Olivia Young turned to meet his gaze. "Are you telling me you can't even handle such a simple task?"

"Of course I can."

"He's in the baby's room."

Frederick Fairfax was gently pushed into the nursery. Thoughtfully, Olivia Young closed the door behind him.

The baby was still so tiny, leaving the room mostly empty. Only children's things were arranged here and there.

Quentin Young sat on a single armchair, holding the little bundle and lost in thought.

Frederick Fairfax asked tactfully, "I heard you left work early today."

"Brother-in-law, you've been a CEO yourself—don't you decide your own work hours?"

"Naturally. Nobody can keep me in check."

"Same here. I come and go as I please." Quentin Young avoided his gaze, keeping his head down and amusing the baby.

"Nom nom nom, nom nom nom," he cooed.

It felt oddly like he was walking a dog.

Frederick Fairfax stood across from him in silence. His imposing presence made Quentin Young deeply uneasy.

Timidly, he passed the baby over to Frederick Fairfax. "Here, take her. If you want to hold her, just say so. It's not like I'm going to stop you."

Frederick Fairfax took the little one, but continued watching him intently.

Quentin Young looked left and right, increasingly nervous. He stood up. "Brother-in-law, did I do something wrong? Just say it. If you don’t want me here, tough luck! This is my sister’s house too, I’m not leaving."

"You seem fine to me, but your sister said there’s something off about you."

Emmm… His sister had always known him too well.

"I’m really fine, don’t go saying anything weird to her." Quentin Young forced a laugh. "Oh, I just remembered, I’ve got a dinner meeting tonight. I’m off!"

Frederick Fairfax lightly held the baby's little wrist. "Say bye-bye to Uncle!"

"Waaa waaa waaa…"

"Boo hoo hoo…"

The little one burst into sobbing cries.

Quentin Young clutched at his chest. He was just the uncle, so why did this feel like the heartbreak of a father bidding his child farewell?

Emotions! He had gotten way too attached!

He left the nursery. "Sis!"

Olivia Young lounged against the wall, leisurely watching him with a smile in her eyes.

He suddenly felt a bit sheepish.

Olivia Young spoke lightly, "I just talked to Old Zhang. Our overseas clients were supposed to come today, but Grace Gordon swooped in and snatched them first."

"Sis, I’m useless…"

Though Quentin Young was tall, he hung his head, looking utterly dejected.

"What’s with that look? You just took over the company, you’re still green, and you haven't learned all the tricks of the trade yet. When your brother-in-law has time, let him show you the ropes. As for this project—just let Grace Gordon have it, and don’t go looking for him!" Olivia Young shook her head at the thought of Grace Gordon.

She simply couldn’t understand it. The male lead wouldn’t go after the female lead, but kept coming to bother her instead.

What a nutcase! Seriously!

Frederick Fairfax appeared behind Quentin Young, still holding the little one. "Grace Gordon stole a project from your family?"

Quentin Young pulled a long face. He didn’t want to show any weakness in front of Frederick Fairfax. He was supposed to be the one protecting his sister.

"It's just a small project, not important. I let him have it. I mean, honestly, he’s just got a grudge because he couldn’t get my sister, such an amazing woman. I can understand. I’m generous! No hard feelings." He clicked his tongue. "But you, brother-in-law—watch yourself. If he can grab my family’s project today, who knows, maybe tomorrow it’s yours."

"Let him try," Frederick Fairfax said, lightly bouncing the baby. "I'm bored anyway."

Quentin Young didn’t really get it. But since his sister had already called him out, he was staying put.

Olivia Young’s clear voice rang out, "My advice? You two are better off not tangling with Grace Gordon."

"Why not?" they both asked in unison, brimming with defiance.

It looked especially absurd, with Frederick Fairfax still holding the baby, yet exuding that air of challenge.

Olivia Young herself had suffered before. For five years, she’d been stuck, unable to break free from the story's narrative.

"Sis, do you still have feelings for him?"

"Olivia Young, don’t you dare! We have a kid now, and you’re still on his side…"

Frederick Fairfax carried the baby over. "Look how adorable our daughter is…"

Drama queens, both of them!

Olivia Young’s expression dropped, and both men instantly fell into line.

"Do as you like, but stay safe. If either of you gets hurt, from now on, what I say goes. If I say east, nobody goes west." She took her daughter from Frederick Fairfax. "And don’t let this 'second-year syndrome' rub off on my baby."

"Second-year syndrome!" (Chuunibyou—a teenage delusion of grandeur)

Frederick Fairfax and Quentin Young exchanged looks, both reading disbelief in each other's eyes. How could their sister say they had a 'syndrome'?

Back in the master bedroom, Olivia Young cradled her little one. She took out her phone and removed Grace Gordon from her blocklist.

Fine. She would face him head-on.

The story had deviated so much from the original—she wasn’t scared. She wasn't backing down. Her fate was in her own hands now.

Proof that she could rewrite the story was right here in her arms. In the original version, she never even had a baby or married Frederick Fairfax.

Her daughter wasn’t her weakness—she was her armor. She was going to be even stronger.

And, well, maybe hold on tight to Frederick Fairfax’s thigh for support.

Speak of the devil, and he appears. The man himself strode in, long legs eating up the distance as he knelt down in front of her.

"Olivia Young!"

"Why so fierce?"

Frederick Fairfax pinched her cheek. "Not fierce—just unhappy."

"Unhappy? Did Grace Gordon steal your business too?"

"He wants to steal my wife."

Emmm… He didn’t want her that much. In the original plot, Grace Gordon had already fallen for Annabelle Winters by now. Last she checked, Annabelle Winters was still staying in his penthouse.

Probably due for a second kid by now. According to classic tropes: first pregnancy always ends in miscarriage, second will definitely result in a boy. And the son always competes with the dad for the mother’s affection. The male lead is always jealous of his own son. She knew all these cliché patterns well.

But for the supporting female, tragic endings varied wildly. Sometimes death was a mercy, other times it was madness, prison, crippling injury, vanishing without a trace, or even being shipped off to Africa.

"Get up," she said.

Frederick Fairfax stood up.

"Sit down."

He sat beside her. Was Olivia Young training a dog or something? The weird thing was… he really listened.

She shifted onto his lap, baby in her arms, and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "Hubby, will you protect me and our baby?"

"Of course."

"Not going to think about it?"

He wrapped his arm around her waist. "Olivia Young, you’re my wife, Yana is my daughter. As the man of the family, it’s my duty to protect you both. Why would I hesitate? Who do you take me for?"

She grinned, nuzzling closer. "I don’t doubt you. I just want to lean on you. Me, the baby, my brother, my parents—we’re all under your protection now. Is that too much pressure?"

With a woman he loved sweetly nestled in his arms, gazing up with such affection and adoration, Frederick Fairfax felt his pride swell.

"Not at all. You can count on me all your life, sweetheart."

"See, baby? Dad is amazing. Give Dad a kiss!"

The little one was enlisted for a kiss, her mouth pressed to Frederick Fairfax’s cheek.

"What about you?" he prodded. He clearly wanted a kiss from his wife even more.