LOGINFifteen minutes later, the kitchen was filled with the rich scent of butter and Grace’s excited giggles. Ivy poured the batter carefully while Grace stood on a chair, clutching a spatula far too big for her tiny hands.“Slowly, sweetheart,” Ivy said patiently. “If you rush, it’ll get messy.”Josh st
Ivy clicked her tongue and playfully smacked his arm. “That’s because you were the one who dragged me into that ridiculous plan to take back my house from Rico.”“And you agreed to it,” Josh shot back.“Because I thought you were just some crazy guy looking for entertainment,” Ivy said honestly.Jos
Ivy, who had been busy tossing salad at the dining table, could only laugh. “You two are like kids fighting over Grace’s attention.”Natasha chuckled softly. “She’s right, Ivy. At home, whenever Nathan sees a cute toy, the first thing he says isn’t about me—it’s always, ‘Grace would love this.’”Nat
FOUR YEARS LATER“Grace! Don’t run in the hallway!”Ivy’s voice echoed through the living room, which was now a battlefield of toys, stuffed animals, and a sticky spill of apple juice on the glass table.The little girl with golden-brown hair looked back for half a second before bursting into laught
Josh leaned back on the living room sofa, his gaze fixed on Alena, who was cradling the tiny baby in her arms with the gentlest smile he had ever seen. Grace looked utterly peaceful, occasionally letting out a small yawn and stretching like a kitten in her grandmother’s embrace.“Mom, it’s been almo
The first few days after Ivy came home from the hospital felt like the beginning of an entirely new chapter in their lives.The once-quiet house was now a world of baby cries, Ivy’s soft lullabies, and Josh’s panicked voice every time their little girl so much as twitched.“Josh, please… it’s only t
Then she set her chopsticks down and looked at him more seriously. “Speaking of that house… Any updates? Is there any chance of getting it back soon?”Josh let out a quiet sigh, leaning back and rubbing his temple for a second. “I’ve already spoken to my attorney—the one who usually handles cases li
“But, Mr. Kim…” Ivy started to protest, but the look in his eyes made her swallow her words and take the bag with both hands.“I don’t want to hear that one of my employees passed out from poor nutrition!”Luna and Haeon, another friend from the restaurant, burst out laughing.“Thank you, Mr. Kim,”
A few hours before Ivy called Josh…“So, it’s official? You’re divorced now?” Luna asked while stretching out her stiff arms. They both worked at the same café, but on different ends of the operation—Ivy was on the floor, Luna in the kitchen.Luckily, their shifts overlapped today, which meant they
“This is the finest hanjeongsik in Seoul, Mr. Josh. We thought you might miss the authentic flavors of home, considering you grew up overseas,” said Commissioner Jaeyoon with an affable tone.Josh simply nodded, disinterested. He had a feeling this dinner would drag on longer than he’d like.“If I’m







