Chapter 343

I knew I had to say something, but my words were more offhand than thoughtful. "I might not be one now, but who knows about the future?"

Thorsten burst out laughing, and Milly, nestled in his arms, giggled along with him. "Daddy, this lady is nice. She played with me," Milly chimed in.

This child clearly thought I was a rockstar. Her mother, however, did not. Sasha's face darkened, and she gave me a look that suggested she believed I was Thorsten's latest fling.

"Well then, from now on, you can always come play with Milly," Thorsten said, as if I'd become a regular fixture in their lives.

I opened my mouth, unsure what to say. Arguing in front of Milly felt wrong, so I simply dismissed his comment.

Then Thorsten approached, still holding Milly. "Got time to play with my daughter? You can name your price."

Was he seriously asking me to babysit? Did he think everyone had his boundless free time?

Refusing outright would have been awkward, especially with Milly watching, so I forced a smile. "You're joking, right? I'll play with her, but you don't need to pay me."

Thorsten nodded, then turned to Sasha, who looked anxious. "Get her contact information. Anytime she's free, take Milly to see her."

Sasha immediately nodded. "Of course, Thorsten. I didn't realize you knew this beautiful lady."

The jealousy in her words was palpable.

Thorsten ignored her comment, and Sasha made no move to get my number. It was clear she wasn't taking any of this seriously.

"Alright, didn't we say we were having lobster today? Let's go, Daddy's taking you to eat," Thorsten said, kissing Milly. His love for her was undeniable, and it reminded me of Cole.

Cole was older than me, yet here was his much younger sister—and his stepmother, who wasn't much older than us either. I couldn't imagine his perspective in this family dynamic.

"I want her to come too," Milly suddenly said, looking up at me.

This girl was warming up to me quickly.

Before I could respond, Sasha, clearly flustered, interjected. "She's busy today, sweetie. We'll see her another time, okay?"

"No, I want her to come," Milly insisted.

Please, don't drag me into this, I silently begged her.

I was about to offer an excuse, but Thorsten, ever the instigator, smirked and said, "Come along if you're free."

Even with unlimited free time, there was no way I was going. I seized the first excuse that came to mind. "Thank you, Mr. Drago, but I need to stay with Matthew."

Thorsten grinned, as if he'd anticipated my response. "Well, in that case, we won't push it. Funny enough, we were just talking about you earlier."

Talking about me? What could they have been saying?

I wasn't about to ask, and Thorsten didn't elaborate. He turned back to Milly, soothing her as they left.

Sasha followed closely behind, but their appearance—her trailing a step behind with an uneasy look—suggested she was walking with her father and daughter, not her partner and child. It was an odd sight.

After they left, I went to Matthew's room. He must have been tired from talking to Thorsten because his eyes were closed.

I didn't want to disturb him, so I sat quietly beside his bed, keeping him company. As I watched him, the silver strands in his hair caught my eye, and my mind drifted back to the man he was ten years ago, and everything he'd done for me.

Lost in thought, I suddenly heard him murmur, "Rea."

"Matthew," I whispered softly, leaning closer, but his eyes remained closed. He didn't respond, as if he'd said my name in his sleep. I hesitated, then cautiously called again, "Matthew…"