Soft sunlight filtered through the sheer curtains, wrapping the vast Harrison Farm house in a golden glow. Outside, birds chirped lazily, and the distant hum of waves crashing against the Sydney shore whispered a serene morning tune.
Sebastian Whitmore stirred awake in his king-sized bed, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. The quiet of the mansion was almost suspicious after last night's chaos. He reached for his phone on the nightstand and frowned — 2% battery.
"Perfect," he muttered under his breath. "Of course, I'd forget my charger on the jet."
After showering and slipping into a crisp white shirt and grey lounge pants, he decided to borrow Julian's charger. His brother always had a spare.
He walked down the polished hallway and stopped outside Julian's room, knocking twice. No answer. Another knock — silence.
Brows furrowed, he twisted the doorknob and pushed it open.
What greeted him made him freeze for a full five seconds — then a slow smirk spread across his lips.
The room looked like a sleepover hurricane had passed through. Blankets were everywhere, the projector light still blinking on the wall, and six bodies were sprawled across the massive bed and carpet in a tangle of limbs and pillows.
Mia was curled up like a cat, half-buried under a comforter, her head resting against Abby's arm. Abby, still in his T-shirt from last night, had his arm draped protectively over her shoulder. Navya was on the far edge, hugging a pillow like it was a lifeline.
Julian and Jake had claimed the foot of the bed, sleeping diagonally, one half-falling off the mattress. And right in the middle — serene, hair spilling over the blanket, lips parted slightly in her sleep — was Bella Harrison.
Her soft breathing, her peaceful face — Sebastian felt something stir in his chest. Something unfamiliar, almost foreign. He had never seen her like this — unguarded, innocent, completely at peace.
He let out a quiet chuckle, shaking his head. "They actually managed to fit six people on one bed…"
Just then, voices echoed faintly from downstairs. He stepped out into the hallway, leaning over the railing of the grand staircase.
Below, Richard and Susan Harrison, along with Alexander and Yonika Whitmore, were pacing the marble floor, their faces a mix of worry and confusion.
"What on earth—" Sebastian began, descending halfway down.
Alexander looked up immediately. "Sebastian! Thank God you're awake."
Richard followed, concern in his voice. "They're all missing! The entire lot of them. We've checked the kitchen, the garden, the pool — not a soul around!"
Sebastian blinked, trying not to laugh. "Missing?"
Susan added anxiously, "None of them are answering their phones either! Not even Abby."
That did it. A laugh escaped Sebastian's lips before he could stop it. "Relax, everyone. They're not missing. Come with me."
He led the worried parents upstairs, stopping in front of Julian's door. With a smirk, he pushed it open — and stepped aside so they could all see.
A collective gasp — followed by groans and laughter.
"Oh, dear Lord…" Susan put a hand over her mouth, smiling. "Look at them. How adorable."
Richard chuckled softly, shaking his head. "They look like puppies in a pile."
Yonika's eyes softened, her graceful features lighting up with maternal warmth. "May God protect these children. Such pure hearts… even after all these years."
Alexander crossed his arms but smiled anyway. "I don't know how they can even breathe like that. There's barely any space."
Sebastian leaned against the doorframe, amusement flickering in his eyes. For him, this — this kind of closeness, comfort — was alien. He'd always been the disciplined one. A man who valued order, structure, silence. The concept of six people sharing one bed — tangled in laughter and exhaustion — was something he couldn't quite fathom.
But watching them like this, he felt something shift quietly in his chest — something warm and oddly tender.
"Let them sleep," Richard whispered. "They deserve it."
Alexander nodded. "Yes. We'll wake them in an hour."
As the parents tiptoed out, Susan glanced back once more, a smile playing on her lips. "It's nice, isn't it? Seeing them like this… reminds me of simpler days."
Sebastian stayed behind for a moment, gaze still on Bella.
Her hair had fallen across her face; he resisted the absurd urge to brush it away. She murmured something in her sleep and shifted slightly, making Julian grunt in response and roll over.
Sebastian's lips curved into a quiet smile. "You're a hurricane, Senorita," he murmured under his breath. "And you don't even know it."
The sight stirred something deep within him — a mix of admiration and guilt. These people… they weren't just friends. They were family in their own chaotic, beautiful way. They protected each other, laughed together, lived without restraint.
