The foundation was thriving, but Elara and Julian's greatest joy came from the family they had built together.
Their children, Alexander and Maria, were growing up fast. Alexander was eight now, a bright, curious boy with his father's gray eyes and his mother's determination. Maria was six, a spirited little girl with her mother's chestnut hair and her father's mischievous smile.
They were the best parts of Elara and Julian, a living legacy of the love they had built together.
"You're spoiling them," Elara teased one evening, watching Julian read a bedtime story to Maria. He was doing all the voices, making her giggle with his dramatic renditions of the characters.
"I'm not spoiling them. I'm just... investing in their happiness." He grinned, and Maria giggled again.
"Investing. That'
