Norwan blinked twice, his gaze locked on Natalie’s face as though trying to decode the impossible.

"Are you serious?" His voice was low, strained with disbelief. Natalie simply nodded, her brow furrowing in response.

“She’s with us because your mother and my father have... a relationship," Natalie’s words hung in the air, heavy with implications. The sheer absurdity of it hit Norwan like a sudden, unexpected gust of wind, causing a laugh to escape his lips.

“Are you kidding me?” He leaned back, disbelief swirling in his chest, unable to process the truth she was suggesting.

Natalie’s expression remained serious, her eyes steady as she shook her head, her throat...