**Author's POV**
Emma inquisitively locked eyes with Ashley, her brow furrowing slightly in concern before she turned toward the door.
"I will get it," she said, her voice steady, and Ashley nodded in agreement, her expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension.
Emma felt a knot tighten in her stomach. She didn't know what other tricks Nora had up her sleeve, but whatever it was, she hoped it would keep her far away from her friend. She had noticed the disgust Nora had on her face for Ashley in the living room, and she thought, frowning standing faced to the door, *If she shows her true colors again, she's going to see the other side of me.*
Taking a deep breath, she slowly opened the door and was met by Asher, who poked her head out, her eyes wide with excitement. "Hello, birthday girl and Nor…" she stopped mid-sentence, freezing momentarily as her gaze landed on peony.
"You!" emma squealed, her voice rising in disbelief as she skipped away from the door, her excitement palpable.
"Sorry, I came to apologize about earlier…" peony began, but her words faltered as her gaze traveled to the girl on her heels,who was gaping at her with a tense expression.
"She accepted to be my mama just until my birthday!" Asher jumped in excitedly, running toward Ashley, her face glowing with joy. "She has become your sister now. Aren't you happy?"
"Did you make her do it, Asher?" Emma quirked an eyebrow, her frown deepening as she crossed her arms. "You know you shouldn't force someone, right?"
"I didn't, aunty! She accepted to be my mama because I pleaded." Asher was practically bouncing on her toes, her eyes sparkling with hope. "Aunt Peony is a good mama, and I love her very much."
"Really?" Emma squinted, her eyes narrowing as she searched peony's face for the truth.
"Yes, I did… It's her birthday; it's part of my gift to her." peony's voice was earnest, her sincerity shining through.
In a burst of affection, Ashley hurriedly dropped to her knees, wrapping her arms around Asher in a warm embrace. "Thank you so much for doing this huge favor for all of us. I felt so warm when I was around you earlier, and I still feel it now. In fact, Asher has chosen the best friend ever."
Emma pulled Asher into a light hug, her own eyes glistening with tears. Her friend's happiness was all she had ever wanted, and if making Peony stay with them forever would ensure that, she was ready to make it happen.
"Thank you so much, sister! You are the best. I love you so much!" Ashley cried over peony's shoulder, her eyes drifting off to the various portraits hung on the wall, a smile breaking through her tears.
---
Fast forward...
Presently, Peony stood at the edge of the heart-shaped pool, excitement bubbling within her as she prepared for her daughter's or pretending daughter surprise birthday gift. Along with her two lovely sisters, they had transformed the space into a heavenly oasis.
"It's time to get Asher. Who will do it?" Emma elegantly said, putting the finishing touches on the decor and exhaling softly, a satisfing smile on her face.
"Hmm! It was such a hectic and tedious job for just a short time, but finally, we did it," Ashley stated, her eyes sparkling with pride as they admired their hard work.
"Back to the question: who's gonna bring Asher here?" Emma asked, addressing them with a raised eyebrow.
"I will do it," Emma said appealingly, but Ashley who stood beside her, interjected with a yelp. "No, Emma, you won't! Her mother will do it, as was her plan after all, and it won't be a surprise if any one of us goes."
"You are right." Turning to Peony, Emma smiled warmly. "You are left to bring your daughter here."
Peony looked up at them in shock, her eyes wide.
"But I…" she trailed off, stunned, her heart racing as she abandoned the rest of her words and started toward the house.
Behind her, Emma and Ashley clasped their hands together,a huge smile highlighted their face, overwhelmed with delight.
Peony hurried inside the living room, her heart pounding as she climbed the steps, taking deep breaths as if something bad might happen.
She had only just rounded the landing when Nora blocked her path, arms haughty crossed in front of her chest. The older woman sneered, "What the hell are you doing here? Get out of here and don't linger like an eyesore."
Peony clenched her fists, glowering at Nora's furious expression, her heart racing with anger.
Seeing the hate and anger in Nora's eyes, Peony leaned forward defiantly. *What do you think? Push me away?* She turned her face toward the fuming lady and said smugly, "Go right ahead then. Let's see who Asher is gonna listen to: her mummy who always mistreats her or her lovely Miss Peony."
Nora raised her hand to slap Peony, but it hung in the air as Peony caught it firmly.
