Although Chen had booked him and Li Wei a hotel suite, Li spent every moment in the hospital with Sienna and Harmony.

Wynter, Erin, and her parents checked in occasionally but had given them the space and time they needed to bond as parents.

The day of their discharge arrived, but time felt irrelevant. Li spent the last few hours watching Sienna navigate the discharge process while cradling their daughter, Harmony, whenever she needed rest.

He ensured every detail of their departure was handled seamlessly. Yet, the chaos of the hospital was nothing compared to the storm brewing inside him.

The ride from the hospital was quiet. The weight of unspoken words filled the space between them, thick and suffocating. Li Wei's hands tightened around the steering wheel, his knuckles white.

His child. His daughter. And he hadn't even known she existed.

Sienna sat in the back seat, her arms curled protectively around Harmony, who slept peacefully in her car seat. She didn't say much. Instead, she occasionally glanced at Li through her lashes, guilt and uncertainty shadowing her features. He felt her hesitation, but he couldn't offer her comfort. Not yet. Not when the truth still burned so painfully.

When they arrived at her house, Li parked and stepped out immediately, moving to open the door for her. She hesitated for a second before accepting his help, cradling Harmony closer as she adjusted to standing.

"I can carry her," he offered, his voice quieter than usual.

Sienna shook her head. "She's fine with me."

Li said nothing as he grabbed the hospital bag and followed her inside. The house smelled like vanilla and lavender, soft and warm—just like Sienna.

But it wasn't home. Not his, at least. He watched as she gently placed Harmony in the bassinet near the couch, adjusting the blanket around her tiny form.

He could tell that Sienna had prepared endlessly for Harmony's arrival. For a few moments, he could only stare. The baby's delicate features—so small, a perfect blend of him and Sienna—it stirred something in him he hadn't known he was capable of feeling.

Father. He was a father.

Sienna sat down on the couch slowly, still sore from delivery. She turned, meeting his gaze, and that was when the dam inside him cracked. He exhaled sharply and ran a hand through his hair, pacing the living room before finally stopping to look at her.

"Why?"

That one word was rough but filled with all the hurt and confusion he had been holding back since he walked into that hospital room. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Sienna swallowed, wrapping her arms around herself as if bracing for impact. "Li..."

"No," he cut her off, shaking his head.

"I need the truth, Sienna! No more running. No more excuses."

She flinched but nodded. "I thought I was protecting you. I thought I was protecting Harmony."

His brows furrowed. "From what?"

"The world." Her voice wavered, but she held his gaze.

"From the press, from scrutiny, from the expectations of your career."

"From the moment I found out I was pregnant, I knew that if people found out, they would turn Harmony into a spectacle. Your fans, the media—they would pick apart everything. They would pick me apart. My business, my life, our child... I couldn't let her grow up under that kind of pressure."

Li exhaled sharply, his chest rising and falling with the force of his emotions. "So you made the decision for me Sienna?"

"You didn't think that I deserved to know? That I didn't deserve a voice?"

"I was scared," she admitted, tears pooling in her eyes.

"I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't know how to pull you into this without disrupting your life. I felt like I did that enough. I would have been an inconvenience in your life. And by the time I wanted to... it felt like too much time had passed."

He scoffed, shaking his head in disbelief and irritation.

"Too much time? Sienna, I would have dropped everything. Do you hear me?"

"Everything."

"...If I had known... if you had just given me the chance—" He broke off, raking a hand down his face.

"I missed everything. I missed hearing her heartbeat, I missed hearing her cry for the first time... Her first moments. Your doctor visits... I would have been there—you know that. And I can never get that back Sienna."

Tears slipped down Sienna's cheeks. "I know. And I hate myself for it."

Li took a deep breath, trying to steady himself as his emotions drifted between anger and hurt. He wanted to yell, to tell her how unfair it was. But looking at her now, vulnerable and raw, he saw the weight she had been carrying alone. And despite his anger, despite his hurt, he loved her.

"I know I can't change the past Li, and I'm sorry," she whispered.

"But I want you in her life, Li. I want you in our lives. I want you to know her. To love her. I want her to know who her father, his culture...her culture. Please, please forgive me?" Sienna begged through her tears.

His throat tightened. "There was never a question of whether I wanted her or if I wanted you. You knew the moment you stepped on that plane to leave Shanghai, you took a part of me with you—literally and figuratively."

"Sienna." He looked toward the bassinet, watching their daughter sleep peacefully. "She's mine. And I will be here for both of you. Always."

She nodded, relief washing over her features. But there was still something left unsaid between them.

"And us?" Li finally asked, his voice quieter now. "What are we, Sienna?"

She blinked, seeming caught off guard by the question. "I... I don't know. I mean, we never defined what we were Li."

Li stepped closer, he crouched down to reach Sienna's level on the couch. He reached out to gently lift her chin so she would look at him in the eyes.

"I love you, Sienna. Despite the past few months of our communication, I love you. Do you know how I felt when I heard you scream in pain on the phone, knowing I was halfway across the world? It ripped me apart," he said, his voice rough with emotion.

"Sienna—I just need to know where your head is... what is it that you want?"

A fresh tear slid down her cheek. "Li..."

His fingers grazed her cheek, wiping away the tears. "Because I'm not going anywhere. And I need to know if we're in this together."

She hesitated for only a second before nodding. "I want us to work, Li. I've hurt you in a way I can't undo. Not a single day went by that I didn't miss you—the way you held me, the way you made me feel safe. I wanted to tell you about our child so many times."

She swallowed hard, her voice trembling. "If it's any consolation, I made a memory book for you—every appointment, every milestone. I promised myself I'd give it to you when I finally told you about Harmony, but... you probably hate me." Sienna's voice trailed off, uncertainty clouding her eyes.

Li exhaled, "I could never hate you Sienna. You have given me a gift that no one on this Earth has," he said pointing to Harmony.

"So... can we pick up where left off and then we take it one step at a time—at least try?" Sienna asked with a watery smile.

He gave her smile, "one step at a time."

A moment passed between them as he stood up, filled with something fragile yet unbreakable. Then, as if realizing he had one more thing to say, Li shifted slightly.

"There's something else."

Sienna tilted her head. "What is it?"

"I'm going to be here. In the States." He took a deep breath.

"I've been assigned to lead a project for the next three months."

Her eyes widened. "Three months?"

He nodded. "Which means I have time. Time to be here. Time to figure this out. Time to figure us out Sienna. Can we do that?"

Sienna let out a shaky breath. "Yes—I would like that. Not just for Harmony, but for us."

Li reached for her hand, lacing their fingers together. "We start here."

She looked up at him, something warm and hopeful flickering in her eyes. "We start here."

And for the first time since he had arrived, Li Wei felt like he could finally breathe.