Morning at the Riven Estate was supposed to be peaceful. It never was.
A loud crash echoed through the mansion.
"KAISUS!"
"I DIDN'T DO IT!"
"You absolutely did!"
"I DIDN'T!"
Another crash.
One of the maids stopped dusting a painting and closed her eyes.
"...They're awake."
The butler beside her sighed.
"Five minutes."
"They managed five peaceful minutes today."
"That's a new record."
At the top of the grand staircase...
Two boys sprinted through the hallway.
"Kaisus! Give it back!"
"I'm not giving you anything!"
"It's mine!"
"It became mine when I found it."
"You stole it!"
"I prefer the word 'borrowed.'"
"You cut the sleeves off!"
"It looks better now."
"It was my favorite hoodie!"
"It still is."
Zephyr lunged forward.Kaisus ducked.
A decorative pillow flew through the air...
Landing perfectly in the arms of a girl walking calmly toward the stairs.Luna. She looked at the pillow.
Then at her brothers.
Without saying a word...
She placed it neatly back where it belonged.
One of the maids looked at her hopefully."Miss Luna..."
"Can you stop them?"
Luna thought for a moment."...No."
The maid blinked.
"No?"
"They're having fun."
As if proving her point...Kaisus jumped over the sofa.Zephyr followed.
Neither of them noticed the expensive vase standing directly ahead.
Luna did."...Watch out."
Too late.Crash!
The vase shattered across the marble floor.
The entire mansion fell silent.
Kaisus slowly looked at the broken pieces.
Zephyr looked at Kaisus."...That was your fault."
"My fault?"
"You jumped first."
"You chased me!"
"You stole my hoodie!"
"You ruined it!"
Luna quietly stepped around the broken glass."...Mom's coming."
Both boys froze."...How do you know."
Luna pointed behind them.
The sound of heels echoed through the hallway.
Slow.Steady.Elegant.
Zoe Riven appeared at the top of the staircase, a cup of coffee in one hand.
She didn't look angry. She simply looked around.
The broken vase. Glass scattered across the floor.
Kaisus.Zephyr.Luna.
A maid already reaching for the broom.
Silence.
Zoe took one sip of her coffee."...Interesting."
The triplets stood perfectly still.
"Who would like to explain?"
Kaisus immediately pointed at Zephyr."He started it."
Zephyr pointed back. "He stole the truth."
Luna calmly raised her hand. "They're both lying."
Zoe looked at her daughter. "What happened?"
Luna answered without hesitation.
"Kaisus borrowed Zephyr's hoodie."
"I did not borrow it."
"You cut the sleeves off."
"...They were unnecessary."
"Zephyr got angry."
"He chased him."
"Kaisus jumped over the sofa."
"Zephyr copied him."
"They forgot about the vase."
"...The vase lost."
Silence.
Even the maids struggled not to smile.
Zoe nodded once.
"I see."
She looked toward one of the staff.
"Please ask Mr. Collins to order another vase."
"Yes, Madam."
Then she looked back at the triplets.
"Breakfast."
The three nodded immediately.
"Now."
"...Yes, Mom."
They had barely taken two steps before Zoe spoke again."Kaisus."
He stopped."...Yes?"
"After breakfast..."
"You're buying your brother a new hoodie."
Kaisus blinked.
"...With my allowance?"
"With your allowance."
"...Can I negotiate?"
"No."
A defeated sigh escaped him."...Okay."
Zephyr couldn't hide his grin.
Luna gently patted Kaisus on the shoulder as they walked away.
"I told you we'd get caught."
Kaisus looked at her dramatically.
"You could've helped."
"I did."
"...How?"
"I warned you."
Breakfast
The dining room was already filled with voices by the time the triplets arrived.
The long dining table could comfortably seat twenty people.
Every chair was occupied.
Theo lazily leaned back in his chair.
"I'm telling you, Chris cheated."
Chris looked up from his breakfast, "I won."
"You changed the rules halfway through."
"I adapted."
"You panicked."
"I improvised."
Leo burst into laughter. "You two argue like an old married couple."
Theo pointed his fork. "Stay out of it."