"I am not Asher, but I have sworn to protect the innocent child. You have no right to stop me from meeting her, not when her father doesn't say so…" She leaned in closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. "And it's also a warning as well as a threat. The next time I see your stinging finger on her fragile frame, I won't spare you."
Peony shoved Nora away who staggered,fallen with her behind.
"Ah!" Nora gasped, her face paling as she let out a shrill cry. Peony quickly pulled her arms away,dust it off like nothing happened and sassily walked into Asher's room.
Without a second hesitation, she approached a sleeping Asher, picking her up bridal style, cradling her like something precious, and bolted down the stairs. Her heart grew stone-cold when she saw her father a few meters away, glaring down at something that looked like a portrait.
A little bewildered by how he could let Nora inflict pain on his daughter without any awareness, she thought, *What kind of a father is he?* Right now, however, she was annoyed and pissed as she ambled toward the pool. *I'm not going to let him ruin my daughter's birthday, not even if Nora tries,* she thought happily to herself.
It took a while before she reached the pool, and the next second, Ash and Emma came forward, pulling the girl into their arms.
"How elated Asher will be when she wakes up!" Emma exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.
"I'm pretty sure she will be stunned. Rest assured, Asher loves surprises." Peony pursed her lips before adding, "Just like Ara loves surprises too."
They laughed as they gingerly pulled the girl into the heart of the balloons.
"30 minutes, and you're back to your cozy bed, pretty angel. I don't know if I'm going to spend any of your upcoming birthdays, but I promise you, baby, I will make this one memorable."
Ashley lit the candles while Emma hid behind her, laughing and holding a party popper.
"Happy birthday, my princess!" they all said in unison, jolting the sleeping Asher awake.
"Mum!… Asher… Emma…" she groggily fluttered her eyelids and adorably screamed, covering her mouth with her hand as realization dawned upon her.
A muffled cry escaped her as her eyes widened, taking in the mesmerizing scene before her.
She hadn't been this excited in her life. Shock and elation colored her features, leaving her stunned and too shocked to speak. Since she couldn't find the words, she let her tears do the talking.
"Thank you, Mum…" she stepped forward and threw her arms around Peony's waist. "Thank you, everyone! It's the first time I have ever been happy." She said with exuberance, her voice filled with emotion.
Upon hearing this, Peony smiled and tightened her arms around the toddler. "So how do you like our surprise party, hon?"
"It's incredible, brilliant, fantastic… it's real… I… am… extremely elated… happy… excited… thank you so much." Asher scrambled into Emma's arms, then seconds later into Ashley's.
"Thank you, all of you, for everything. I love it, and it's all to my taste. Wow! Aww! Mama, you got me a heart balloon! Oh, my mama… is that a real popper?"
They nodded as she garrulous Asher kept talking nonstop, laughter filling the air as they exchanged delightful looks.
---
Meanwhile, Nora leaned against the window, peeking her head out as despicable glee spread across her face.
In all her 25 year of life , no one had challenged and humiliated her like Peony did, and she was going to make sure she paid. *Just wait,* she thought evilly.
---
**Dragons' POV**
I picked up picture after picture, closely inspecting them, comparing Asher's, Araya's, and Peony's features.
Something tells me Peony is actually Araya, but I have to prove it. Somehow, I wished for her to be Araya, but the reminder of the miserable things I did to her made me waver. What will happen if they find out about my dark secrets I've been keeping buried in my heart? What will Emma think of her big brother she has always respected so much? Will she forgive me and accept me?
I hurriedly dropped the pictures and picked up the documents—Asher's birth certificate I retrieved from Korea, along with her confidential files. All of this could lead me to a clue about Peony Acosta. Picking up my cell phone, I dialed a number, and after a ring, she picked up.
"How long have you gone, Dr. Stella?"
"The DNA test will arrive tomorrow evening, sir," she said professionally, and seconds later added, "With the help of the hairs."
"Hurry up with it," I said, dropping the call. The very next moment, I picked up Asher's picture again. *I'm sorry I hurt your mother because of my past. Will she forgive me?* I thought sadly to myself, fighting the urge to cry.
I remembered how her hair had stuck to my button a few days ago when I brought her home. It didn't matter before, but now it struck me hard. When Ashley said those things to her, even I was battling with my own emotions and suspicion .
Slowly, I closed the files and fell onto the couch as my tears drifted off.