Chapter 36 - Adrian

I was finally having a quiet, romantic moment alone with my stunning wife. The warmth of her presence, her laugh, the way she leaned into me—it was all perfect. But then, as if the universe decided I was too happy, her phone rang.

Seriously, what is it with phone calls? Do they have a personal vendetta against all husbands in the world? Why can't we just have uninterrupted time with our wives?

I sighed as she picked up, her expression shifting from relaxed to tense within seconds. She rose from the couch, pacing toward the door as she spoke in hushed tones. My confusion grew, so I got up and followed her.

She ended the call and turned to me with an apologetic look. "Iris caused a problem at school. I need to go check on her," she said, already grabbing her bag.

I frowned. Our little whirlwind, Iris, was an absolute delight—but trouble followed her like a shadow. Still, I wasn't about to let Sera handle this alone.

"Get in the car," I said firmly, grabbing the keys.

She raised an eyebrow. "Adrian, it's okay. I can handle this."

"No chance," I replied, heading to the driver's seat. "I'll come with you."

She hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Fine."

As I started the car, I couldn't help but mutter under my breath. "Why do I have a feeling this is going to be more complicated than it sounds?"

She smirked. "Because it always is."

And with that, we were off—me, my wife, and the mystery chaos our daughter had undoubtedly unleashed.

We reached the school, and as we entered, Iris was seated on a bench outside the principal's office, arms crossed and lips pursed in defiance. Her little face brightened slightly when she saw us, though she quickly masked it with her usual "I didn't do anything wrong" expression.

The teacher explained what had happened—apparently, Iris had hit a boy who had been making fun of her. Seraphina immediately went into responsible-mother mode, scolding Iris and apologizing profusely to both the teacher and the other parent.

I crouched down to Iris's level as Seraphina dealt with the formalities. Lowering my voice, I whispered, "What really happened, kiddo?"

Iris looked at me with teary defiance. "He said I don't have a father," she muttered, her voice trembling.

Those words hit me like a punch to the gut. My jaw clenched, and I felt anger bubble up inside me. How dare someone say that to my daughter?

Taking a deep breath, I gave Iris a reassuring smile and whispered, "Well, he's wrong. Because now you do."

Her eyes sparkled, and a grin spread across her face. Without warning, she grabbed my hand and started pulling me toward the classroom. "Come on, Dad! Let's show him!"

Before I could say a word, I found myself being dragged down the hallway by my new daughter, her determination contagious.

As we reached the classroom, I spotted the boy in question. He was sitting at his desk, looking smug. That is, until I stepped in. Towering over him, I gave him my best "don't-mess-with-me" stare.

"Hey, kid," I said, my voice low but firm. The boy gulped.

"You've got something to say about my daughter?" I asked, crossing my arms.

"I—I didn't mean—" the boy stammered.

"Let me tell you something," I said, leaning in slightly. "You mess with Iris, you mess with me. And trust me, you don't want to mess with me. Got it?"

The boy nodded so fast I thought his head might fall off.

Iris beamed up at me, clearly impressed. "Thanks, Dad," she said, loud enough for everyone in the room to hear.

Just as I was about to ruffle her hair and leave, I heard a familiar sigh behind me.

"Adrian," Seraphina said, arms crossed and eyebrow raised. "What are you doing? If his parents complain again, we'll never hear the end of it."

I turned to her, unapologetic. "Iris is my daughter now too, and I have every right to stand up for her."

She rolled her eyes but walked up to me anyway. Placing a hand on my cheek, she leaned in and kissed me softly on the other.

"Fine. Do as you wish, Mr. Husband," she said with a teasing smile.

My heart skipped a beat, and for a moment, I forgot where we were.

Iris, ever the little drama queen, scrunched up her nose as she watched Seraphina kiss my cheek. She crossed her arms and gave us a pointed look.

"Mom," she began in her classic know-it-all tone, "I do understand that you've finally taken my advice and married Adrian—"

"Your advice?" Seraphina interrupted, raising an eyebrow at her.

"Yes, my advice," Iris insisted, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "But just because you're married now doesn't mean you guys can be all lovey-dovey all the time. I mean, seriously, I'm still a kid!"

I couldn't hold back my laughter as I crouched down to her level. "Oh, come on, Iris," I teased. "You're the one who wanted this to happen! Now you're stuck with us being gross."

"Not gross," she retorted, flipping her ponytail dramatically. "Just... keep it toned down when I'm around, okay? My friends will think I'm weird if my parents are too mushy."

