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Sebastian looked at me for a moment before nodding slowly. "We're going to make him happy today, Isa. There's nothing wrong with that."

I swallowed and tried to smile for Ace. "Alright, let's go then."

I tugged Ace's hand and walked towards the door, while Sebastian followed behind me. There was an ever-present tension between us, a tension that couldn't go away despite our best efforts to appear normal in front of Ace.

The drive to Sebastian's house felt longer than usual. I felt like I was walking on thin glass, afraid that a small wrong step could make everything crumble. Ace sat in the backseat, telling me stories about his school with excitement, while I tried to stay focused on the road ahead. Sebastian sat quietly next to me, his gaze straight ahead, yet I could tell his mind was hard at work.

When we got to his house, Ace immediately ran towards the pool with a giggle. Sebastian and I followed him, and at that moment I felt strange. We were like a whole family, but only on the