Luna Ashford hurried into the hotel with her daughter, but Ollie’s fifth birthday party had already started.

Ethan Mercer was standing by his son’s side. The candlelight was soft and warm, washing over the child’s little face.

Ollie pressed his hands together and made his wish. "I want Chloe to be my new mommy."

Luna’s whole body gave a violent shake.

The rain outside was coming down like crazy. To keep her daughter and the birthday cake from getting soaked, she’d taken most of it herself. Half her body was drenched through.

Her wet clothes clung to her like a sheet of ice, wrapping tightly around her from head to toe.

Chloe Ashford let out a loud, easy laugh. "How many times do I have to say it? Don’t call me auntie. Call me Bro Sheng! Your dad and I are bros for life~ At most, I can be your second dad~"

Her laughter bounced around the private room.

Everyone sitting there was part of Chloe’s circle, all her close guy friends, and they instantly cracked up too. Still, out of everyone in the room, only Chloe would dare tease Ethan Mercer like this in public.

Ollie blinked his bright, shiny eyes and flashed Chloe a sweet, eager little smile, obviously trying to please her.

Chloe reached out and kneaded his soft cheek with a grin. "So what’s this all of a sudden? Why do you want a new mommy, huh?"

Ollie shot a quick glance at Ethan, then answered fast, "Because Daddy likes Bro Sheng!"

Chloe burst out laughing.

She scooped Ollie straight onto her lap, then casually threw an arm around Ethan’s shoulder.

Lifting her brow, she looked smug as anything. "See? Ollie’s got sharp eyes~"

Ethan frowned slightly and said to everyone there,

"Kids say random things. Don’t take it seriously."

He was making it clear they shouldn’t read too much into it.

But kids didn’t lie.

Everybody knew Ethan Mercer and Chloe Ashford had grown up together, childhood sweethearts in all but name.

Chloe had always run with the boys, rough around the edges, and Mr. and Mrs. Mercer had never liked her much.

Back when Luna was eighteen, the Ashford family had found her and brought her home. Carrying the family’s hopes, and a heart full of love, she married Ethan and gave him a son and a daughter.

Inside the private room, people were already egging things on:

"Who do you like more, your mom or Chloe?"

"I like Chloe the most! Mom? She's such a country bumpkin!"

A tiny, almost invisible sneer flashed through Chloe Ashford's eyes. Then she pulled Ollie into her arms and kissed his forehead like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Luna Ashford felt like all the blood in her body had turned to ice.

Ever since he was little, Ollie had hated physical contact.

Whenever Luna tried to hold him, he would dodge her, stiffen up, push away.

He took after his father that way—cold, distant, hard to get close to.

But right now, Ollie was sitting in Chloe's lap, smiling at her with open affection, soft and sweet.

And the look Ethan Mercer gave Chloe was one Luna had never once received from him.

Gentle. Tender. Almost painfully warm.

The three of them looked more like a real family.

"Mommy."

Her daughter's voice snapped her back.

Luna lowered her head to look at Issy, but tears had already blurred everything in front of her.

"What... what birthday wish does Issy want?" Her voice shook so badly it barely sounded like her own.

"Issy only wants Mommy!"

"What about Daddy and Ollie?"

A scalding tear splashed onto the back of Issy's hand. She instantly panicked.

"Mommy, don't cry. I'll go tell Ollie not to keep sticking to Auntie all the time."

Issy and Ollie were twins. When Luna gave birth to them, she had hemorrhaged badly. Lying in the delivery room, pale and half-conscious, she had called Ethan.

The one who answered was Chloe.

"Ethan went to buy popcorn. He's with me at Disneyland watching the fireworks, so just focus on having the baby, okay~"

The crack of fireworks seemed to explode right beside Luna's ears all over again.

From that day on, her heart was basically wrecked.