Flash Marriage: In His Eyes-Chapter 338: Big Family

–Lore–

We were heavily guarded just for this midterm—like we were about to hack into a government server instead of answering test papers.

I followed Alyssa to the dean’s office. They had actually set up chairs just for us... on opposite corners. Cute. Not suspicious at all. Our advisers hovered nearby, asking if we were ready for the exam like this was some kind of interrogation disguised as academia.

I nodded.

Ready? Sure.

Going to ace it? Absolutely not.

They already suspect I’m a genius hacker. The last thing I need is a perfect score screaming "Hi, yes, I compute faster than your school server."

So I played it smart. Not perfect—just... impressively average.

I answered everything in no time and finished five subjects in a little over an hour. The faint scratch of pens, the sterile scent of paper, the ticking clock—it all blurred into background noise.

Then I looked at my girl.

Still focused. Brows slightly furrowed. Lips pursed. Adorable.

I wanted to help her—God, I could—but no. Alyssa doesn’t cheat. And I don’t break her rules.

"Babe," I called softly.

She glanced at me and pouted.

"You’ve got this," I said, giving her a small grin.

She nodded and went right back to work.

Mission accomplished. Moral support deployed.

I shoved my face onto the desk and closed my eyes. When I wake up, she’ll probably be done. Efficient. Beautiful. Terrifying.

"Babe, wake me up when you’re done," I mumbled. "And shout if something explodes."

"Got it."

"Hush, Mr. Lancaster."

"Sorry," I muttered, already half-asleep.

I even brought a neck pillow. Priorities.

I might have snored a little—allegedly—but I woke up to Alyssa tapping me.

I cracked my eyes open just as she leaned down and kissed my lips.

System reboot successful.

"Oh, please! Stop that, you two!" the Dean snapped. "Get out now."

...Was that teasing? I think that was teasing.

I grabbed my bag—it felt lighter now, mostly because my laptop is basically thinner than my patience—and took Alyssa’s hand as we headed to the cafeteria.

Our friends were already there. Including Maris.

"What happened?" Gina asked in a low voice, eyes full of worry.

Alyssa gently patted her. She couldn’t say much—security reasons. I get it. Loose lips sink ships... or in our case, probably trigger armed escorts.

We sat down while Alyssa went to grab our food.

I glanced at our bodyguards nearby. One of them subtly signaled—the clock’s ticking.

I raised three fingers. Thirty minutes.

Alyssa came back with sushi, sashimi, and ramen. My kind of love language.

She sat down and fed me first—a salmon roll.

Okay, I take it back. This is my love language.

"You guys are so sweet it’s disgusting," Patrick commented.

"So, when’s the wedding?" Clark asked.

"We should be bridesmaids, right?" Maris added.

"We’re still thinking about an intimate wedding," Alyssa said.

I picked up my chopsticks, mixed wasabi into the soy sauce, and dipped a piece of tuna roll. Then I fed it to her.

She nodded in approval. Good. I still pass the boyfriend test.

"What about the best man?"

"Brothers," I said.

Alyssa gasped. "You have a brother?" she asked innocently.

I rolled my eyes. "Your brothers are my brothers."

She laughed.

"Really?" she smirked.

"How about taking one of us as your bridesmaid?" Gina asked, still looking at Alyssa like she was filing an official application.

"I’ll finalize everything," Alyssa grinned. "But don’t worry—you’re my maid of honor."

Gina practically squirmed in excitement.

I fed Alyssa again—partly because I love her, partly because if her mouth is full, she can’t get interrogated. Efficiency.

Our bodyguards were still signaling. More insistently now.

Yeah... time’s up.

"We need to go," I told Alyssa.

Everyone looked at me.

"Hey, you guys just arrived," Maris said.

I pressed my lips together. "Sorry. There’s... stuff going on with our family."

"Oh. Okay." She nodded.

Alyssa finished the sushi and grabbed her water bottle.

I took her purse and—okay, maybe slightly dragged her.

Our bodyguards closed in as the head guard gestured sharply.

"Here."

A different route. Not the usual exit—more like a backdoor. Hidden. Controlled.

Definitely not normal.

"What’s going on?" I asked our driver, Mr. Levis.

"We’ve got an emergency at the Blackwell mansion."

"What?" Alyssa’s voice spiked.

The Hummer’s windows rolled down as we got in. Two bodyguards joined us inside; the rest mounted their bikes—three massive ones.

Four guards. One driver.

Yeah. This wasn’t a drill.

"Someone was murdered in the Blackwell mansion," Mr. Levis said. "Your grandparents’ nurse."

My stomach dropped.

I looked at Alyssa. She was frozen, waiting—processing—breaking.

"Your parents and grandparents are not hurt," he added, voice steady. Professional. Soldier mode.

I reached for her hand.

