The children had been in the playroom for an hour.

Their voices drifted down the hallway in waves—Kyle’s laughter, Lily’s narration, the occasional ding of Leo’s tablet. The sleepover was in full swing. Kyle’s overstuffed backpack had been emptied across the rug, action figures and dinosaurs scattered in a landscape only the three of them understood. Lily had organized them by species and era, because Lily organized everything. Leo sat in the middle of it all, the whale beside him, his tablet in his lap, occasionally typing something that made Kyle laugh.

The adults had migrated to the sitting room.

Nate went straight to the bar cart in the corner. He’d taken over this role at every gathering, unasked, because he liked mixing drinks and no one else cared enough to stop him. The cart was well-stocked—Arianne had made sure of it months ago, after the first brotherhood meeting at the estate, when Nate had opened the cabinet and found nothing but whiskey and a very old bottle of vermouth.

"What are we drinking?" he asked, already reaching for the gin.

"Whatever you’re making," Sam said. She’d claimed the corner of the large sofa, her heels kicked off, her feet tucked under her. The silk scarf was still tied around her wrist, hiding the last traces of pink on her knuckles.

"Something light," Audrey said. She sat beside Sam, her shoulder against Gilbert’s arm where he’d settled into the adjacent armchair.

Arianne shook her head when Nate looked at her. She was still holding a glass of water from dinner. "I’m fine."

Nate raised an eyebrow but didn’t comment. He’d learned months ago not to comment on what Arianne was or wasn’t drinking.

Julian opened the bottle of wine Nate had brought. He examined the label, then looked at Nate. "You brought wine to a house that has a wine cellar."

"I brought good wine. There’s a difference."

"Is there?"

"Open it and find out."

Gilbert sank deeper into his armchair, his whiskey already in hand. He looked different than he had at the brotherhood meeting—his shoulders looser, the tension around his jaw released. The twins’ birthday had done what the bar couldn’t. Three days since he’d driven across the city with his heart in his throat.

Franz took the chair near the window, where he could see the door to the hallway and the staircase beyond. He’d been watching exits since the press conference, since the airport, since the world started paying attention to the woman he loved.

Sam waited until everyone had a drink. Then she set her glass down with a small, deliberate click.

"Daryll took me on. Officially. I’m his client now."

Gilbert raised his glass. "About time."

"You knew?"

"Franz mentioned it."

Nate nodded like he’d predicted this outcome. Julian offered his congratulations. Audrey squeezed Sam’s knee.

"He’s terrifying," Sam said. "He sent me a twelve-page document about ’brand alignment’ before our first call. Twelve pages. I haven’t even finished reading it."

"That sounds like Daryll," Franz said.

"He has opinions about my social media. My interview availability. My ’public-facing persona.’ He used that phrase."

"He’s thorough."

"He’s exhausting." But Sam was smiling. "I like him. He doesn’t treat me like Gilbert’s sister. He treats me like someone who could be a star."

"You could be a star," Audrey said.

"I know. That’s what the twelve-page document says."

Franz set his glass down on the side table. "Listen to him. Don’t keep anything from him. He doesn’t like being caught off guard when the problem could have been avoided."

Sam turned to him. "You learned that the hard way?"

"I learned that the hard way. Early in my career. There was a situation on set—nothing serious, but it could have been. I didn’t tell him. He found out from a reporter at a press event." Franz paused. "He didn’t speak to me for two days."

"Two days?"

"He was making a point."

"Did you learn it?"

"I’m telling you now, aren’t I?"

Sam absorbed this. "So complete honesty. Even about things I think don’t matter."

"Especially about those. Daryll can handle anything except being surprised by something you could have told him. If there’s a problem, he wants to hear it from you first. Not from a reporter. Not from a forum. From you."

"Noted." Sam picked up her glass again. "Complete honesty. No surprises. I can do that."

"He’ll also make you a star," Franz added. "That’s the other part."

"I know. It’s in the document. Page seven."

Nate leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, his gin and tonic balanced in one hand. "When does the film release? The one you just wrapped."

"Fall, probably. It’s still in post-production. The studio hasn’t locked a date yet."

"Is there a special screening?"

"There will be. Cast, crew, press, some industry people." Sam looked around the room. "I can get tickets. Not a lot—I’m not the lead. But enough for all of you. If you want."

"I want to watch with Gilbert," Audrey said.

"Already accounted for. You’re my plus-two. Gil’s been informed." Sam shot her brother a look. "He’s not allowed to back out."

"I wasn’t going to back out," Gilbert said.

"You made a face when I told you."

"I didn’t make a face."

"You made a face. It was a supportive face, but it was a face."

"I don’t make faces."

Audrey put her hand on his arm. "You do make faces."

"I don’t—" He stopped. Looked at Audrey. Looked at Sam. "I’m not making a face now."

"You’re making one now," Sam said.

"That’s my normal face."

"That’s unfortunate for you."

Nate snorted into his gin. Julian was grinning behind his wine glass. Gilbert opened his mouth, closed it, and took a long drink of whiskey instead.

