Chapter 16 - The Morning Calm Before the StormThe morning sun rose over the Whitaker estate, painting the sky in brilliant shades of amber and gold. For the first time in weeks, there were no emergency calls, no corporate board meetings looming at dawn, and no police sirens echoing in the distance.
I walked down the grand staircase in a comfortable linen shirt, the heavy corporate armor temporarily laid aside.
From the kitchen, the sweet smell of freshly baked cinnamon pancakes drifted through the air, accompanied by the sound of gentle humming. Emily was standing by the stove, flipping pancakes with effortless grace, while Zion sat in his high chair, banging a plastic spoon against the tray and giggling uncontrollably.
I walked up behind Emily, wrapping my arms gently around her waist and resting my chin on her shoulder.
"Good morning, billionaire," Emily teased, leaning back into my embrace with a warm smile. "Did you sleep at all?"
"Like a rock," I murmured, pressing a soft kiss to her temple. "Mostly because I didn't have to worry about you or Zion for a single second."
"Don't get too comfortable," she laughed, turning around in my arms to face me. "We still have to pick out wedding venues next week. And your mother keeps calling asking if we're eloping in secret."
My mother—who had lived in seclusion in Switzerland for years—had finally called after hearing the news of our engagement, demanding a wedding that would make international headlines.
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"Let her plan whatever she wants," I smiled, pulling Emily closer. "As long as you're standing at the end of that aisle, the rest is just background noise."
Little did we know, the background noise was about to become a deafening roar.
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