ALPHA UNIVERSE #5: DESIROUS

EPILOGUE

Seven years later...

Jeno had to pinch himself for a moment to fully process what had become of his life. He was no longer the carefree, ambitious young man of the past; instead, he was staring at the aftermath of a chaotic, yet strangely heartwarming, morning.

The living room was in disarray, an explosion of toys, wrappers, and spilled drinks. The TV was still on, showing a colorful kids' cartoon, its cheery sound a stark contrast to the destruction around it. The carpet was stained with what appeared to be juice, and the once-pristine center table was littered with crumpled biscuit wrappers and candy packages. A total war zone.

Jeno sighed deeply. The house was a mess—utterly, unapologetically chaotic—but he couldn't help but smile. This was home now.

He glanced back over his shoulder, where the culprits were standing. His adorable twins. Their eyes sparkled with innocent mischief, their button noses pink with slight exertion, and their lips puckered in exaggerated faux-pout.

Both were in matching clothes, now smeared with drink stains and crumbs. Their little feet were bare, and they stood there, looking up at him with wide, innocent eyes, as if they hadn't just wreaked havoc on their living room.

"Lee Minjun, Lee Nari..." Jeno began, his voice a calm but firm tone, though there was no real anger in it. "What did I say about the mess?"

The twins' response came almost in unison, as if they'd rehearsed it.

"He started it!"

"She started it!"

Jeno groaned, feeling the familiar wave of frustration mixed with tenderness. It wasn't the first time this had happened, and it probably wouldn't be the last.

He crouched down to their level, careful not to let his pheromones spike too much—he didn't want to intimidate them when they were already in trouble. His voice softened as he spoke.

"Young highnesses," he said with a light chuckle, "The queen is expected to arrive any minute now. We don't want to make her mad, do we? The second she gets here, right?"

Both twins immediately shook their heads vigorously, their eyes widening in concern.

"So, what about you two?" Jeno continued, trying his best to keep his tone light. "You'll help dada clean up, right?"

Nari's bottom lip jutted out, and she asked, in the sweetest voice possible, "Will mama bring ice cream?"

Jeno blinked, fighting the urge to laugh. "You ate it all yesterday!"

Minjun, standing by her side, looked at her with the kind of judgment only a four-year-old could muster. "She ate it yesterday!" he exclaimed with a tone that held both incredulity and a slight sense of justice.

The moment Nari heard her brother's correction, she scrunched her face, eyebrows furrowed, and the first sign of frustration showed. "Why shout!" she retorted, her voice high-pitched. "Ears hurt, dada!"

Before Jeno could react, the sound of a soft whimper escaped Nari's lips. Her eyes filled with tears that began to spill down her cheeks. Her small body trembled in distress.