were about to leave her throat rolled back and almost choked her. Her eyes widened slowly while her brows rose in surprise.

It was still very early, and hearing those words from him out of nowhere caught her off guard. Especially since Atlas was not the verbal type. He wouldn’t even say those words unless she shamelessly asked, "You’re crazy about me, right?" or, "You love me very much, right?"

"That’s what I was thinking when I woke up today," he said, looking deep into her eyes. "That this was probably what my dad felt toward my mother, Zoren to Penny, Finn to Nina, Uncle Lester to Aunt Jessa, Hugo to Kiara... and Slater to the mirror."

"I used to wonder," he continued after a pause, "why they would sometimes do things for the other. I think I understand now."

It wasn’t that Atlas didn’t understand love or marriage. However, from his perspective, he always thought what couples did was simply natural.

For instance, why would his father, Charles — a proud man — never shy away from persuading his wife or getting scolded by her, yet still buy flowers even on ordinary days? Why would Lester stay beside Jessa and still smile happily even when she was like a dragon and a witch combined every single day?

Why would Zoren do anything — even risk his life — no matter how crazy his wife became? Why would Finn turn his back on his own family to protect Nina? Why would Slater stare at the mirror for hours, even though it was something he had seen his whole life?

To be honest, Atlas thought he understood.

But all his understanding had always been technical.

Now, as he looked at his wife, everything became clear.

It wasn’t because that was what couples were supposed to do.

They did those things because of the other person.

They would do things out of love — to love more, to keep that person by their side for as long as possible, and simply to express the overwhelming emotions they carried for someone else.

He smiled subtly at this clarity that had never dawned on him before.

"I want to do many things for you too," he added softly, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "So many things that I don’t know where to begin."

Lola blinked countless times, her cheeks flushing at his words. Slowly, her lips curled into a smile.

"Where were you in my previous life?" she mumbled with a chuckle, resting her hand on his chest. "If you don’t know where to start... how about you start with a kiss?"

Silence fell between them before the corners of his mouth lifted into a smile.

Cupping her cheek, he leaned in and captured her soft lips with his own. And she responded just as passionately.

But even as he kissed her, the overwhelming feeling in his heart only burned stronger.

He knew he would do anything and everything for Lola.

And that this love — the kind that felt like it was consuming him whole — would defy even logic for her.

To keep her by his side... or rather, to stay by her side.

To hold her hand anytime, to kiss her, to embrace her, to make love to her—

He would do everything... to love her a little longer.

Even if he had to defy death itself.