Her voice was unusually gentle, which made Leonel reluctant to release her.

He nuzzled her gently and whispered hoarsely, "The nanny is busy with the little one. There will be no one. Alexis..."

He trailed off, leaving the sentence hanging.

Alexis, experienced enough to understand his unspoken desire, felt his fingers tenderly trace her face.

She averted her eyes and murmured softly, "I'm still recovering from the delivery, so..."

Leonel's voice grew tender. "I know, Alexis. Don't be afraid. I won't push you into anything you're uncomfortable with."

His reassurance brought a faint smile to her lips.

Just as she moved toward the bedroom, the sound of footsteps echoed from the stairs, breaking the quiet.

It was Evelyn and Daniel, with Ollie, the puppy, trailing behind.

Ollie darted ahead as Leonel and Alexis were caught in an awkward embrace. The puppy seemed thrilled, his innocent gaze fixed on them.

Alexis felt increasingly uncomfortable under the dog's watchful eyes.

Behind Ollie, Evelyn and Daniel halted, taken aback by the scene.

Suddenly, Ollie barked sharply at Leonel.

"Woof, woof, woof!" It almost seemed like he was warning Leonel to let Alexis go.

With the children watching, Leonel had no choice but to compose himself. He released Alexis, whispering to her, “Seems like the dog's taken your side, huh?"

Alexis, well aware of Leonel's tendencies, chose not to react, especially not in front of the children. She smiled at Evelyn and Daniel, who approached tentatively. “Can we see our little sister, mom?"

Gently stroking their heads, Alexis nodded. "Of course. Let's go see her together."

Evelyn scampered ahead, tiptoeing as she pushed open the master bedroom door. Daniel followed more cautiously, his anticipation visible as he followed closely behind Evelyn.

Once inside the room, both children leaned eagerly over the crib, captivated by their baby sister.

Ollie, too, watched the infant with intense curiosity, occasionally letting out a soft woof, his meaning unclear.