"I'm just saying."
Jack walked in, a fresh bandage still covering the cut on his cheek.
Leo immediately noticed. "Ouch."
Jack pulled out his chair,"I already know what you're going to say."
"You should've ducked."
"I did."
"Apparently not."
Chris couldn't stop himself from laughing. "You got stitched."
Jack sighed,"I noticed."
Theo smirked."So..."
"How was Dad's training?"
Jack slowly looked up,"...I'd rather fight the assassin again."
The entire table laughed.
Even Noah lowered his newspaper just enough to look at him,"Worth remembering?"
Jack took a sip of his juice.
"For the rest of my life."
Theo nodded."Fair."
Adrian finally looked up from his coffee,"You got hit?"
Jack deadpanned,"Thank you for noticing."
"I was distracted."
"By?"
"My own greatness."
Leo groaned,"There he goes again."
Jack shook his head,"One day someone's going to humble you."
Adrian smiled,"I'd like to meet them."
Across the table...
Kaisus reached for another pancake.
Before he could grab it...
Zephyr stole it.
"...Really?"
"You were too slow."
"I was reaching."
"You were thinking."
"I was literally touching it."
"You hesitated."
Kaisus gasped dramatically. "You've been hanging around Theo too much."
Theo raised his coffee. "Smart kid."
Without saying a word...Luna picked up the last pancake. Both boys turned.
"Luna..."
She calmly cut it into three equal pieces.
"There."
"Problem solved."
Kaisus blinked,"...I wanted the whole thing."
"I know."
Zephyr smiled.
"She's definitely Mom's favorite."
Luna looked genuinely confused. "There are favorites?"
Jack nearly choked on his drink.
Chris laughed. "You really said that out loud."
Just then...The dining room doors opened.
Almost instinctively...Every sibling sat up a little straighter.
"Morning, Mom."
"Morning, Dad."
Zoe smiled warmly. "Good morning."
Alessandro acknowledged them with a small nod."Morning."
The butlers pulled out their chairs.
Breakfast resumed.
For exactly ten seconds.
Adrian looked toward Alessandro. "Dad."
"Hm."
"I've been wondering."
Alessandro looked up. "Dangerous."
Several siblings immediately hid their smiles.
Adrian ignored them. "If Mom challenged you for leadership..."
He rested his chin on his hand. "...would you surrender peacefully?"
Silence.
Theo immediately looked at his plate.
Jack slowly moved his juice away.
Leo bit his lip.
Chris stared very hard at his toast.
Even Noah lowered his newspaper.
Everyone knew what Adrian was doing.
Alessandro calmly buttered a piece of toast. "I wouldn't lose."
Adrian smiled. "You sound optimistic."
"I sound correct."
Adrian pointed toward Zoe."You know..."
"I think we'd all vote for Mom."
Without looking up from her tea, Zoe spoke. "I appreciate the confidence."
Leo couldn't hold it anymore.
A laugh escaped. Then another. Soon the entire table was laughing.
Even Jack forgot about the soreness in his cheek.
Alessandro looked at Zoe.
She simply shrugged. "I didn't ask for votes."
For a long moment...Alessandro said nothing.
Adrian leaned back with a satisfied smile. "I'll take the silence as my victory."
Alessandro finally looked at him. "No."
Adrian raised an eyebrow. "No?"
"I've simply learned..."
"...that arguing with your mother is a battle nobody wins."
Silence.
Then Zoe smiled. "That's the smartest thing you've said all week."
The room exploded with laughter.
Even Alessandro's lips curved into the faintest smile.
Outside those walls...
People feared the Riven name.
Inside...
They were simply a family trying to finish breakfast before someone started another argument.
Breakfast had come to an end.
Almost immediately, the dining room emptied.
Jack stood first, rolling the sleeves of his fitted black shirt to his forearms before slipping on a silver watch. A black bomber jacket rested over one shoulder, completing his effortlessly stylish look.
Chris grabbed his tennis bag from beside the chair. He wore a white oversized T-shirt beneath a black varsity jacket, dark jeans, and white sneakers.
"Ready?" Jack asked.
