Page 175 of Triplet Babies for my Ex's Best Friend

Not into the structure of the household. That was immediate.

Into me.

That’s the problem.

My hand rests against her back, fingers splayed slightly, as though confirming she’s real.

She shifts slightly, pressing closer without waking.

The response is automatic. Unfiltered. I tighten my hold by a fraction. Reckless. That’s the word that surfaces…

There’s a clarity to it I haven’t experienced in a long time. A lack of calculation that should concern me more than it does. I’m aware of the implications. The variables. The inevitable complications.

Eventually, I force myself to move because the office needs me. Addy murmurs something unintelligible as I shift out from beneath her, her hand trailing briefly across my arm before settling back against the mattress. She doesn’t wake.

Good.

I dress quietly, movements efficient. There’s a familiarity to the process that helps reestablish order. Shirt, watch, jacket. Each step a return to something structured that doesn’t involve the unpredictable presence of a woman currently asleep in my bed who shouldn't be there.

And yet she is.

I pause at the doorway.

Look back once.

Then leave.

“You’re early,” Sara says the moment I step into the office.

“So are you.”

“Something came up.”

I step past her into the office, setting my things down. “Tell me.”

Jeffrey exhales, running a hand through his hair. “You’re not going to like it. Things still aren’t working fully.”

At first glance, it appears intact. Structured. Functional. “Define the issue.”

Jeffrey points. “We ran a full diagnostic this morning. There’s interference in the core logic loop. It’s subtle, but it compounds.”

“How long has it been there?”

“That’s the problem,” Sara replies. “We don’t know.”

I lean back slightly, processing. “The failsafe?”

“Still operational,” Jeffrey says. “But it’s not compensating the way it should.”

“Because it’s not being triggered correctly.”

“Exactly.”

I look at the code again. There’s a pattern to it. This isn’t the kind of error that occurs through oversight. It seems intentional. “Who’s accessed this system in the last forty-eight hours?”

Sara answers immediately. “Internal team only. Restricted clearance.”

“List them.”