Chapter 2

Colin glanced at Gwyneth's hands on his arm, his expression growing darker.

Finally, he said, "Fine. One month. But don't even think about pulling any tricks, Aspen. If you do, there will be consequences."

Aspen gave him a faint smile. "As long as you spend time with Sophie, I'll fully cooperate." She paused and then added, "As her father, shouldn't you at least give her a birthday gift?"

...

Sophie lay quietly in Aspen's arms as the car headed toward the Fuller residence. Her voice trembled ever so lightly as she asked, "Mommy... is Daddy really coming?"

Though she tried to hide it, the longing in her eyes was undeniable. Aspen gently patted her back and reassured her softly, "Of course he is, sweetheart."

Sophie's eyes brightened for a moment before she hesitated. "Mommy, don't tell Daddy that I'm sick, okay? I don't want him to be upset."

Aspen's eyes stung with tears, and her chest tightened painfully. She stroked Sophie's soft hair and whispered, "Okay, I promise."

Sophie extended her pinky finger, and Aspen immediately knew what she wanted. She hooked her own pinky with her precious daughter's.

Sophie giggled sweetly and said, "One hundred years—no breaking the promise!"

Aspen smiled, but her vision blurred with tears. Her heart felt heavy. Sophie was her only blood relative—the only family she had left in this world. And soon, her baby would be gone.

But before that happened, she wanted to give Sophie one last beautiful dream.

...

When they arrived at the Fuller residence, the butler, Hank Cahill, stepped forward and took their bags.

Aspen asked quietly, "Is Mr. Fuller home?"

Hank nodded. "Yes, he is."

Aspen breathed a small sigh of relief. Colin had rarely stayed in their marital home after their wedding, and Sophie had only ever seen him on TV.

With that, Aspen held Sophie's hand as they entered the mansion. From a distance, she spotted Colin sitting on the couch.

Sophie's eyes sparkled with excitement. Aspen gently squeezed her shoulder and said, "Go on."

Sophie hesitated for a moment before carefully approaching Colin. Her small frame moved timidly, and she stopped a few feet away from the couch.

In a soft, almost uncertain voice, she called out, "Daddy?"

Colin's gaze shifted slightly. He had heard Aspen and Sophie arrive earlier but hadn't felt the urge to greet them.

Yet, when he heard Sophie call him "Daddy", something caught in his throat.

His eyes landed on her innocent face—one that resembled Aspen's so much that it triggered an instinctive resistance in him. His jaw tightened, and after a pause, he coldly hummed in response.

Then, he reached for a neatly wrapped box beside him. "Here. Your birthday gift."

Sophie's eyes widened in disbelief. "Thank you," she murmured shyly, her voice barely audible.

Aspen's expression hardened. She wasn't impressed by Colin's distant attitude.

She walked over, gently running a hand through Sophie's hair, and urged, "Sophie, why don't you open it and see what Daddy got you?"

Sophie nodded and unwrapped the box with a soft smile. However, the moment she saw the gift, her smile faltered for a split second.

Still, she quickly recovered and said, "Thank you, Daddy. I love it."

Aspen's chest ached when she saw the gift—diamond earrings. For a moment, she could hardly breathe.

Forcing her emotions down, Aspen smiled at Sophie. "Sweetheart, remember how we promised Mike you'd go to bed early? It's getting late now. Tomorrow, Daddy will take you out to play, okay?"

Colin's eyes flickered slightly at the mention of another man's name.

Meanwhile, Sophie obediently nodded. Even though she wasn't thrilled with the gift, seeing her parents together brought her so much happiness that she didn't care.

Since they didn't want Colin to know that Sophie was sick, Aspen had explained to her that they had to call her doctor, Mike Vaughn, by his first name. Now, Sophie had to be a good girl and go to bed early like she had promised.

"Okay, Mommy!" Sophie beamed and happily followed the nanny, Lena Marsh, upstairs.

Once she was gone, Aspen calmly picked up the pair of diamond earrings.

Turning to Colin, she said in a cold, even tone, "Mr. Fuller, I understand you have a busy life. But even if you didn't put much thought into it, was it really necessary to give a four-year-old a pair of diamond earrings?"

Colin's expression hardened when Aspen addressed him as "Mr. Fuller". His voice was cold as he explained, "There was nowhere to buy a gift at this hour. I borrowed this from Gwyneth... It was a mistake. It won't happen again."

Aspen wanted to tell him there wouldn't be a next time as Sophie's next birthday would never come. Holding back the ache in her chest, she picked up a children's bedtime storybook she had prepared.

She asked, "Since you're her father, how about we read Sophie a bedtime story together tonight?"

"I don't know how," Colin replied curtly.

Aspen wasn't surprised. "That's fine. I'll read; you just need to stay and learn."

Colin suppressed the hint of irritation flaring in him and replied coldly, "Fine."

Aspen continued calmly, "I know you don't want to see me. Once Sophie is asleep, you can leave to spend time with Ms. Sanders. Just come back before she has to be dropped off at the preschool tomorrow morning."

Colin's eyes shifted slightly. The Aspen he knew used to try every trick in the book to keep him around. She had even faked illness and gotten his grandfather, Hector Fuller, to call him back home.

He suspected this might be another ploy and narrowed his eyes, saying, "No need. I'll stay in the guest room tonight."

Aspen's expression didn't change as she replied, "Let's go."

For the first time in their five-year marriage, the two of them walked into their daughter's room together. It was also the first time Colin had ever stepped inside Sophie's bedroom.

Aspen sat by Sophie's bed, opened the storybook, and began to read aloud. It was an old classic—"The Sea Princess".

Sophie was overjoyed to have Colin there and kept sneaking glances at him, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and happiness.

The warm, gentle atmosphere felt unfamiliar to Colin. He found himself fidgeting, wanting to leave. However, he remembered Gwyneth and forced himself to stay. It was only a month, after all.

"And with that, the mermaid turned into sea foam and returned to the ocean..." Aspen's soft voice flowed like a gentle stream.

Colin looked over at her under the dim glow of the bedside lamp. The warm light outlined her slender figure, her braid resting gently over her chest as she focused entirely on Sophie. For a brief moment, his gaze faltered.

"Mommy, I want some milk," Sophie suddenly said.

Aspen saw this as an opportunity to give the two some time alone. "Okay, I'll go make you some," she replied, getting to her feet.

Colin instinctively moved to stand, but Aspen shot him a warning look. He understood and reluctantly sat back down as she left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

The small room fell into a deep, peaceful silence. Colin felt Sophie's intense gaze on him and shifted slightly.

"What is it?" he asked, his voice low.

Sophie's eyes widened in surprise. Colin was talking to her! Her small chest swelled with warmth.

"I'm really happy you came today, Daddy," she said shyly, her voice awkward and careful as she tried to express her feelings.

Colin glanced at her, noticing the cautious hope in her eyes. He blinked, taken aback.

He asked, "Why?"

He was puzzled, especially since they had barely spent any time together before this.