Chapter 97 Chapter 97

Chapter 97 Chapter 97
Scott kept chuckling to himself, and every laugh felt like a brick dropping directly onto my nerves. I sat frozen with my fingers lightly wrapped around the cool glass of water, staring at him as if staring long enough might make him forget whatever he was about to say. 

But no.. Of course not. My luck never worked like that. 

He looked at me, wiping a tear of laughter from the corner of his eye. 

“You’re going to find it weird,” he said, almost shyly. 

I blinked. “Weird… how?” 

He laughed again and scratched the back of his head. “Trust me, Sabrina. You’ll just think it’s silly.” 

“Scott,” I said, leaning forward, trying to keep my voice calm despite the scream building in my chest, “just say it.” 

“No, no,” he said with a wave of his hand, “it’s stupid. I probably shouldn’t even say it.” 

Which, naturally, made me panic more. 

“What did you dream about?” I insisted. 

Scott groaned, dragging a palm down his face. “Baby, eat first. I don’t want you choking.” 

“Scott.” 

He stiffened at my tone, slowly lowering his hand. 

I wasn’t about to let this go. Not until I knew exactly how close he was to remembering the truth. Before he could respond again, two maids arrived carrying plates. They moved quietly, placing food before each of us on the long dining table. Steaming eggs, toast, fruit, tea, everything that would normally have made my morning brighter if not for the dread swirling in my stomach. Scott thanked them and waited until the last of them walked out and the door shut behind them. 

He exhaled deeply. 

“Alright,” he said. “I’ll tell you.” 

I felt my soul detach from my body. 

He turned slightly in his chair, elbows resting casually on the armrest, eyes narrowed in amusement. 

“So… in my dream,” he began, “Ace and I were… uh… involved with you.” 

My body went cold, then hot, then cold again. 

He coughed, clearing his throat, clearly trying to avoid any graphic detail. “Not in a normal way. Like… intimately. Together.” 

He threw his hands up quickly. “I’ not going to give graphic details of what happened in my dream. Nothing like that. Just… that. The idea of it, not the act itself. And it was—” He stifled another laugh. “—ridiculous. I don’t even know where my brain dug that up from.” 

For three whole seconds, I sat in absolute silence. 

Then, because my survival depended on it, I burst into laughter. 

Not cute laughter. Not soft laughter. Not delicate wife-like giggling. 

No. I laughed loud enough to shake the table. 

Scott stared at me, confused at first, then relieved that I wasn’t offended or horrified. He laughed again, encouraged by my reaction. 

But inside, I wasn’t laughing. Inside, every detail that Ace hid from me clicked into place with terrifying clarity. 

It wasn’t a dream. 

It happened. 

It actually happened. 

My face hurt from pretending. I slapped my palm on the table dramatically and leaned back, still laughing. 

“Oh my God, Scott… that’s the funniest dream I’ve ever heard,” I said breathlessly. “Wow… you were really drunk last night.” 

He grinned proudly like he’d just told the best joke of his life. 

“I told you it was weird.” 

“It definitely was,” I said, picking up my fork and stabbing a piece of toast a little too aggressively. 

“Yeah,” he chuckled. “Can you imagine... Ace, you and... and me, having a threesome?” 

I forced myself to change the subject immediately. 

“So… how are you feeling this morning?” I asked, stuffing food into my mouth like it was the only way to keep myself from screaming. 

He stretched his arms above his head, letting out a long groan. “Like I got hit by a truck. But honestly? I feel good. Really good.” 

I raised a brow. “Good?” 

“Yeah,” he said with a smile so soft it almost made my chest ache. “I feel… closer to Ace. I mean it. I feel like last night was a breakthrough. Before this, I had been advised to bond with him more. I kept delaying things because work got in the way, or life got in the way, or maybe I was afraid to face certain things.” 

His eyes softened as he rested his hand briefly on mine. 

“But last night… even though most of it is a blur, I remember feeling connected to him. Like the wall between us finally cracked open. I feel like I really saw him for the first time.” 

I swallowed hard, nodding slowly. “That’s… that’s great, Scott.” 

He smiled warmly. “It is. And it’s all thanks to you.” 

I shook my head immediately. “No, it’s not.” 

