65

The villa was silent in the deep blue of the early morning. The kind of quiet that only existed between two and four a.m., when even the walls seemed to rest.

Rafael was half-asleep, one arm draped over Lea, when a faint knock echoed through the master bedroom door. Three knocks. Hesitant. Rhythmic. Then silence.

His eyes fluttered open instantly — old habits. Years of being a light sleeper, always on edge for Liam's cries when he was a baby or late-night business calls, had tuned his ears to even the softest sounds.

He glanced at the clock: 2:07 a.m. He sighed, rubbed his eyes, and carefully pulled away from Lea, who murmured something incoherent before settling back into sleep.

He walked toward the door, barefoot, hair tousled, heart already bracing for whatever came next.

When he opened it, Ellie stood there — hoodie on, helmet in one hand, the other clutching her phone. Her eyes were wide and sheepish, but with a glimmer of determination that immediately made Rafael suspicious.

"Dad..." she began, her voice soft, almost tentative. "You awake?"

"Apparently," he muttered. "Is someone dying, or is this another craving?"

"Craving," she said quickly. "But it's urgent."

He squinted. "Define urgent."

Ellie took a deep breath. "Bingsu. There's a Korean mart in BGC that's open 24/7 and they serve the good kind — the shaved milk ice one, with mangoes and condensed milk and—"

"Ellie." Rafael's voice was level, the kind of tone that was both warning and weary patience. "It's two in the morning."

"I know," she said quickly, "but I can't sleep and the craving won't stop and—"

He raised a hand. "And you're pregnant, which means you're using that as leverage."

She grinned slightly. "Well... yes."

Rafael rubbed his temples, muttering under his breath. "You're your mother's daughter."

Then she added, carefully, "We can take the Harley. The traffic's dead this time of night."

His eyes shot open. "No. Absolutely not."

"But dad—"

"Ellie." His voice was firmer now. "You're five months pregnant. You're not getting on a Harley."

She frowned. "Four and a half. And I'm not riding alone. I'll drive."

Rafael stared at her, utterly incredulous. "You— drive— pregnant— in the middle of the night— to get shaved ice."

Ellie crossed her arms. "You said to call you or Mom if I wanted something. Mom's asleep. You're awake. You said—"

"I didn't mean Harley at dawn level awake, Ellie!" he snapped softly, then stopped himself. She looked at him with those big, pleading eyes — so much like Lea's when she was trying to convince him of something reckless.

Rafael sighed, long and heavy, the kind that came from years of being outnumbered by stubborn Salonga-De Torres.

"Fine," he said finally.

Ellie blinked, stunned. "Fine?"

"One condition." His voice dropped low. "I'm driving."

Ellie's face broke into the widest grin. "Deal!"

He stared at her, half-exasperated, half-admiring. "You're enjoying this too much."

"I'm pregnant," she said with a shrug. "Joy comes in small, frozen forms these days."

Half an hour later, the engine purred to life in the stillness of the driveway. The moonlight glinted off the chrome of the Harley, the same one that had sparked a media storm just days before.

Rafael was at the helm — leather jacket thrown over a plain shirt, helmet on, expression grim but resigned. Ellie was perched behind him, laughing softly, arms wrapped around his waist.

"Ready?" he asked, voice half-grumble, half-resigned affection.

"Let's go get that bingsu," she replied, giddy.

As they rode through the sleeping city, wind in their faces, the tension of the past few weeks melted into something quieter — something lighter. Father and daughter, finally breathing the same air again. The roads were empty, the city theirs.

At the Korean mart, Rafael parked the Harley right outside, glaring lightly at the security guard who nearly dropped his phone at the sight of them. Ellie ordered enough dessert to feed three households, laughing when Rafael rolled his eyes at the total.

"This is ridiculous," he muttered, handing over his card.

"Ridiculously delicious," Ellie corrected.

***

The following morning, the villa was not quiet.

It began with the sound of something soft — a whump! — followed by Rafael's groggy, confused grunt.

"Rafael Ramon Leviste De Torre!"

Another whump! — a pillow this time, square in the chest.

He blinked awake to see Lea standing over the bed, hair unbrushed, phone in hand, eyes blazing.

He sat up slowly, rubbing his face. "Morning?"

"Morning?" she echoed incredulously. "You're trending, mister!"

Rafael groaned. "Oh no."

"Oh yes!" Lea threw another pillow. "Do you know what the headline says?"

She brandished her phone like evidence at a trial.

"THE DE TORRES STRIKES AGAIN: RAFAEL AND ELLIE'S 2AM BINGSU RUN ON HARLEY!" "BILLIONAIRE FATHER-DAUGHTER SPOTTED SPEEDING THROUGH BGC IN STYLE." "CHAOS LEGACY: PREGNANT ELLIE AND HER DAD RIDE INTO THE NIGHT."

Rafael closed his eyes. "Of course they'd find us."

Lea threw up her hands. "I told her to call me or you! Not kidnap you for dessert!"

"Technically," he said, still half-asleep, "she did call me."

Lea glared. "And technically, you enabled her!"

"She was crying," he said defensively. "You try saying no to a pregnant woman with your eyes."

Lea let out a sound somewhere between a laugh and a growl. "You are impossible."

Rafael smiled faintly. "But you still love me."

She crossed her arms. "Right now? Barely."

From the doorway came a sleepy voice — Liam, clutching his plush toy. "Is Ate Ellie famous again?"

Lea groaned into her hands. "Famous? Try infamous."

Rafael chuckled quietly, leaning back against the headboard. "At least this time it wasn't junk food."

Lea hurled the last pillow at him. "One more headline, Paeng, and I swear I'll revoke your motorcycle privileges."

He grinned. "That's fair. I'll just let Ellie drive next time."

"Don't you dare."

But when she turned away, Rafael caught the faintest smile on her face. She was half-horrified, half-amused — fully in love with the chaos that somehow always found them.

And as he leaned back, still chuckling, the morning light caught the glint of his wedding band — a quiet reminder that life with Lea was never boring, and that even scandal looked beautiful when shared with family.