Chapter 96

Angela POV

Five Years Later

"Mama, is it time? Can we start now?" Aria bounced on her toes, her dark curls dancing around her cherubic face as she peered up at me with wide, expectant eyes.

I checked the time on my phone before nodding. "Yes, sweetheart. The Instagram Live can start now." I adjusted the camera angle on the tripod, making sure the rustic Tuscan kitchen was properly framed behind my eager five-year-olds.

These cooking livestreams had been entirely Aria's idea-my little social butterfly had seen a child chef on television six months ago and declared she wanted to "be famous on the internet too." I always stayed carefully out of frame, preferring to keep my own face off social media.

"Remember our rules?" I asked, raising an eyebrow at both children.

"Be polite to viewers," Ethan recited solemnly, his emerald eyes serious as he straightened his little chef's hat. "No shouting. Follow the recipe steps."

"And have fun!" Aria added with a giggle, already reaching for her matching hat.

I smiled, touching each of their cheeks affectionately. "Perfect. I'll be right here if you need me."

I stepped back, tapping the screen to start the broadcast. Within seconds, viewers began flooding in, sending cheerful greetings and heart emojis as the twins' cooking show began.

"Buongiorno, everyone!" Aria waved enthusiastically, her smile revealing a missing front tooth. "Today, Ethan and I are making risotto ai frutti di mare!"

"That's seafood risotto," Ethan explained more formally, already measuring rice with practiced precision. "It's one of Mama's special recipes."

I watched from behind the camera, a warm glow of pride spreading through my chest.

The twins had taken to these weekly cooking sessions with surprising enthusiasm, each bringing their distinct personalities to the show that had unexpectedly gained a dedicated following over the past few months.

The broadcast continued smoothly until Aria, in her excitement to add the shrimp, accidentally knocked one onto the floor.

"Oh no!" Aria's bottom lip trembled as she stared at the fallen shrimp. She glanced up at the camera, then at her brother, eyes suddenly swimming with tears.

Before I could intervene, Ethan was already beside his sister, his small hand on her shoulder.

"It's okay, Aria," he said firmly. "But you shouldn't eat the shrimp anyway. Remember what happened last time? Your face got all puffy."

Aria's lip quivered. "But I love shrimp."

"Your health is more important," Ethan replied with a seriousness that seemed beyond his years. "No shrimp for you. I'll eat your portion."

I watched the exchange with a mixture of amusement and something deeper, a faint ache that never quite disappeared.

Ethan was so much like him sometimes-the same protective instinct, the same decisive tone that brooked no argument.

Aria pouted momentarily before nodding, accepting her brother's verdict with surprising grace. "Fine. I'll have extra scallops instead."

Comments flooded the live feed: "These kids are SO precious!" "Ethan is such a protective big brother!" "Aria's pout is everything!"

I smiled, scrolling through the stream of messages until a notification caught my eye: NightShadow has joined.

Almost immediately, virtual gifts began appearing on screen. Gold stars, animated applause, and premium emojis poured in-all from the same user.

Ethan noticed immediately. "Mr. Shadow is here again," he announced, straightening his little chef hat. "Thank you for the gifts, sir, but Mama says you don't need to send so many."

Aria, however, beamed directly into the camera. "Thank you, super generous Shadow mister!" She made a heart shape with her tiny hands. "We're making your favorite risotto today!"

I felt a familiar tension creep up my spine.

NightShadow had been following their broadcasts for several months now, never commenting but always sending extravagant gifts. I'd tried to block the account once, only to have both twins upset over losing their "biggest fan."

Something about this anonymous donor made me uneasy, though I couldn't exactly pinpoint why.

The cooking demonstration continued, with Ethan methodically stirring the risotto while Aria added ingredients with theatrical flair. As they plated their creation and took ceremonial bites for the camera, the view count surpassed twenty thousand.

"Delizioso!" Aria declared with an exaggerated Italian accent.

"Thank you for watching," Ethan said politely. "See you next week for our special chocolate cake recipe."

I ended the broadcast and both children immediately slid from their kitchen stools, rushing into my waiting arms.

"Did we do good, Mama?" Aria asked, her arms tight around my neck.

"You both did wonderfully," I assured them, breathing in their familiar scent-a mixture of baby shampoo and the garlic they'd been cooking with. "Perfect little chefs."

Ethan pulled back first, his expression serious. "Mama, Mr. Shadow sent a lot of gifts again. I told him not to, just like you said."

I nodded, smoothing back his dark hair. So much like his father's, thick and slightly wavy when it grew too long. "I know you did, sweetheart. Some people just like being generous."

"He's my favorite viewer," Aria announced, still clinging to my side. "He always watches, even when it's super early in New York."

My hand stilled on Ethan's head. "How do you know he's in New York, little one?"

Aria shrugged, already distracted by the remaining risotto. "His profile says so. Can we have real dinner now? I'm still hungry."

"What would you like?" I asked, carefully setting aside my unease about NightShadow for the moment.

"Lobster!" Aria declared immediately. "The fancy one with butter sauce!"

Ethan shook his head slightly. "Anything is fine, Mama. You don't have to cook twice today."

I kissed the top of his head, touched by his concern. Always thinking of others, always careful not to add to my burdens. Sometimes I worried he carried too much weight on his small shoulders.

"How about this," I suggested. "I don't have any investment reports to review tonight, so I can definitely make your favorite lobster with plenty of time to read your bedtime story."

Ethan's face brightened. "Really? No work tonight?"

"Not tonight," I confirmed, already heading to the refrigerator. "Tonight is just for us."

As the twins skipped off to wash their hands, I allowed myself a moment of reflection.

Five years ago, I could barely boil water without setting off smoke alarms. Now, here I was, preparing lobster thermidor from scratch in a Tuscan villa kitchen.

While the lobsters were baking, I checked the earnings from the livestream. NightShadow's gifts alone would cover our grocery bills for the month.

I tapped on the anonymous profile, examining it for the hundredth time. Created six months ago, followed only the twins' account, profile picture a simple shadow against a navy background-everything about it seemed designed specifically to watch my children without revealing the watcher's identity.

The mystery gnawed at me. What kind of person spent so much money on children they didn't know? Was it simply a wealthy individual with too much time and money? Or something more concerning?

I typed a direct message: Would it be possible to speak privately? I appreciate your support of the children's channel, but I'd like to understand who's being so generous.

The message showed as delivered, but like my previous attempts, received no response. I sighed and slipped the phone into my pocket. Another dead end with this mysterious benefactor.