The party was still in full swing when Liliane came bouncing back to the castle entrance—dressed like a bunny and covered in cake.
The nannies spotted her first.
"Oh look! She was hiding behind the castle!"
"Wait—where's the other one?"
Both froze.
They ran behind the castle.
There, lying on the grass, was a single shoe—the tiny, glittery one they'd put on me.
They screamed.
Then sprinted toward the main party.
Everything froze.
Parents turned. Music stuttered. Even the magician paused mid-card trick.
The nannies reached Aurora and the fathers, breathless.
"We lost them! They slipped out of the bounce house—we found Liliane, but Selene is missing!"
Dorian paled. Aurora staggered back a step. Caelum's jaw clenched.
Dorian barked out orders immediately.
"No one leaves the property. Bodyguards: lock the gates and scan the grounds."
Caelum was already on the phone with the police.
Aurora grabbed her cell and called the head of security.
"I want all camera footage pulled—now."
Fifteen minutes later, they were all in the security room, the footage queued and playing.
There it was.
Selene, chasing after Lily.
Selene saving her.
Selene being taken.
The van. The costumes. The faked delivery credentials. The exit route.
Aurora's hands trembled as she held Liliane in her arms.
They even tracked how the kidnappers bypassed the alarm: a princess character from the entertainment crew let them in. She was quickly brought into custody and immediately began crying during the interrogation.
"They said they were just gonna steal stuff! I didn't know it was about a baby! I swear!"
But the evidence said otherwise.
Soon enough, a notice went out for the missing child.
But it wasn't the police who found the van.
It was Dorian and Caelum's mercenaries.
They caught the kidnappers first.
Interrogation was swift—and brutal.
They talked.
"It was Caelum's father."
Caelum staggered back as the words landed like a punch to the gut.
He felt his knees buckle.
Outside the room, Aurora clutched Lily tightly, tears streaming silently down her cheeks.
Dorian walked out of the interrogation room and gently took her hand.
Caelum followed, his head down.
Then something snapped inside him.
The Cabin
He reached the secluded cabin as the sun began to set.
Police were ten minutes behind him. He didn't care. He wasn't waiting.
He kicked the door open like a storm.
There she was.
Selene.
Sitting calmly on the couch.
Nibbling animal crackers.
Watching his father scream at someone over the phone.
The man turned.
"You—! How dare you show up here?! I'm your father! "
Caelum didn't speak.
He walked across the room and punched the man in the face.
His father dropped like a sack of old pride and unfinished therapy.
Caelum scooped Selene into his arms, scanning her face.
Her green eyes blinked up at him.
She was calm. Alert. Unhurt.
"You okay, sweetheart?"
She nodded once.
God, this kid was made of steel.
Just then, Dorian , burst in with bodyguards. He saw Selene in Caelum's arms—and his composure shattered.
He grabbed his daughter and hugged her tightly, crying.
"It's okay, Daddy's here. It's okay..."
Minutes later, the police arrived and arrested Caelum's father.
The Return
They returned to the house to find Aurora pacing like a woman possessed. Her eyes were wild. Her hands shook.
She spotted Dorian carrying Selene and ran toward them.
She passed Lily to her father and grabbed Selene from Dorian's arms, holding her tightly to her chest.
Then Aurora broke down sobbing.
Even Caelum sniffled. Not that he'd admit it.
As for me?
I just wanted to sleep. But no—doctors first.
The Hospital
After what felt like forever, I was poked and prodded, my vitals checked, my head measured like I was some science exhibit.
Finally, the doctor declared,
"Physically and mentally, she seems fine."
Caelum added dryly,
"She was munching on crackers, watching my father have a meltdown. Like it was a live show."
Dorian said,
"That's my girl. Calm under pressure."
Aurora sniffled, still holding me.
"My poor baby saved her sister, then got kidnapped. What a day you've had..."
She hugged me tightly again.
"Bathroom," I said.
Aurora blinked.
"You want to go to the bathroom?"
"Yes. Down, please."
The doctor's jaw dropped.
"She's... potty trained? At a year old?"
Aurora blinked again.
"We never trained her. She just started going on her own as soon as she could walk."
Dorian grinned.
"Genius baby."
Caelum added proudly,
"She's been trying to potty train Lily too."
The doctor shook his head.
"This family is something else."
You don't know the half of it, doc.
That Night
Nobody left Aurora's house.
No one could.
Everyone was rattled.
The entire family—Aurora, Dorian, Caelum, the twins, the nannies—all slept in Aurora's enormous bed.
And I mean enormous. Enough for six people and a bodyguard to nap on the end.
Ah, rich people problems.
In the dark, Caelum whispered,
"I'm sorry. This was all because of me."
Dorian muttered,
"Damn right it was."
Aurora groaned softly,
"Please stop bickering around the girls..."
Eventually, we all drifted off.
Even me.
For once, the baby got to sleep.
The Next Morning
The world exploded.
Breaking News:
ASHFORD DYNASTY IN CRISIS – Billionaire Grandfather Behind Botched Baby Kidnapping
Social media couldn't get enough.
Investors pulled out of Ashford companies connected to Caelum's father.
Within hours, he was stripped of his board seat.
Even more damning?
Financial records and security footage were leaked.
By anonymous sources.
Translation: Caelum's people.
And while the world burned over the scandal...
I slept in, warm in my mother's arms, dreaming of animal crackers and revenge.