Seraphina rolled her eyes, trying to suppress a smile. "Well, we'll try our best, Your Highness," she said sarcastically, ruffling Iris's hair.

"Good," Iris replied with a huff, before grabbing both our hands and dragging us toward the car. "Now let's go home before you two embarrass me even more."

Seraphina and I exchanged an amused look, and I couldn't help but lean in to whisper, "I think we're raising a little dictator."

Seraphina chuckled softly. "And she's totally your fault," she replied, playfully nudging me.

And just like that, we walked out of the school—our little family, as entertaining as ever.

After our eventful meeting with the principal, where Seraphina managed to stay composed while I not-so-subtly glared at the kid who started all the trouble, we decided to take Iris out for lunch.

"Where do you want to go, Iris?" Seraphina asked as we walked toward the car.

"Anywhere but that cafeteria back at school," Iris replied dramatically. "The spaghetti there could double as rubber bands."

"Rubber bands?" I chuckled, opening the car door for her.

"Yeah, and don't even get me started on the soup. It's basically warm water with a pinch of sadness," she added, crossing her arms.

Seraphina laughed. "All right, how about pizza?"

"Finally, you're speaking my language, Mom," Iris said with a grin.

We pulled into a cozy pizza joint not too far from the school. The place smelled of melted cheese and freshly baked crust, and Iris was already bouncing with excitement.

Once seated, we ordered a large pepperoni pizza and some garlic bread. While we waited, Iris started analyzing the menu.

"Do people actually order pineapple on pizza?" she asked, her nose scrunched.

"Hey, don't knock it till you try it," I said, smirking.

"I don't need to try it to know it's wrong, Dad," she shot back.

I raised an eyebrow at Seraphina. "She's already criticizing my taste, huh?"

Seraphina grinned. "You'll survive."

When the pizza finally arrived, Iris dove in like she hadn't eaten in days.

"Slow down, pumpkin," I teased. "We're not in a race."

She stopped mid-bite, glaring at me. "Dad, stop calling me pumpkin in public. It's embarrassing."

"What? You'll always be my pumpkin," I said, feigning innocence.

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "You're lucky she likes you."

Iris swallowed her bite and looked at me. "You're on thin ice, Dad."

We laughed as we finished our meal. Toward the end, Iris leaned back in her chair, patting her stomach. "Okay, fine, this made up for the worm boy and the cafeteria food."

"Glad to know we're redeemable," I said, grinning.

"Barely," she replied with a smirk.

As we left, I couldn't help but ruffle her hair, earning an exaggerated groan. "You're impossible!"

Seraphina chuckled, slipping her hand into mine. "You two are more alike than you realize."

I glanced at Iris, who was busy wiping pizza crumbs off her shirt. "You mean awesome?"

Seraphina sighed dramatically. "Sure, let's go with that."

As we drove to Iris's hostel school, the car was filled with her endless chatter. She was going on about her classes, her friends, and how annoying boys could be.

"I mean, seriously, Mom," Iris said, crossing her arms. "Why are boys so... boyish? Like, can't they just be normal? One of them threw a worm at me during lunch yesterday! A worm!"

Seraphina stifled a laugh, while I glanced at Iris through the rearview mirror. "Well, Iris, maybe he likes you," I teased.

"Ugh, no way, Dad!" she exclaimed, her face scrunching in disgust. "If throwing worms is how they show affection, I'll be single forever, thank you very much."

I smirked, satisfied with the way Dad rolled off her tongue so naturally.

Seraphina giggled. "She's got a point. If you'd thrown a worm at me when we first met, you'd still be single too."

"Good thing I was a gentleman," I said, earning an eye roll from Seraphina.

As we reached the school gates, Iris suddenly grew serious. "So, you're not going to embarrass me, right?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at both of us.

"Embarrass you? Us?" I asked, feigning innocence.

"Yes. No mushy stuff. No weird jokes. And definitely no calling me 'pumpkin' in front of my friends," she declared firmly.

I turned to Seraphina, pretending to be deeply hurt. "Pumpkin doesn't want us to call her pumpkin anymore."

Iris groaned. "Dad, stop it! I'm serious!"

Seraphina smirked. "Fine, fine. We'll behave. But you should know, we're very cool parents."

"Sure you are," Iris muttered sarcastically as she grabbed her bag and got out of the car.

Just as she turned to leave, I rolled down the window and yelled, "Have a great day, pumpkin! Dad loves you!"

