Chapter 120: Welcome to Kent, Newton

Immediately Newton arrived in London, his first and last stop was Selen’s home. They had been texting throughout his journey to her estate.

The gates of her estate were opened immediately when Newton identified himself at the intercom at the security house.

After weeks of phone calls and mutual anticipation of his arrival, his trip down from Spain was finally happening.

The car drove up the winding path, parked and he walked out and immediately headed up the front steps. One of Selen’s house staff welcomed him warmly and escorted him directly up the stairs and down the hall to the private study where Selen was waiting.

Selen was already waiting at the entrance of the door for him with a huge smile on her face. Finally, a face that did not feel like the past. "Heyyy," she said in a drawing tone as she opened the door for him before he got to her.

"Thank you, Maria" she said to the staff member and the woman excused herself and slowly disappeared behind the stairs.

When Newton walked into the room, he closed the door gently behind him but his expression was shadowed by a deep, troubled anxiety.

He stopped following behind her at some point and stood at the center of the room to take in the space.

"Newton. You made it!" She said excitedly as she got closer to him and gave him a hug.

"I did," he muttered into her hair.

"How about the kids? Are they not back from school yet?" He asked her. "They will be done in about an hour and will be here in less than two hours" she said to him.

"How have you been?" He asked her. She had walked up to her desk and was seated now. "Good. Luckily, the Avelino’s have not proven me wrong so Kent is still a safe space for me and the kids" she said.

Hearing her say that immediately changed his mood. "What is the matter? You look like you are carrying the weight of the world." She asked him as she looked at his face closely.

Selen stood up from her desk, her excited smile fading as she registered his unusually tense demeanor.

With his shoulders tight with a heavy worry that completely contradicted the loving reunion they had both been looking forward to for weeks, Newton took a slow, deep breath, his voice remaining low, calm, and entirely loving, though his words were laced with profound concern.

"Selen, I need to understand what you are doing with the Avelino’s." He said.

Selen immediately got up from her chair and back to where he was standing. "You spent eight long years building defensive walls to insulate the triplets from them, and now you are just opening the door to those people. I am genuinely terrified for you." He said to her,

Selen stepped around the desk to face him, her tone defensive but trying to remain measured. "It was a calculated decision under my direct supervision, Newton. It was time to open the door slowly. We talked about entering a new Chapter." She said,

"No. We talked about you finding peace, yes, but I think you are being entirely too lenient with Clancy and his family," Newton said, his tone remaining gentle yet sincere as he stepped closer to her.

"I care about you too much to stay quiet. Have you forgotten what they are capable of? Have you forgotten the toxic constraints that forced you into staying away from them in the first place?

You spent nearly a decade keeping David, Daniel, and Diana safe from the Avelino name, and now you are letting them walk right back into your family." He said.

"They have changed, Newton," Selen explained, her voice rising slightly as her defensive instincts kicked in.

"They apologized, Newton. They have maintained a practical, respectful distance. I did not rush into a frantic schedule. I let them see the kids because it was another form of a mother’s love- moving past my own personal grudges to do what is best for the triplets." she’s defended .

"Doing what is best for the kids means keeping them entirely safe from people who threw you out when you were pregnant," Newton urged softly, his calm exterior cracking slightly under the strain of his protectiveness.

He reached out, his hands gripping her shoulders with absolute tenderness, holding her gaze.

"You are softening because Clancy is hanging around this estate, playing the part of the devoted father now. But his family is a snake pit, Selen. Letting his parents have access to your children gives them leverage.

You are giving them a right to a part of your life that they blew to pieces years ago. I am not trying to lecture you, but it drives me completely insane with worry to see you setting yourself up for the exact same toxic layout." he said.

"Do not tell me how to handle my family," Selen said, her gentle voice sharp with a raw, defensive focus as she tried to pull back.

"I am the one who raised them. I am in complete control of this layout, and I am supervising every single second. You do not need to dictate whether I am being too lenient or compromising my children’s safety." she said with annoyance evident in her tone.

"I am only saying this because I love you more than anyone else in this country," Newton countered, his calm voice tightening as he pulled her firmly against his chest, refusing to let her slide away from his protective hold.

"I do not trust Clancy, I do not trust his parents, and it worries me to death that they are close to you again." He said.

"It is my choice," Selen said, pressing her hands against his chest, her breathing shallow as she looked up at him. "My children, my choices, Newton." She said as she poked his hard chest with her index finger.

The disagreement instantly snapped into pure, breathless physical tension. Newton looked down at her flushed face, his protective worry melting entirely into absolute, undeniable desire.

The fierce friction of the conversation had pushed them both past their absolute limits, shattering the hesitation of their reunion.

Without another word, he pulled her sharply against his body and kissed her with an intense, desperate hunger.

Selen gasped against his mouth but did not pull away. Her arms wrapped tightly around his neck, her fingers tangling in his hair as she matched his aggressive, passionate pace.