Their steps fell into a perfect rhythm, moving faster and with more assurance.

“Go, Mommy and Daddy!” Liam shouted from the edge of the field.

They pushed forward, crossing the finish line well ahead of the others.

Liam let out a happy shriek, snatching the trophy from Emma and holding it up. “Mommy, Daddy, we won!”

He then turned and sprinted toward Ethan, throwing his small arms around him. “Daddy, you’re the best!”

Isabella stopped breathing. She never imagined Liam would call Ethan “Daddy” so openly. Her first instinct was to correct him, but the pure joy on his face made her hold back.

A storm of conflicting feelings raged inside her.

Ethan held the boy tightly, his intense eyes fixed on Isabella, a hint of amusement dancing in his gaze.

Outside the kindergarten’s iron gate, Sophia gripped the cold bars, her knuckles white. Her furious stare burned into the three figures on the playground. Ethan’s powerful presence, Isabella’s gentle smile, Liam’s carefree laughter… it all felt like a knife twisting in her heart.

Zoe stood beside her, arms crossed, a smirk playing on her lips.

“Well, well. What a perfect little family. It seems Isabella knows exactly how to play her cards—using that child to tie Ethan down. And you, Sophia, the brilliant lawyer, might just lose it all,” Zoe said.

Sophia’s head whipped toward her, eyes blazing. “Be quiet! This isn’t over. Nothing is decided. Ethan… he would never leave me.”

“Is that what you really believe?” Zoe raised an eyebrow, her voice dripping with sarcasm. “Today, he publicly accepted that boy as his son. He spent the entire day with Isabella and the child, playing the part of a doting father. Anyone watching would think they’re a real family.”

She paused, letting her words sink in before twisting the knife. “And you? What does that make you? The discarded ex?”

Sophia’s face lost all color, her lips trembling. “He won’t abandon me! He promised…” Her voice broke. She couldn’t finish.

Zoe watched Sophia’s distress with deep satisfaction.

A few hours later, the kindergarten event came to an end. The lively noise faded as families began to pack up and leave.

Isabella held Liam’s small hand, walking beside Ethan. The boy was still buzzing with excitement, his cheeks flushed, clutching a handmade toy robot.

“Mommy, today was the best! Can we do it again soon?” Liam asked, skipping happily.

“Of course,” Isabella replied softly, her heart warmed by his happiness.

Her phone buzzed, interrupting the moment. She glanced at the screen and stepped away to take the call.

Liam watched her go, then turned to Ethan, his eyes shining with a serious, thoughtful light.

After a moment of quiet contemplation, he nodded to himself, as if reaching a big decision. He dug into his pocket, pulling out a crumpled piece of paper and a small pencil. Carefully, he wrote down a string of numbers and handed it to Ethan.

“This is my phone number,” Liam announced in his sweet, childish voice. “You can call me if you need anything.”

He puffed out his little chest, looking unbearably proud and adorable.

Ethan looked at the slip of paper in his hand, a wave of warmth flooding his chest. He couldn’t resist reaching out and ruffling the boy’s hair. But just then, his eyes caught a slender, familiar figure in the distance.