Iris froze mid-step, her face turning bright red. Her friends nearby started giggling. She spun around, glaring at me with the kind of look that could melt steel.

"Dad!" she hissed, storming back to the car.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't resist!" I said, laughing uncontrollably.

Seraphina leaned out her window, barely holding back her laughter. "Don't worry, sweetheart. He'll pay for this later."

Iris sighed dramatically and shook her head. "You two are impossible," she grumbled before walking off, muttering something about "parents ruining everything."

As we drove away, I turned to Seraphina, still grinning. "I think I just secured my place as 'Most Annoying Dad of the Year.'"

She laughed. "And I'm pretty sure Iris will remind you of it every chance she gets."

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The sharp buzz of the alarm jolted me awake, but beside me, Seraphina slept soundly, her face serene and beautiful, her hair spread across the pillow like a dark halo. I couldn't help but smile.

I leaned down and kissed her forehead softly. "Wake up, love," I whispered, brushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

She mumbled something incoherent, turning over and pulling the blanket up to her chin. "Five more minutes," she muttered stubbornly.

I chuckled. "That's what you said yesterday, and five minutes turned into an hour."

Still, she didn't budge.

Reluctantly, I got out of bed and got ready for work, occasionally glancing at her still-curled-up form. She looked so peaceful, and I felt a pang of guilt for even thinking of leaving.

As I walked toward the door, fully dressed and ready, her voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Are you really going?" she asked, her tone low and inviting, her voice laced with something that made my pulse quicken.

I turned around, and there she was, propped up on one elbow, her lips curving into a teasing smile, her eyes dark with mischief. The strap of her nightgown had slipped off one shoulder, and she made no move to adjust it.

"Seraphina," I started, my voice already betraying my resolve.

She tilted her head, her gaze never leaving mine. "I mean, if you really have to go..." Her tone was playful, but the look she gave me was anything but.

I pulled out my phone, dialing Nick.

"What's up?" he answered gruffly.

"I'm not coming in today," I said, keeping my eyes locked on Seraphina, who raised an eyebrow in triumph.

"What? Why? You better not be—"

I cut him off mid-rant, hanging up before he could finish.

Walking back into the room, I loosened my tie and threw my blazer onto the chair. "I hope you know what you've started," I said, my voice low as I approached her.

She smirked, pulling the blanket off her legs and sitting up. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"You will," I murmured, sliding into bed and pulling her into my arms, my lips capturing hers before she could respond.

As soon as I slid back into bed, Seraphina let out a soft laugh, her hands instinctively reaching up to rest on my chest. Her laughter, her warmth—it was intoxicating, pulling me closer into her orbit.

"You're shameless, you know that?" I murmured, my fingers tracing the delicate line of her jaw.

"And you're easily tempted," she shot back, her eyes twinkling with mischief.

I smirked, leaning down until our faces were only inches apart. "Only by you."

Her teasing smile faltered for a moment, replaced by something deeper, more vulnerable, and it made my chest tighten. I tilted her chin up slightly, brushing my lips against hers—soft at first, testing the waters.

She kissed me back, her fingers curling into the fabric of my shirt as if she couldn't bear the distance between us. That small, eager gesture undid me entirely.

I deepened the kiss, my hand sliding to the small of her back to pull her closer. She responded in kind, her body molding perfectly against mine. Her lips were soft, warm, and everything I had been craving for what felt like forever.

"Adrian..." she whispered against my mouth, and the way she said my name was almost my undoing.

I leaned back just enough to look at her, my thumb brushing her cheek. "Say it again."

"Adrian," she said, softer this time, her voice barely above a whisper.

That was it. I couldn't hold back anymore. I gently pushed her back onto the bed, hovering over her as my lips trailed from her mouth to her neck, planting soft kisses along the way. Her hands tangled in my hair, her breathing growing more uneven with each passing second.

Her nightgown slipped further down her shoulder, and I let my hand trace the exposed skin, feeling the warmth beneath my fingertips. Every little movement, every soft sigh she made, sent a surge of emotion through me.

"You're mine, Seraphina," I murmured, my voice husky and low. "You always will be."

"And you're mine," she replied, her hands framing my face, pulling me down for another kiss that left no room for doubt.

Hours seemed to pass in that room, but time didn't matter. All that mattered was her laughter, her touch, her love.

And for the first time in forever, I felt complete.

The rest of the day?

Let's just say work was the last thing on my mind.