Neither Ivy nor Leo realized how quickly time passed inside the amusement park.

Between the rides, games, snacks, and Leo’s endless excitement, the entire evening disappeared in the blink of an eye.

And by the time Xander finally appeared, both mother and son were already exhausted and starving.

So after successfully winning the battle for cotton candy, the group headed toward one of the private restaurants inside the amusement park.

Despite the amount of attention they gathered along the way, Xander showed no intention of letting go of Ivy’s hand.

One hand remained firmly intertwined with hers while the other continued carrying Leo effortlessly in his arm.

The sight alone was enough to make people turn around repeatedly to stare at them.

Meanwhile, Ivy tried extremely hard to ignore the warmth of his hand around hers. Unfortunately, the harder she tried not to think about it, the more aware she became of it. especially because Xander looked completely calm while holding her hand as if he had done it his entire life.

Meanwhile, behind them, Taylor walked with the rest of the guards while silently trying to recover from the emotional shock he experienced earlier.

"Don’t let a single word about today leak outside," Xander instructed coldly without even turning around.

Taylor instantly straightened.

"Don’t worry, boss," he assured immediately. "Everything is already under control."

Only then did Xander nod slightly before guiding Ivy toward the car.

Soon, everyone got inside, and the car slowly drove away from the amusement park.

Inside the vehicle, Leo remained completely energized despite the long day.

"Daddy, Uncle Benny screamed louder than me on the pirate ship!" Leo laughed loudly while sitting happily in Xander’s lap.

From the front seat, Benny looked deeply wronged.

"Young Master," he sighed emotionally, "that ride tried to murder me."

Leo giggled harder.

"And Mommy laughed at you!"

Benny looked even more heartbroken.

"Madam even recorded my suffering."

Meanwhile, Ivy leaned against the seat quietly while listening to Leo ramble excitedly about every ride they went on.

Occasionally, the little boy would tease Xander for missing certain attractions.

"Daddy, you should’ve seen Uncle Percy’s face on the roller coaster," Leo said proudly. "He looked like he was praying."

Percy, who was in the other car following them, suddenly sneezed.

The car instantly filled with laughter. Even Teddy silently smiled while listening to them.

Ivy, however, said very little. Instead, she simply sat there quietly while watching Leo smile brightly beside Xander. And somehow... that alone made the entire exhausting day worth it.

She would do anything just to protect that smile.

And today for the very first time she truly felt like she had become part of his happiness.

***

[Thirty Minutes Later]

By the time the car finally returned to the mansion, the lively atmosphere inside had long quieted down.

The moment the vehicle stopped, Xander instinctively turned his head toward the back seat only to find both Leo and Ivy fast asleep.

Leo had fallen asleep while hugging the giant stuffed toy Xander secretly bought for him earlier at the amusement park.

Meanwhile, Ivy sat leaning slightly against the window, her head tilted to the side peacefully.

The exhaustion on her face was impossible to miss.

For a moment, Xander simply stared at them silently.

The usually noisy woman who constantly argued with him was now sleeping quietly without a trace of her usual stubbornness.

A few loose strands of hair had fallen across her face, softening her features under the dim car light.

Xander unconsciously paused. Then slowly reached out.

His fingers gently brushed the strands away from her face with unusual care.

The movement was so natural that even he didn’t realize what he had done until a few seconds later. And somehow instead of pulling away immediately, his gaze lingered on her sleeping face longer than necessary.

"She really sleeps deeply," he muttered.

Xander didn’t want to wake either of them.

So after silently watching them for a few moments, he finally lifted his eyes toward Teddy.

"Carry Leo to his room," he instructed quietly.

Without another word, Teddy immediately stepped out of the car and carefully lifted the sleeping Leo into his arms, making sure to hold him securely before heading inside the mansion.

Meanwhile, Xander remained seated in the car.

His gaze slowly drifted toward the woman sleeping beside him.

For once, Ivy looked completely peaceful.

No stubborn arguments.

No dramatic reactions.

No endless defiance in her eyes.

Just quiet exhaustion.

Xander silently watched her for a moment longer before unconsciously reaching out to brush away the loose strands of hair falling across her face.

"It’s strange how your silence can bother me," he muttered softly.

Because somehow—

He had already gotten used to her noisy presence around him.