"I’ll take four tickets," Nate said. "For the spectacle."

"There’s no spectacle. It’s a drama."

"Then I’ll take four tickets for the drama. Same thing."

Sam turned to Franz. Her expression shifted—still warm, but more serious now.

"How are things on your end? With Arianne. With the public. After the club."

Franz glanced at Arianne. She was still in her chair near the window, her glass of water on the side table, her eyes tracking the conversation without joining it. She gave him a small nod.

"The issue is somewhat settled. The fans’ statement helped. The video helped more. The public seems to accept her now. Not just accept—embrace." He paused. "The fan forum calls her ’sister-in-law.’ They’ve adopted her. They’re protective of her the way they’re protective of me."

"That’s new," Audrey said. "A few weeks ago they were suspicious."

"It’s been building." Franz looked at Arianne again. "Each time something happens, the public sees more of who she is. They’re not guessing anymore. They know."

Arianne spoke from her corner of the room. "The three fans helped. Their statement was honest. They admitted what they did wrong and what happened after. People respond to honesty."

"People respond to you fighting five men in a parking lot," Sam said.

"Three men. You fought two."

"I know." Sam smiled into her glass. "I’m very proud of my two."

"So proud you’ve mentioned them four times tonight," Gilbert said.

"Five times. You missed one."

"We can be seen in public together now," Franz said, steering the conversation back. "More easily. Not without attention—that’s never going to go away. But without hostility. Without the speculation that she’s using me or that I’m being manipulated. The narrative has shifted."

"To what?" Julian asked.

"To partnership. To something real. The fans see her as family now. That’s not just acceptance. That’s protection."

The room was quiet for a moment. Nate swirled his gin. Julian refilled his wine. The fire crackled softly in the grate.

The conversation drifted after that.

Julian asked about the twins’ school, since he was considering moving Kyle to the same school. Arianne confirmed the start date and said she’d forward him the enrollment details later.

Gilbert mentioned the beach trip—the whales and dolphins Lily had announced at dinner. "Is there a date for that?"

"Not yet," Franz said. "Sometime this summer. After filming wraps. After things settle."

"Leo will hold you to it," Julian said. "He brought it up three times at dinner. Should Kyle and I tag along?"

"I know. He’s been asking for whales in person since the aquarium. You can join us. Our family resthouse could accommodate all of us, but you might prepare Kyle for a long airplane ride."

The room was warm. The drinks were half-empty. The children’s voices had quieted down the hall—Kyle’s energy finally flagging, the sleepover settling into whatever game came after the action figures were arranged and the dinosaurs were sorted. Estella had checked on them ten minutes ago, reported that they were building a fort out of blankets, and retreated to the kitchen.

Sam leaned back against the couch, her head resting on the cushion. "This is nice. All of us here. No one fighting. No one at a police station."

"Low bar," Franz said.

"I’m setting realistic expectations."

"After the week we’ve had," Gilbert said, "I’ll take realistic."

Nate raised his glass. "To realistic expectations."

"To realistic expectations," the room echoed.

The night wound down.

Julian was the first to check his watch. Kyle had a bedtime, even on birthdays, even at sleepovers. "I should extract him before he convinces the twins that sleep is optional."

"He’s been trying," Arianne said. "Lily told him sleep is ’biologically necessary.’ Her words."

"She said biologically?"

"She looked it up."

Julian shook his head, somewhere between proud and bewildered. "I’ll go say goodnight. He’ll want me to inspect the fort first."

"I’ll come," Nate said. He set his empty glass on the bar cart. "I want to see this fort."

They disappeared down the hallway. Gilbert rose, stretched, offered his hand to Audrey. "We should go too. Before it gets later."

Sam uncurled from the couch, found her shoes, adjusted the scarf on her wrist. She paused at the door. Looked back at Franz and Arianne.

"Thank you. For tonight."

She followed Gilbert and Audrey into the hallway. The front door opened and closed. The cars pulled away down the drive.

The sitting room was quiet. Franz and Arianne stayed where they were—she in her chair by the window, he on the sofa. From the playroom, Julian’s voice drifted down the hall, admiring the blanket fort. Kyle’s voice, explaining its architecture. Lily’s voice, correcting him on the proper placement of pillows.

"We should check on them," Arianne said.

"In a minute." Franz reached across the space between them. His hand found hers. "Sit with me. Just for a minute."

She let him pull her to the sofa. She settled against his side, her head on his shoulder, her feet tucked under her. The fire had burned down to embers.

"Realistic expectations," she said.

"Sam’s words."

"I know. I was there."

He pressed his lips to her hair. "We made it through the week." 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"We made it through the week."

The house settled around them. The children’s fort stood in the playroom. The balloons from dinner bobbed in the dining room corners. The half-eaten cake waited in the kitchen. The twins were five years old. The night was over.

Tomorrow, the beach trip to plan. The anniversary to figure out. Evelyn’s second meeting to schedule. The investigation. Miriam Sanders. All of it waiting.

But tonight, they sat together in the quiet, and that was enough.