The Billionaire’s Hidden Heiress
[Book 2] Chapter 136

Dawn's

POV

The house is bigger than lan had promised, my eyes wide and awed as we stand in the front foyer. It's a mansion. There's no other way to describe it. lan's face is smug, but I can see the anxiety in his eyes, the look of nervousness on his face as I stand there, dumbfounded. "If you don't like it we can go and look at other ones, but I saw this one and thought of you..." he began, as I tried not to laugh at him.

Did I like it? I loved it. It had the white picket fence, two stories, the old-fashioned windows, and the large backyard I had deemed was a must. It was a home. A real honest-to-goodness home. I heard the sound of shrieks and knew that Faith and the toddlers were running rampant through the house, their excitement obvious for everyone to hear.

"I love it," I told him, taking in the old wallpaper and already seeing the potential to paint the walls and decorate the house the way I'd like it.

"Flair did a good job" I added "She helped you pick it right?"

I had been in the hospital for the last week recovering from a minor surgery and lan had taken it upon himself to replace a house, deciding now was as good a time as any to move.

"Yeah," he said rubbing the back of his neck "She did and Rachel. The twins and Faith helped too" he added as I laughed. "Yeah I think Carrie and Cory might have been a little too small to give their opinion" I teased as the kids came running back into the foyer, halting in their tracks.

Charcoal's dark eyes stared at me, so unlike Faith's blue eyes. Their dark hair rested below their shoulders. Cory was the serious one, while Carrie's face was wreathed in smiles, her long plait cascading down her back. They resembled lan so closely, that it was like having miniature replicas of him. Many paragraphs are missing. Read the complete book on J o=b n-l b. c (o) m. Faith adored her little brother and sister, but I knew she sometimes felt like the odd one out, no matter how much lan tried to show her that he loved her just as much as he loved Cory and Carrie.

"Are we going to live here?" Carrie asked, batting her eyes at me.

"Of course we are," Faith said rolling her eyes and then darting off again before I could speak.

I gave a small laugh and put my hands up in surrender "I guess so" I said agreeably and then narrowed my eyes at an unrepentant-looking lan "seeing as your father has already bought it."

He looked contrite for a moment "I would buy another if you didn't like this one" he offered but I shook my head.

I was intrigued by the house.

I knew that lan was thinking about his Father and Carina who had gone on a cruise together. Faith and the twins missed their grandmother but Carina constantly FaceTimed them, which kept them satisfied. I knew they couldn't wait until they saw her and their grandfather again. Faith in particular was missing Carina who she had a close relationship with. Flair and Grayson had given birth to another child, a daughter called Hope, and she was a little darling, a miniature version of Flair, younger than the twins but so adorable it was impossible to resist smiling or cuddling the cherub who was close to walking. Rachel was currently pregnant with her second child after multiple attempts, overjoyed at the news. She was keeping the gender a surprise, which was apparently killing Timothy inside as he tried hard to guess which gender their baby would be, Rachel steadfastly refusing to give in to his pleas to replace out the gender for his sake.

Mr Deluca was delighted and overjoyed to have a second grandchild to spoil. According to Flair, he was over the moon. She had never seen him so happy. They continued to live with him and Mr Deluca was only too happy to take on babysitting duties, allowing Flair to still do some of her work from home, while still spending quality time with her children. Knox and Lorelai had gotten pregnant again as well, after a long road from recovery from postpartum depression and all of us were happy for him, offering to help in any way that we could. Knox was of course nervous about how Lorelai would feel after the birth again, but there was no end of offers of help and Lorelai was glowing as her baby bump grew bigger and bigger.

"When we get all moved in we should have everybody over for dinner," I told lan who grinned and nodded in agreement "It's been too long since the whole family has been together again."

He laughed "It hasn't been that long and every time we're together it ends in chaos" he pointed out "With so many children running about, Knox's darn ferret" he scowled as I giggled "and Patches."

I grinned "Didn't you promise our children a pet?" I asked meaningfully "When we had a backyard for it to run about it?" He looked slightly panicked "Did I? I don't quite recall" he said faintly as I laughed and poked him in the chest. "Liar" I accused smirking "You know the children won't have forgotten about it."

They had memories like an elephant when it suited them. I knew Faith in particular wanted a pet like nobody's business. He chuckled "I know, but that doesn't mean I have to remind them" he deadpanned.

