THE BILLIONAIRE'S BABIES

THE COLD HOUSE

" Ava moves in and quickly realizes the mansion is as quiet as it's owner. The twins are shy and guarded, missing their late mother . Adrian stays buried in work, barely acknowledging them. Ava's heart aches - she decides to bring life and laughter back into the house".

Ava woke early on her first morning at the mansion. Soft sunlight spilled across the pale curtains and for a moment, she forgot where she was. The air smelled faintly of lavender and the room was so quiet she could hear her own heartbeat.

It was a far cry from the noisy apartment she had left behind.

After dressing in a simple blouse and jeans, she made her way downstairs.

The hallways stretched endlessly, filled with portraits, crystal chandeliers and silence.Too much silence.

She found Mrs.Lane in the kitchen, arranging breakfast trays.

"Good morning,dear", Mrs.Lane said kindly.

" You'll take the twins to the garden after breakfast. They've been cooped up for too long".

Ava nodded. " Got it. Are they always this quiet?"

Mrs.Lane hesitated. " They used to laugh all the time. But things changed after their mother passed. Mr.Cole... hasn't been the same either".

Ava's chest tightened. she didn't know what to say. so she just nodded again.

When she entered the dining room, Emma and Ethan sat at the long table, eating cereal in silence. Adrian wasn't there. " Morning, you two", Ava greeted cheerfully. " Did you sleep well?"

Emma nodded. Ethan kept his eyes on his bowl.

Ava sat beside them. " I was thinking we could explore the garden today. Maybe look for butterflies?"

That earned her a small glance from Ethan.

After breakfast, they went outside. They garden was huge - maze of flowers, trimmed hedges and a small fountain in the center. Emma ran ahead, twirling in the sunlight. Ethan followed slowly, clutching a toy car.

Ava knelt beside him. " That's a cool car. What's it's name?".

Ethan looked at her, then whispered, " I don't know. Mom used to name them".

Ava's heart softened m. " Then maybe we can name it together. How about Lightning?". A tiny smile appeared on his face. " Lightning" . he repeated.

For the rest of the morning, laughter finally filled the air - soft, hesitant, but real.

From the balcony above, Adrian Cole stood watching. He had meant to leave for work, but something stopped him. The sound of his children's laughter - something he hadn't heard in months - froze him in place .

Ava was kneeling on the grass, helping Ethan build a race track with twigs while Emma placed flower petals as " Flags".

For a long moment, Adrian simply watched. Then he turned away, closing his eyes. Maybe, for the first time in a long while, his house didn't feel so empty.