For the first time, he understood why the Harrisons valued these bonds so fiercely.
He ran a hand through his hair, a flicker of regret brushing across his chest.
What was I even thinking… telling her to stay away from Jake?
Jake wasn't a threat. He was a part of her — part of their little universe where loyalty ran deeper than blood.
Sebastian exhaled slowly.
If I ever want her in my life… I'll have to accept all of them.
Then, with a soft chuckle, he turned off the projector light, pulled the door closed, and followed his family downstairs — the ghost of that smile still lingering on his face.
Half an hour later, the sunlight crept higher through the curtains, spilling directly across Abby Harrison's face. He groaned, squinting as the light poked at his eyelids.
When he blinked his eyes open, a soft smile spread across his lips. His entire gang was still fast asleep around him — limbs entangled, heads buried in pillows. It was a picture of perfect chaos.
He tried to sit up but froze.
Mia was cuddled against him, her arm draped lazily across his chest. Julian's head rested on Abby's legs, and Jake's feet were somehow tangled at the end of his own.
He chuckled quietly, whispering, "Well, this is... cozy."
Turning his head slightly, he looked at Mia — still lost in sleep, her lips parted softly. Something in him melted. Without thinking, he leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers — a gentle, sleepy kiss.
Mia stirred, her brows knitting for a second before her eyes fluttered open. The realization hit her instantly, her cheeks flushing the shade of dawn.
"Abby…" she murmured shyly.
He grinned, voice low and playful. "Good morning, sleepyhead."
Her blush deepened, but she smiled before giving in — her fingers brushing his cheek as she kissed him back, slow and tender, the morning sunlight wrapping around them like a secret.
After a few moments, Mia pulled away, breathless, still smiling. "Now that's one way to wake me up."
He laughed softly. "It worked, didn't it?"
Then she stretched, rubbing her eyes. "Let's wake the others before they melt into this bed."
She leaned over, shaking Bella gently. "Senorita… wake up, it's morning."
Bella groaned, burying her face into the blanket. "Five more minutes…"
"Come on," Mia insisted, tugging at the sheet.
Bella finally blinked her eyes open, smiling sleepily. "Morning already?"
Navya stirred next, blinking in confusion at the sight of everyone moving. "Did we actually fall asleep here?" she muttered, half-asleep still.
Bella giggled. "You did, with your death-grip on that poor pillow."
Navya groaned. "Don't remind me…"
Now came Julian's turn. Bella leaned forward and shook his shoulder gently. "Wake up, lazybones."
He didn't budge.
"Julian!" she said louder this time. Nothing.
Her brows furrowed, and she shook him harder. He groaned, turning over like a stubborn child.
"Oh no you don't," she muttered, grabbing the nearest pillow and whacking him square on the head.
Julian jolted up with a startled yelp. "What the— Bella!"
"You were sleeping on me!" she shot back, laughing.
Julian blinked, confused. "So you hit me?"
"Yes!"
He narrowed his eyes mischievously. "Wrong move, Senorita."
Before she could react, he snatched the pillow from her hands and hit her right back.
Navya gasped as feathers flew through the air. "Hey! Not near my face!"
But her protest only added fuel to the chaos — she grabbed her own pillow and smacked Julian across the shoulder.
That was it. The war had begun.
Within seconds, pillows were flying in every direction — laughter filling the room, hair flying, the soft thuds of cotton echoing like a morning symphony.
Jake groaned as one pillow hit him directly in the chest. "Who threw that?"
Bella's giggle gave her away, and he grinned wickedly. "Oh, it's on now."
He lunged for a pillow and joined the fray, feathers bursting into the air as everyone screamed and laughed.
Even Abby and Mia joined in, their earlier kiss forgotten in the storm of laughter and chaos.
The entire room turned into a snowstorm of feathers — pure joy, pure friendship, pure madness.
And from downstairs, as the parents sipped their coffee, faint laughter echoed through the vast halls of the Harrison farmhouse.
Susan smiled knowingly, turning to Yonika. "They're awake."
Yonika chuckled softly. "And very much alive."
Richard sighed with a grin. "God help the housekeeping staff."
And amid that beautiful mess upstairs, Bella's laughter rang the loudest — bright, carefree, and full of life — the kind of sound that could make even Sebastian Whitmore forget the weight of his world for a while.