Page 25 of Broken Destiny

My face displayed the right expressions, and my smile appeared convincing enough to satisfy everyone around me. Yet deep inside, I felt nothing but a hollow stillness, as though my heart had stepped aside and left my body to perform the role expected of it.

“You ready for your party?” Greg asked, pulling me back to the present. He rubbed his hands together as a mischievous grin spread across his face.

“My what?”

“Did you forget again?” he said, crossing his arms. “Your bachelor party, which is next week.”

I frowned. “Who has a bachelor party three months before the wedding?”

“Ask your fiancée,” Greg replied, rolling his eyes. “I was given strict instructions by Tatiana not to have it close to the wedding because you’ll be needed. She insisted it either happens ahead of time or not at all. She even gave me your schedule, and apparently, you’ll be free next week.”

I let out a slow sigh, already sensing trouble. “Fine. Where are we going?”

Greg’s grin widened, his expression turning almost theatrical. “Pack your bags, because you will be unavailable for two weeks.”

“Two weeks?” I raised my eyebrows. “Who has a bachelor party for two weeks?”

“You,” he answered with a wide stance and a jutting chin.

I shook my head, laughing. “What the hell did you plan for two weeks?”

“Don’t worry about that,” he said with a dramatic flourish of his hand. “Just get ready to party.”

His eyes sparkled. Whatever he had planned, he clearly believed it would be unforgettable.

“Also,” Greg added, leaning closer, his grin widening. “Tatiana will not be there the day before the wedding. You two aren’t allowed to see each other. Another surprise is planned for that night—something she doesn’t know. Something she will never know.”

We both laughed.

“It’s going to be fun next week,” Greg said, winking. “Trust me.”

“Sure,” I replied, scoffing. “If you say so.”

“Be prepared to be blown away and have your life changed with what I have planned,” he declared, lifting his drink in the air.

Spending time with Greg always had a calming effect on me. Sitting across from him, sipping beer and talking about nothing in particular, allowed me to relax in a way few things could. For a short while, the weight of the past loosened its grip on my chest, and the memories that haunted me faded into the background.

For a short while, I could breathe.

The next day,back in my office, I picked up the phone and called my private investigator.

“Don’t bother looking for Nyah or her son anymore,” I said. “I’ve got your cheque ready for the time you’ve put in.”

After ending the call, I leaned back in my chair and stared at the ceiling, letting the silence stretch around me.

It was time to focus on the future… or at least try.

It was the end of March, and the reality of what lay ahead still hadn’t fully sunk in. The calendar continued moving forward, each passing day bringing me closer to a life I had never truly imagined for myself.

Sixteen weeks from now, I would be a husband.

A husband to a woman I would call my wife.

And that woman wasn’t Nyah.

More than three years had passed, yet not a single day had gone by without her crossing my mind.

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