I walked further into the house and looked through the kitchen window, spotting our three children running about wildly outside. Faith's hair flowed behind her, golden and shimmery in the sunlight, while her younger siblings chased her giggling. It was a touching picture and it brought tears to my eyes. "Aren't they little devils" lan murmured from beside me, c*****g his head "And yet we couldn't bear to give them away" he sighed dramatically as I nudged him playfully.

"You love them and you know it," I said as he nodded with a wide grin and then felt his hand wrap around my waist, his head on top of mine as we continued to stare at the children, their laughter like music to our ears. "Hmm, I do love them" lan murmured, as I felt his breath in my ear "But I also love their gorgeous, pretty, smart, clever, brilliant, goddess of a mother," he said, kissing the nape of my neck as I shivered. Damn. The man's touch still had the ability to send shivers down my spine and tingles throughout my body. I sighed. "You're such a charmer."

He smirked "Does that mean..." he began hopefully, with his eyes beginning to darken.

"Is that all you men think about?" I said dramatically, hearing the sound of his soft laughter behind me.

"Can I help it I can't take my hands off of you?" he said, his hand dropping to the small of my back "Or that I'm still extremely attracted to your gorgeous body" he added, nibbling on my earlobe as I inhaled sharply. Despite myself, I gave a low moan, grateful the children were outside and unable to hear us. I turned and wrapped my arms around his neck. "You, lan Grant, are too charming and handsome for your own good," I told him solemnly.

He gave a rakish grin "And you Mrs Grant are too beautiful and stunning to resist" he said as I rolled my eyes and giggled. "Well, you're going to have to wait until night," I told him shaking my head "and that's if you're lucky."

"You mean to pray that there aren't any interruptions" he chuckled with good humor.

"That too" I muttered trying not to laugh at his wounded expression.

"So, I, have taken two weeks off from the company," lan said, as I stared at him in shock "To help paint or whatever else you need" he added.

"Where is my husband and what have you done with him?" I breathed astonished.

The company was like lan's baby. I didn't begrudge the hours he spent there, because he was careful to limit them, in order to spend quality time with us, but holidays were few and far between. He looked me directly in the eyes "Happy wife, happy life" he shrugged nonchalantly "And work isn't everything" he added as my mouth dropped open. "Now I know there is something wrong with you," I said peering into his eyes "Are you feeling alright?"

He swatted at me "I feel fine. I just realized that you and the children are more important to me. Knox and I have agreed that we need another CEO to take over. We want to spend time with our family and I want to spend time with you. I feel like I've been working too much and neglecting you" he said tightly "so I made a few changes. You are my priority Dawn" he told me as I blinked back tears "not the company. At the end of the day, you're the one I'm coming home to every night and the one I want to wake up to every morning. The company can't compare to that" he said as I put a hand to my mouth "and it can't bring back the children's milestones."

"Oh, lan" I whispered in shock.

"So from now on, part-time hours and more holidays," he told me, pinning me with a gaze "quality family time, more date nights, you name it, you'll have it."

He meant it. He meant every word. He reached for my hand and entwined his fingers with mine "Because the thought of losing you or the kids kills me. If I can make you happy, I should be doing that" he said, "because making you happy, makes me happy. I love you. I will always love you" he repeated as I stared at him, my heart melting, my body overfilling with joy "and I want us to grow old together. I want us to look back with fond memories and not regrets. I want us to enjoy the life together we have. I want my wife, to feel fulfilled and I want us to die in our beds together" he teased.

I burst into tears and embraced him. "Ian Grant" I choked out as the children began to slowly walk in, their eyes filled with curiosity "I love you more than you will ever know and I will always love you," I told him in a choked voice, kissing him hard on the lips, trying to convey all the emotion I was feeling "for the rest of our lives."

"Eww" we heard and both of us looked over to see our children wrinkling their noses and eyeing us with disgust as we laughed out loud and held out our arms to hug them. Love was all I would ever need and lan Grant was all I would ever want in a man. I knew that if he was declaring he wanted to grow old with me, then that would happen. Everything he said, I wanted too. I loved this man, now and forever. I and my children did. As we grew older, there was one thing that was never lacking in our lives, no matter what. Love. It was all that we needed and all that we could offer without strings attached. For me, the fairytale had well and truly come true.

End