The Billionaire Twins Need A New Mommy! - Chapter 435

Chapter 435: Kids, Get Out Of Here
[Flashback]

“How is it, Mom?” the young Lola looked at Loren with twinkling eyes, smiling eagerly as she waited for her mother’s reaction.

Loren simply raised her brows, tasting the chocolates Lola had baked. After a second, a soft chuckle escaped her.

“It’s good,” she whispered, laughing when Lola squealed with delight.

“Really!?” Lola asked, eyes wide. “Does it really taste good?”

Loren nodded, smirking playfully. “Would I say it’s bad and let you embarrass yourself in front of your crush?”

“Hihihi.” Lola giggled, her cheeks turning pink at the thought. “He will like it… or maybe not?”

“Lola, dear, he would love it,” Loren stressed each word, pausing to take a shallow breath. “And if he doesn’t, that’s his problem. He’d be missing out if he didn’t even taste it.”

Lola smiled faintly as she looked down at the chocolates again. A flicker of doubt crossed her mind.

“He has a lot of admirers,” she murmured. “I’m not even sure if I should give it to him.”

Loren studied the worry in her daughter’s eyes and chuckled softly. She reached out, touching Lola’s cheek with her frail, withered hand. When their eyes met, Loren’s gaze softened into something warm and knowing.

“Just do it,” she encouraged gently. “Whether he accepts it or not doesn’t matter. You did your best and baked the most delicious chocolate a girl your age could make. There’s no shame in trying.”

Lola’s eyes glimmered at her mother’s words. She pressed her lips together and nodded.

Growing up, she learned a lot from Loren — lessons she carried into adulthood. One of them was the importance of trying. As long as Lola tried, there was no shame in failing. Because by trying, she was already one step ahead of those who never did.

So all her life, Lola just kept trying. There was nothing to lose if she kept moving forward.

And now, that memory — her mother’s words, her laughter, the warmth of those moments — left a bitter taste in her mouth. Loren’s wisdom had helped shape who Lola was. Yet, remembering it now only reminded her of how much she’d lost.

*****

Lola’s eyes shot open as if she hadn’t been asleep at all. Staring at the ceiling, a faint look of dread crept across her face.

She had a dream — about Loren, about their life together — but that wasn’t what startled her awake. What jolted her was a fleeting memory from the night before.

“Did I just tell them this isn’t my first life?” She whispered, whipping her head toward the other side of the bed. To her relief, Atlas wasn’t there.

A heavy sigh escaped her as she sat up. Her head throbbed slightly, but not enough to bother her.

Lola had a complicated relationship with alcohol. It wasn’t that she got drunk easily. In fact, it was the opposite. No matter how much she drank, she rarely got drunk. She might get tipsy, sure, but she’d sober up quickly.

Last night, though, she hadn’t even drunk that much. She’d only been tipsy. But the emotions she’d carried — exhaustion, anger, grief — must have forced her body to shut down.

“No.” She frowned, shaking her head. “That’s not what I said.”

She nodded to herself reassuringly. “And even if I did, it’s not like they’d believe me, right?”

Most likely, they’d just laugh it off as drunken rambling. Or maybe they’d think she was talking about something else — about how she’d clawed her way out of Vito’s control, about how she’d rebuilt herself.

“Right,” she muttered. “No need to dwell on something so trivial.”

Turning her gaze to the window, she blinked at the soft morning light pouring through.

A shallow breath escaped her.

The world continued as always — indifferent and steady. Even when her world had crumbled the night before, it hadn’t stopped turning. The sun would still rise, and the moon would still take its place at night.

Shaking her head, Lola gave her own cheek a light slap and dragged herself to the bathroom. She washed her face and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

For a long time, she just looked.

“Loren Young,” she whispered. “Jasmine… Lawrence…”

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her breathing heavy. A lump rose in her throat, but her tired eyes glinted with a quiet strength.

“Melissa,” she added softly. “Mike.”

Lola nodded slowly, closing her eyes as she steadied herself. She had always wondered why Lawrence could never be a father to her — but now, she understood. It was clearer than daylight.

When she opened her eyes again, she forced a smile.

“They were never family to me anyway,” she said under her breath, stepping away from the sink. “So… there’s nothing I truly lost.”

Because for the longest time, Lola hadn’t just lost her life, she had lost herself. She had spent years rebuilding, clawing her way out of the darkness that once consumed her. And just like the world, even if it hurt, she had to keep going.

Her steps slowed as she descended the stairs. She sniffed the air, catching the sweet scent of pancakes drifting from the kitchen.

She followed it and paused by the doorway.

Inside, the twins and Atlas were busily making pancakes.

She still didn’t understand how or why the twins always found the time to change into their tiny chef outfits whenever they were in the kitchen, but there they were — sleeves rolled up, hats tilted, chatting away with their father as they planned breakfast in bed for her.

For a moment, the sight felt like sunlight breaking through clouds she hadn’t noticed gathering.

Her eyes softened, a faint smile curling on her lips.

They might not be able to take away the pain caused by others, she thought as she stepped forward. But maybe… I can look at tomorrow and hope it’s better than today.

“Good morning,” she greeted, sauntering toward them.

Atlas and the twins turned. The twins’ faces lit up, smiles stretching from ear to ear.

“Mommy~!” they chimed, their little voices so full of joy that Lola couldn’t help but laugh. But then, both Chacha and Second frowned, noticing she didn’t rush toward them first.

Instead, she walked straight to Atlas. The man raised a brow.

“You should go back to bed,” he said in his usual calm voice. “Otherwise, our plan to bring you breakfast in bed will fail.”

Lola chuckled and didn’t stop walking. When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around his side and leaned in to kiss his cheek softly.

“Good morning, love,” she said with a gentle smile.

Atlas blinked, caught off guard. Even the twins froze in disbelief.

Sure, Lola had her moments of playfulness and affection — usually exaggerated to get what she wanted (thanks to Penny’s influence). But this… this was different. This was genuine.

She kissed him with quiet tenderness. The kind that came from gratitude rather than habit.

Atlas exhaled, his expression softening as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

“Kids,” he murmured, eyes still on Lola. “Get out of here.”