Page 102 of The Edge Of Us

"Hello," Kyle said with a wide smile, tugging at Jasper's hand. "Are you Jasper's mommy and daddy?"

Mr. Ashford laughed. "Yes, young man. And who might you be?"

"I'm Kyle. I'm almost five. This is my sister Astrid. She's two and a half. She doesn't like broccoli."

That made even Mrs. Ashford laugh softly. Astrid, shy but bold, waved and said, "Hi. I'm beauty princess."

The ice broke a little.

Dinner began with light appetizers. The conversation turned quickly-too quickly-to politics.

"So, Corine," Mr. Ashford began. "What are your thoughts on foreign diplomacy, especially in the Eastern sector?"

I blinked. "I... well, I'm not in politics. I work in the beauty industry. Content creation, branding, and product marketing."

"Ah," he said, barely hiding his disappointment. "No formal education in policy or international relations?"

"No, sir. I studied visual arts and business communications."

His brow lifted. "Interesting."

"Dad," Jasper said firmly, his hand sliding over mine under the table. "She's brilliant in her own field."

Mrs. Ashford added, "Influencers do seem to have an uncanny hold on public opinion these days. Perhaps it's not traditional, but still powerful."

That made me breathe a little.

"And tell me," Mr. Ashford continued, as if he didn't hear his wife, "how do you plan to raise the children in a world with political scrutiny? Are you prepared for that?"

"I've already been doing it alone for years," I said, voice calm but strong. "And with Jasper now, I have more support than ever."

He nodded but didn't look convinced. Still, I held my own.

Just then, a voice rang from the entrance of the dining hall.

"Hope I'm not too late."

I turned-and nearly choked on my water.

Ace.

Dressed in a tailored navy jacket, hair perfectly disheveled, walking in like he belonged here. Brittany stiffened beside me.

"What are you doing here?" Jasper asked, wide-eyed.

Ace smirked. "I got the invite. I figured I'd stop by and support my best friend... and his very interesting new family."

Mrs. Ashford stood, offering him a cheek kiss. "Ace, darling. We weren't sure you'd make it."

"I almost didn't," he said, eyes flicking to Brittany for the briefest moment. "Traffic."

Oh, traffic, sure.

Dinner continued, but the tension shifted. Not just from Jasper's father anymore, but from the energy pinging between Brit and Ace.

Kyle began giggling at the way Astrid refused to eat the peas on her plate and kept putting them on Jasper's. That lightened the mood again.

"Why do peas look like boogers?" Astrid asked.

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