Held it tight.

She was shaking.

–Laura–

The Blackwell mansion was on full lockdown.

A nurse had been murdered. Some of the footage had been breached—I still don’t know how that even happened. A few staff members were missing. Sniffer dogs roamed the grounds, their sharp barks cutting through the heavy tension in the air.

And now, we were evacuating Mom’s mansion—heading back to Damon and Livana’s estate.

Deanne, who was supposed to be on strict bed rest, had no choice but to board the chopper. She had those tiny earmuffs on baby Aeila—absolutely adorable, snug against her little head. Land travel would’ve taken too long.

I sat beside her. Caine was piloting, steady and composed. Baby Aeila was secured in a special seat, fast asleep. I held my twins close to me, their warmth grounding me despite everything.

When the helicopter lifted, I glanced down.

Sky was there—waving at us from below, cradled in his mother’s arms. My heart tugged at the sight. The second black helicopter was already being handled by Logan and Jane. The remaining staff stayed behind to clean and secure the mansion, while Mom had retreated to the old Nest.

That little cabin.

Worn. Quiet. Almost abandoned.

"Daddy, what about Sky?" Zendaya asked, her small voice barely rising above the hum of the blades.

"Sky will be with us soon," Damien reassured her from the co-pilot’s seat.

Aeila didn’t stir at all. The loud chopper noise didn’t bother her in the slightest—such a calm little angel.

In just thirty minutes, we arrived.

The mansion came into view—vast and familiar. Our grandparents from Mom’s side were already there, along with their nurse. The Carringtons... well, they still couldn’t quite face Grandpa Reagan.

"Mommy, I need to pee now."

"Hold on, baby. We’re landing," I said gently.

Caine and Damien handled the descent like experts. The helicopter touched down smoothly on the wide lawn, the blades slowing to a quiet stop.

I hopped out first, helping my twins down. The grass felt cool beneath my feet. Damien followed, while Caine carefully reached for Aeila’s carrier.

Zendaya bolted straight toward the house.

"Go after your sister," I told Zayvier.

He ran after her immediately.

I couldn’t—not with my heavy tummy. Twins. Still, I reminded myself how lucky I was to carry two... while my sister carried three.

God, we were so fucking blessed.

I mean... we never thought Livana—once believed infertile—would carry triplets. We all thought Sky was already their miracle.

I turned and found my husband carrying the baby’s bags—Aeila’s things in one hand, her carrier secured in the other. Behind him, Caine gently lifted Deanne into his arms.

I paused, smiling, and quickly snapped a photo.

Perfect.

I took one of the smaller bags from Damien, and together we headed inside.

"There they are!" Grandpa Reagan stood up instantly, his voice filled with excitement. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

He rushed forward, taking the carrier from Damien and proudly showing Aeila to Grandma Olivia.

"Wow, she’s so beautiful!" they both exclaimed.

Aeila cooed softly, her tiny sounds melting everyone in the room.

Caine carefully settled Deanne onto the sofa, making sure she was comfortable. I sat beside her, close enough to feel her warmth.

"Mommy!" Zendaya called out. "Bathroom—dirty!"

"Hmm?" I blinked, confused.

Damien handed the rest of the bags to Caine. "I got it, babe."

I smiled at my husband—strong, capable, effortlessly taking charge.

Deanne rubbed her still-rounded belly. "I still feel pregnant," she muttered. "I want this gone already, so Caine won’t stare at women with flat bellies."

I laughed softly. "I don’t think Caine likes women with flat bellies, Deanne. He likes them curvy." I winked.

She burst into laughter.

Honestly, I’d never seen Caine with anyone tall and thin. He liked softness. Curves. Fullness. And Deanne—especially now—fit that perfectly. The way he looked at her... God, it was almost indecent. Like he was undressing her with his eyes.

I quickly shook the thought away.

Then again... my husband looks at me the same way.

"We have gifts for Aeila," Grandma Olivia said, bringing out jade bangles and pieces of gold jewelry.

"Wow..."

"We’ve prepared gifts for every baby in the family."

I reached for Deanne’s hand and squeezed it gently.

She belonged here. She always had—ever since Livana brought her home.

We all knew her story. How her mother abandoned her.

"Papi!"

Skyler suddenly came running inside, making everyone turn.

He stopped in front of Aeila, then approached Grandpa Reagan. He obediently held out his hands, letting Grandpa spray them clean. Then, without hesitation, he tried to scoop Aeila up—

Everyone froze.

Deanne chuckled softly as Grandpa guided him to sit down instead. Then, carefully, Grandpa placed our little sunshine into Sky’s arms, supporting her weight on his lap.

Sky giggled, his eyes lighting up as he kissed Aeila’s forehead.

My heart melted.

I quickly pulled out my phone—making sure I captured every second.