Chris adjusted the strap on his shoulder
"Always."
Across the room...
The triplets were already making enough noise for everyone.
Kaisus walked past wearing a loose charcoal hoodie over black cargo pants, headphones hanging around his neck.
Zephyr looked almost identical, except he wore a fitted black denim jacket over a plain white T-shirt with ripped jeans.
Luna stepped out behind them in an oversized cream sweater tucked into black cargo trousers with white sneakers. Her long dark hair was tied into a neat ponytail.
The three looked like siblings from a distance...
Until they opened their mouths.
"Those are my sunglasses."
"They look better on me."
"They're literally mine."
"They're temporarily mine."
Luna glanced at Kaisus.
"...They're on your head."
Kaisus froze. Slowly reached up.
"...Oh."
Zephyr laughed so hard he almost dropped his phone.
On the other side of the room...
Theo adjusted the sleeves of his casual navy sweatshirt before picking up the keys to his sedan.
Noah quietly folded his newspaper and stood, dressed simply in a beige jacket over a black T-shirt and jeans.
Neither cared much about fashion.
Comfort came first.
Leo and Lucifer were already discussing today's meetings while buttoning their jackets.
Unlike the others...They were heading to work.
The family companies never waited.
Outside...
Luxury vehicles lined the front driveway.
Drivers stood beside each one.
Bodyguards waited near the gates.
Everything was ready.
Just as Jack reached for the front door—
"Stop."
Alessandro's voice wasn't loud.
It didn't need to be.
Every child stopped instantly.
Nobody turned the handle.
Nobody took another stp.
Silence settled over the entrance hall.
Alessandro slowly walked toward them.
His eyes swept across every one of his children.
"Check."
No one asked what he meant.
Jack reached beneath his bomber jacket and drew a compact handgun from its shoulder holster.
"Loaded."
Chris followed.
A pistol rested securely beneath the back of his jacket.
"Loaded."
Theo lifted the hem of his sweatshirt just enough to reveal the firearm secured at his waist.
Noah quietly unzipped his jacket.
Leo. Lucifer.
One after another...
Every weapon was presented.
Then came the triplets.
When he reached Kaisus...
He stopped.
His thumb brushed a scratch along the slide, "...Explain."
Kaisus swallowed, "I dropped it yesterday."
"You dropped your weapon."
"...Yes."
Alessandro looked directly into his eyes, "Carelessness gets people killed."
The entrance hall became silent, "You will replace it."
"Yes, Dad."
"If it happens again..."
His voice remained calm.
"...you won't carry one until you remember that a weapon is a responsibility, not a toy."
"...Understood."
"Zephyr," One pistol.
An ankle holster.A folding knife.
Alessandro's eyes narrowed.
"The knife stays."
Zephyr immediately removed it.
"Yes, Dad."
"Luna."
Without a word, Luna opened her bag and placed a compact handgun into her father's hand.
He inspected it silently.
Magazine. Full. Safety.
Correct. Slide.
Working perfectly.
He handed it back.
Every single firearm.
No shortcuts.
His gaze moved across every child.
"When you leave this estate..."
"...you carry this family's name."
"If someone insults you..."
"Ignore it."
"If someone threatens you..."
"Judge the situation."
"If someone tries to kill you..."
He paused,"Come home alive."
No one smiled. No one joked.
Every sibling answered together,"Yes, Dad."
For a brief second... The intimidating Mafia Boss disappeared. Only a father remained.
Zoe stepped beside him, her calm smile softening the heavy atmosphere,"Drive safely."
Almost instantly, the tension eased,"Yes, Mom."
The siblings began heading toward their vehicles.
Jack and Chris climbed into the SUV that would take them to school.
The triplets piled into the back, still arguing over the sunglasses.
Theo and Noah headed toward the black sedan for university.
Leo and Lucifer drove toward the city, another day of running the family companies waiting for them.
One by one...
The convoy rolled through the gates of the Riven Estate.
Alessandro stood at the top of the steps, watching until the final car disappeared from view.
Only then did he turn back toward the mansion.
Another ordinary day... For an extraordinary family.
Write a comment ...