“Yes, it is,” he insisted. “If it weren’t for you and your talks and your attempts to bring us together, we’d still be awkwardly avoiding each other. You were right. I needed to bond with him. And honestly…” He leaned back again, thinking. “I think we should do this every weekend.” 

I nearly choked. 

“Every weekend?!” I repeated, eyes wide. 

“Yeah,” he said, nodding enthusiastically. “Little father-son outings. Drinks. Talks. Maybe even family dinners. We could make it a weekly thing.” 

“No,” I blurted before I could stop myself. 

Scott blinked. “No?” 

I cleared my throat, quickly softening my tone. “I mean… no, not every weekend. Don’t force it. Bonding is great, but if it becomes… routine or… scheduled, it’ll lose its meaning. Let it happen naturally. You don’t need to turn it into some mandatory thing.” 

He stared at me, then shrugged. “Hm. Maybe you’re right.” 

“Of course I am,” I said, forcing a smile that didn’t reach my eyes. “Let it be spontaneous. More organic.” 

He hummed, nodding again. “Alright. Yeah. I get it. I don’t want to suffocate him either.” 

“Exactly.” 

After that, I ate faster than I ever had in my life. I couldn’t stay at that table. Not with Scott grinning happily beside me. Not with the truth buzzing inside my skull like a bee trapped behind glass. 

The moment my plate was clean enough to pass for finished, I stood abruptly. 

“I’m going to check on Ace,” I announced. 

Scott raised a brow. “Why?” 

“I just—uh—want to make sure he’s okay. He looked tired.” 

And before Scott could question me any further, I practically sprinted out of the dining room. 

I reached Ace’s door and didn’t even knock. I pushed it open hard. Ace was on his bed, lying on his stomach, face buried in a pillow, groaning dramatically at the intrusion. 

“Ace!” I snapped. 

He turned his head slightly, peeking at me with one eye like a sleepy child. “Jesus, Sabrina… do you have to enter like a hurricane?” 

I marched across the room toward him. 

“Why didn’t you tell me what happened last night?” I demanded. 

He lifted his head, clearly confused. “What are you talking about?” 

“You know exactly what I’m talking about!” 

He sat up slowly, rubbing his hair with both hands. “Can you calm down?” 

“No!” I pointed at him accusingly. “What happened last night? Why didn’t you tell me what the three of us did?” 

Ace blinked at me, posture straightening slightly in surprise. “Okay… what happened at breakfast?” 

I threw my hands up. “Scott said he had a dream.” 

Ace’s eyes narrowed. “A dream?” 

“Yes. A dream.” I moved closer until I was standing right in front of him. “A dream where you and him were—” I waved my hands vaguely, “—involved with me.” 

Ace stared for a long time. And then the idiot burst into laughter. He fell back onto his bed, laughing so hard his shoulders shook. 

“Oh my God,” he wheezed. “Of all the things for him to remember, it’s that?!” 

“This isn’t funny!” I grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. 

He shielded himself with his arms, still laughing. “It is funny! Sabrina, relax!” 

“I am not relaxing!” 

He sat up again, breathing out another laugh as he wiped his eyes. “Okay, okay—stop hitting me.” 

I glared at him, hands on my hips. 

“So it really happened?” I asked quietly. “Everything?” 

Ace’s laughter softened into a grin. “Yes. Everything he said happened… happened.” 

I covered my face with both hands and groaned louder than I intended. “Oh God…” 

“But hey,” Ace said with a shrug, “he thinks it was a dream. Let him think it was a dream.” 

I lowered my hands slowly. “You’re sure?” 

Ace nodded. “Absolutely. It’s better this way. Trust me.” 

He threw himself back onto the bed with a sigh. 

“Let him believe whatever story his brain made up. No need to add fuel to anything. If he thinks it was just a silly dream… that’s perfect.” 

And as much as I hated to admit it… 

He was right. 

Letting Scott believe it was a dream was probably the only thing preventing the entire household from collapsing into madness. 

I exhaled shakily, shoulders dropping as the realization settled in. 

Last night happened. 

Scott remembered, but only halfway. And Ace? 

Ace was far too amused by all of it. 

But one thing was clear. Whatever happened last night… needed to stay a dream.