Chapter 28
The house was already awake when Franz came downstairs.
That, in itself, was not unusual. Schedules had always been kept tightly. What had changed was how smoothly the morning fell into place with their routines. Staff moved through it without hesitation, doing routines and tasks that no longer required confirmation. Breakfast was served, and the day progressed as planned.
The twins behaved well these days. They never asked him to bring them to the villa where Arianne stayed or to ask him questions about her. It seemed they accepted something no one would have voiced in front of them.
Franz glanced at them, studying them for a moment. When he noticed nothing unusual with their demeanor, he moved on. He then reviewed the schedule on his phone.
A calendar block, once left deliberately flexible, had been filled. He approved the change without comment.
“Uncle,” Lily’s voice came a little sharp. She gave him a narrowed look, forcing him to hide his phone in his pocket.
“Sorry,” Franz murmured. He’d established that there should be no devices or gadgets when they were having a meal. He was supposed to be a role model for them, not the first to break the rule.
“I’ll pick you up at school later,” he said, “My afternoon meeting has moved to Thursday p>
The twins hummed in acknowledgement. Neither said a word. They continued their meal as if his work affairs had nothing to do with them.
As the twins’ guardian, Franz realized how many tasks a parent had to do. Doctor appointments. School communications. Consent forms that appeared without warning and required immediate response. Schedules that did not allow for delay.
He handled them as they came, but Franz was aware he could not fully provide what the twins were currently lacking.
A message from the clinic appeared on his phone later. It was a confirmation for a routine check-up scheduled weeks from now. He reviewed the details, approved the appointment, and forwarded the information to his assistant without comment.
It had been weeks since the accident. Leo rarely spoke, and when he woke in the night, he did not call for anyone.
Lily finished her breakfast first. She pushed her chair back nearly all the way and placed her utensils where they belonged. Her brother followed suit moment later, copying the action without being told.
“Shoes,” Franz said, already reaching for his jacket.
They were already moving.
By the time they reached the door, everything was in place. Bags by the steps. Water bottles accounted for.
Lily paused, glanced at the entryway table, then picked up a folder that had been left there overnight.
“I’ll bring this back signed,” she said, holding it up.
Franz nodded.
The driver was waiting. The twins climbed into the car without hesitation, settling into their seats as if nothing about the morning required adjustment.
Franz watched until the car turned out of the drive.
The house quieted again.
Later that morning, he reviewed company staffing. A task that had once been routed through Arianne’s schedule was reassigned permanently. Franz did not take it on himself. He approved the reassignment and moved on.
There was no reason to keep certain gaps open.
At midday, a message came in from the school that a permission slip had been returned incomplete. The twins had submitted it themselves, nearly folded, with every section filled except the signature.
Franz read the note twice.
They had done exactly what was required, according to their understanding. They had delivered the form to the correct office. They had followed the instructions printed on the top.
They had not brought it to him.
Franz frowned, then let it pass.
Instead, he signed the document and sent it back without comment.
That afternoon, the twins returned home on schedule. Bags were placed by the door. Shoes were removed and lined up neatly.
“Snack?” Lily asked their nanny.
“It’s on the counter. Shall I bring them now?” came the reply.
Lily shook her head. “No, I’ll take it myself p>
Franz passed through the room on his way upstairs, pausing briefly. He noticed how often they corrected themselves before anyone else needed to.
“Did anything happen today?” he asked.
“No,” Lily said immediately, while Leo shook his head.
It wasn’t a lie.
Franz considered asking more, then didn’t. In the end, he left them off for now and decided to pay more attention to them instead.
Later, he found the folder from the morning placed carefully on his desk, opened to the correct page with a pen laid beside it. It was a permit for an educational trip scheduled a month from now.
Franz stared at it for a moment. This kind of trip required parents to accompany the children, and he wasn’t sure if his schedule would permit it. The calendar blocks had been filling up faster than he anticipated. He did not want to commit to something he could not guarantee.
While checking his phone for his schedule the following month, Franz saw that the date coincided with an important meeting that could not be rescheduled. He leaned on his seat and rubbed his temple, feeling conflicted.
Franz lowered his hand and straightened.
He did not linger on the feeling. Conflicted or not, the problem remained.
The meeting had been set months in advance, involving external partners whose schedules did not bend easily.
He left the calendar open and did nothing for a moment.
Then he forwarded the document to his assistant with a brief note.
Please check the accompaniment requirements.
If necessary, assign staff coverage.
The message was sent without emphasis.
When dinner was served that evening, Franz joined the twins at the table later than usual. They had already started without him, bowls placed neatly in front of them, conversation subdued but present.
Lily looked up when he sat down. “You’re late, Uncle”
“Yes,” Franz said. “I had something to finish p>
She accepted the answer and returned to her food.
Leo remained quiet, focused on arranging the pieces on his plate into a pattern only he seemed to recognize. Franz watched him for a moment, then looked away.
After dinner, Franz confirmed the next day’s schedule with the staff. Pickup times. Activities. A minor change in transport due to roadwork near the school. Everything was acknowledged and logged.
No one asked if anything should remain flexible.
Later that night, Franz passed by the twins’ rooms. One door was ajar, light spilling softly into the hallway. He paused, listening.
Voices drifted out—Lily explaining the rules of a game in a low, patient tone. Leo responded with a sound that was neither quite a word nor silence.
Franz did not interrupt.
He stood outside the door long enough to confirm nothing needed his intervention.
Franz stepped back from the door.
The voices inside continued without him—Lily explaining, Leo responding in his own way. The exchange did not require correction.
He returned to his study and closed the door behind him.
On his desk, the calendar remained open. The month ahead was already dense. Meetings fixed. Commitments extended.
Nothing left deliberately unresolved.
And yet, he couldn’t ignore the uneasiness in their current situation.