The mansion felt livelier when she argued with him.

Leo smiled more around her.

And even he found himself paying more attention to her than he should.

The realization made his brows furrow slightly.

Yet despite that, he still carefully leaned forward and slid one arm beneath her knees while the other wrapped around her waist.

Then, with utmost care, Xander lifted Ivy into his arms.

Even in her sleep, Ivy instinctively moved closer against his chest, causing his steps to pause briefly.

A strange feeling stirred inside him again.

Troublesome.

Everything about this woman was troublesome.

Still, Xander said nothing as he carried her out of the car and walked into the mansion quietly beneath the dim evening lights.

As soon as they reached her room, Xander carried Ivy toward the bed and carefully laid her down against the soft mattress.

For a moment, he simply stood there quietly, making sure she was comfortable before leaving.

But the instant he tried to pull away, Ivy suddenly moved.

Her arm slipped around his neck, stopping him completely.

Slowly, she opened her sleepy eyes and stared straight at him.

"Kiss me."

The soft demand left Xander utterly still.

His sharp gaze locked onto hers, searching for hesitation, but Ivy continued staring at him stubbornly as if waiting for him to refuse.

And before he could even react properly, Ivy suddenly pulled him down and captured his lips without warning.

Xander’s eyes widened slightly in surprise.

But the moment her lips began moving softly against his, his expression slowly eased.

Then, closing his eyes, he gave in completely.

The kiss deepened almost instantly.

What began as a soft kiss quickly turned heated as Ivy tightened her hold around his neck, kissing him boldly without leaving him room to think.

Xander’s hand instinctively slid around her waist to steady her, but Ivy unexpectedly pushed against him harder.

Caught off guard, Xander lost balance and fell backward onto the bed.

His brows furrowed slightly in surprise.

Yet before he could react, Ivy climbed over him, pinning him beneath her while continuing to kiss him deeply.

For once, she completely took the lead and Xander let her.

His fingers tightened around her waist as he responded to her kiss, the restraint he always carried around her slowly beginning to crumble apart.

Every soft breath, every desperate kiss and every second she stayed close only fueled the growing heat inside him.

The usually calm and composed Xander Emerson was finally losing control. And Ivy completely unaware of the danger she was creating continued kissing him stubbornly as if trying to pour every unspoken emotion into that single moment.

Soon, Xander finally responded with equal intensity. His hand moved upward along her back while he kissed her harder, his breathing gradually turning uneven as desire rose heavily inside him.

The atmosphere inside the room instantly became dangerously intimate. But just as Xander was about to pull her even closer, Ivy suddenly went completely limp.

"...Ivy?" Xander slowly called out

No response, but then the very next second her head slowly dropped onto his shoulder while her breathing softened evenly.

Silence filled the room while Xander stared at her for a few long seconds before finally realizing—she had fallen asleep.

Again.

Right on top of him.

Meanwhile, Xander remained lying there beneath her, breathing unevenly while staring blankly at the ceiling.

The warmth of her body still pressed against him only made things worse.

"...Unbelievable," he muttered hoarsely.

This woman had passionately kissed him, pinned him down, completely ruined his self-control and then peacefully fallen asleep as if nothing had happened.

Xander stayed completely still beneath her, afraid that even the slightest movement would wake her up. Or perhaps a part of him simply didn’t want to move her away yet.

Ivy remained peacefully asleep against his chest, completely unaware of the chaos she had stirred inside him.

And the more Xander tried to understand her, the more he found himself irrevocably drawn toward her.

It was unfamiliar.

Dangerous.

Yet strangely comforting at the same time.

His eyes lingered on her sleeping face quietly while his fingers gently brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.

"You asked for it," he muttered softly. Then, finally giving in to the temptation he had been suppressing for far too long, Xander leaned down and kissed her.

The kiss was slow and lingering, carrying all the emotions he still couldn’t properly understand himself.

But it lasted only a few seconds before he slowly pulled away again.

His gaze softened slightly as he lowered his head once more and pressed a gentle kiss against her forehead.

Then, carefully, he adjusted her in his arms and held her closer against his chest.

For once, Xander stopped fighting the strange warmth spreading through him.

Instead, he closed his eyes and quietly let her presence seep into the emptiness he had carried for years.