Page 102 of Broken Destiny

The second the door opened, Cooper came racing toward me, barking excitedly before jumping up and licking my face. His tail wagged wildly as he circled me playfully, clearly thrilled that I was finally home.

I laughed softly and scratched behind his ears before tossing my keys onto the counter.

I welcomed the silence after the emotional turmoil of the day.

I headed straight for the shower and afterward changed into comfortable clothes before walking into my office.

Unlocking the drawer of my desk, I reached inside and pulled out a hidden picture frame.

The photograph of Lucas and me in the park stared back at me first, his wide smile frozen in time, his small hand wrapped trustingly around mine. Beside it was another picture—Jiya and me from New Year’s four years ago.

I had removed that frame from my office long ago and locked it away in this drawer.

I set the frame down gently and reached for the cards Lucas and Emma had made for me. I re-read their cards.

Then I opened the small box that held Jiya’s gift.

Inside was a Cartier wallet.

I ran my fingers slowly across the smooth leather, emotion stirring in my chest when I noticed my initials embossed discreetly inside.

It was such a thoughtful gift—far more meaningful than anything expensive or extravagant—because it came from them.

From her.

I leaned back in my chair, staring at the wallet in my hand.

I wished I could transport myself back to Jiya’s house.

I found myself wondering what she was doing at that exact moment.Was she still awake? Was she sitting on the couch with a glass of wine? Was she thinking about the day the way I was?

And why had she removed her rings?

I pushed the thoughts aside and stood up, walking slowly back to my bedroom. I lay down on my bed and closed my eyes, exhaustion finally catching up with me.

Within minutes, sleep pulled me under, and despite everything, my mind drifted back to the place it seemed determined to return to.

I dreamed of her.

And of the children.

“Are you excited about your party?”Tatiana asked.

I drove to my parents’ mansion with her sitting beside me.

I looked at her, and for a split second I did a double-take.

Jiya’s face appeared in front of me instead of Tatiana’s.

The image startled me enough that I had to blink and steady myself before answering.

“Yes,” I said, trying to regain my composure.

“She let me plan this with her, you know?”

“My mother?”

“Yes. I told her what I had in mind compared to the boring parties that you’ve had before, and she agreed we should do something different,” she said, smiling.