The dinner ended peacefully—something Ivy had thought would never happen. But thanks to Leo’s gentle coaxing and Xander’s warning stare, Aaron had managed to behave himself for once.

Unfortunately, that only made things worse for her. Because the moment the night ended, Aaron had taken Leo with him.

His so-called punishment still stood. Ivy was to do everything he said without questioning or arguing.

It was ridiculous. Infuriating. And completely unfair.

Ivy had never been this frustrated with a grown man before. Watching Aaron walk away with Leo, a smug smile on his face, had taken every ounce of her self-control not to punch him.

"Why did I even agree to this?" she groaned, burying her face into the pillow in the now empty room.

A few seconds later, she lifted her head and glanced around.

The silence felt wrong.

Heavier and somewhat unfamiliar.

It had only been a few days, yet Leo’s presence had already rooted itself deep inside her heart. His constant chatter, his small hands clinging to her, the way he would drift off to sleep beside her—it had all become a quiet comfort she had not realized she depended on.

Now, without him, sleep felt impossible.

Her gaze shifted and landed on the banana plushie Leo always hugged while sleeping.

"I guess I will have to make do with this," she muttered, picking it up and lying back down.

But it was not the same. Not even close.

The warmth Leo brought her, the soft rhythm of his breathing, the way he unconsciously curled closer—none of that could be replaced by a toy.

"Goodness, this is so frustrating," she snapped, tossing the plushie aside as she sat up abruptly.

She ran a hand through her hair, exhaling sharply.

"I cannot keep going like this. Why does that hooligan have to ruin my sleep like this?"

Ivy had never been a heavy sleeper. But with Leo beside her, she had managed to get a few solid hours of rest. Enough to feel human again.

Now, alone in the quiet room, it felt like she had been dragged back into that cold, lonely place she had tried so hard to leave behind.

"Hah... I cannot take this anymore," she muttered, throwing the blanket aside. "If this continues, I might actually end up strangling Aaron."

With that, she got off the bed and stormed out of the room.

The house had gone silent. Everyone had retired for the night.

Perfect.

Taking advantage of the stillness, Ivy made her way toward Aaron’s room, her steps light but determined.

She pushed the door open just enough to slip inside, only to freeze at the sight before.

"Wow... look at him. Sleeping like he has no worries in the world," she muttered under her breath.

Aaron was sprawled across the bed, one leg hanging off the edge, his arm carelessly draped over Leo.

Her eyes narrowed.

"Is he trying to crush my baby?" she whispered, irritation flaring instantly.

Moving quickly but carefully, she approached the bed and sat beside Leo.

Without hesitation, she grabbed Aaron’s hand and shoved it away.

The man did not even stir. He was sleeping so deeply that it felt like not even an earthquake would wake him.

"Unbelievable," she muttered.

But her attention quickly shifted.

Leo was fast asleep, his small face relaxed, his tiny hand loosely curled near his chest.

Something in her chest softened and her expression melted as she watched him.

Memories surfaced—Leo standing in front of her, defending her without hesitation, clinging to her as if she was his entire world.

A warmth spread through her, unfamiliar yet comforting.

Raven had never truly known that kind of feeling before.

Not like this.

Not something so pure.

But now, this child was offering it to her so freely, so unconditionally, that it made her want more. It made her greedy.

She knew the truth that Ivy might be his real mother, but the soul inside this body was not hers.

It was Raven Young.

And no matter how much she wanted to believe she could stay like this forever, she did not even know if her own body was still alive somewhere.

Or if this borrowed life was all she had left.

Yet, in this moment, none of that mattered.

Carefully, she lay down beside Leo, pulling him gently into her arms.

He stirred slightly, then instinctively snuggled closer.

Ivy closed her eyes, her hold tightening just a little.

For the first time that night, the cold loneliness faded.

And in its place, there was warmth.

Ivy had no idea how long she had slept, but as if her subconscious had sensed it, she slipped away in a haze before Aaron could wake and make a fuss about her presence.

She barely remembered how she made it back to her room.

The moment she dropped onto the bed, sleep claimed her once again.

"Hmm... so soft," she murmured faintly, already drifting deeper into unconsciousness.

***

Morning came quietly, and for the first time in days, Ivy slept without interruption. No restless thoughts, no lingering unease—just deep, undisturbed sleep that wrapped around her like a comforting embrace.

When she finally stirred, it was slow and natural.

Her lashes fluttered before her eyes opened, adjusting to the soft light filtering through the curtains. A faint yawn escaped her as she stretched slightly, feeling unusually refreshed.

It felt... nice. Too nice.

A smile eventually formed on her lips, but the second she moved she paused.

’Wait, what is that?’ she questioned herself as a frown formed between her brows, but then she moved again, and this time she felt it too...again.

Ivy froze in her spot when she suddenly felt a warmth next to her.

She assumed it must be Leo, but she was wrong because she knew Leo wouldn’t wake up this early.

’Then who is it’

If warmth was not enough, Ivy even felt the weight and the presence, and her body went completely still again, every sense sharpening in an instant.

Someone was on the bed. Right next to her.

Her breath caught as her heart skipped a beat, her mind scrambling to catch up with what her body had already realized.

Slowly—very slowly—she turned her head. And then, her eyes widened.

’X-Xander!’ Ivy felt like someone had splash cold water in her face and she closed her eyes only to open them to peek and find the same person again

’What the hell is he doing in my room and...in my bed!’