Page 160 of Broken Destiny

The children and Geeta were at Elle’s place for a sleepover, safe and happy, which gave me the freedom to focus on what I needed to do tonight.

Taking one last look around the room, I slipped the hotel key card into my clutch and headed out the door toward the elevator.

44

CALEB

Perched on the rooftop lounge of the hotel, Tatiana and I overlooked the glittering downtown skyline while soft jazz drifted through the open-air bar.

Glass lanterns flickered against polished marble tables, and the slanting rays of the setting sun painted the sky in shades of orange and gold.

Normally, I would have appreciated the view. Tonight, it barely registered. My mind was elsewhere—on the tension building in my chest and the uncomfortable feeling that this evening was going to spiral out of control.

After leaving the beach the previous day, I had gone back to my office to change before heading to my parents’ mansion in Point Grey.

From the moment I arrived, something had felt off.

My mother kept rubbing the back of her neck and avoiding my eyes.

Ever since I told everyone about Jiya, her behaviour had changed, but lately her nervousness felt different.

As if she were hiding something.

She talked about wedding details and mentioned Tatiana was onher way over, but I barely listened. Even during dinner, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something wasn’t right beneath the surface.

Later, I sat alone in the library with a glass of Cognac, surrounded by memories of Jiya. Simon checked on me briefly, but I brushed him off before eventually leaving the house altogether. I couldn’t stand being there anymore.

When I got home, Cooper followed me into the office and dropped beside me with a soft whimper.

“Do you miss her too, boy?”

Jiya had always made him feel like part of the family.

Moments later, I found myself staring at her on my phone.

Just one sign… just one… to tell me I was wrong and you were right… just one.

Now, as I sat at the lounge with Tatiana, I gulped down a shot of whisky before Harper and Jiya arrived.

“Easy, honey,” Tatiana said, stroking my cheek. “We still have the night to go.”

Just then, her phone rang, and she quickly cut the call before turning it facedown on the table.

“Why are we here again for this double date?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Well, because he’s close to the family, and he’s a good friend of mine. I told you this already.”

Her phone buzzed again, and she cut the call once more, this time with noticeably shaky hands.

“Are you all right?” I asked, watching her.

Tatiana had seemed very different the past few weeks, and I didn’t know why. She was always out partying with her friends until the early hours of the morning and was unreachable whenever I called. She hadn’t stayed over at my place for a while, and her schedule with the wedding planner kept changing, which created inconvenience after inconvenience for me. I assumed she was stressed and chose not to push the issue, even though something about her behaviour felt off.

“Yes. Yes,” she said, glancing over her shoulder toward the cornerof the rooftop. “It’s Caitlin wanting to hang out tonight even though I told her I was busy.”

She paused, then studied me from head to toe.

“Honey, I think you need to change your style.”