Page 56 of Broken Destiny

Across from us, I saw Jiya go very still. Her fingers curled around the metal bar beside her, and her gaze flickered toward us for the briefest second before she quickly looked away. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her movements just slightly too quick, too tense.

My thoughts raced as the Ferris wheel began its slow descent. She had left me, built a new life in another town, married a wealthy man, and had a child.Wow. Jiya moved quickly.

My stomach hardened looking at her. I forced my gaze forward, but my eyes kept drifting toward her.

Her black hair swayed gently in the evening breeze, and a loose strand floated across her jawline

God… she’s still so beautiful.

I swallowed hard and shifted my attention back to Emma, continuing the conversation with her daughter as the cart moved downward.

When the ride finally stopped, I lifted Emma carefully into my arms and stepped out of the cart. Her small hands wrapped around my neck, her fingers curling into my collar.

As we walked away from the ride, Lucas and Geeta approached us through the crowd. He stood beside Geeta, his hand gripping hers tightly, his eyes narrowed as he watched me. There was caution in his expression, even though he had a pinched mouth. The boy was studying me as though trying to figure out who I really was, weighing something in his mind that I could not see.

I bent to meet his gaze.

“Did you like the ride?”

“Yes. It was nice,” he replied quietly, lowering his eyes.

He released Geeta’s hand and crossed his arms over his chest.

I straightened slowly.

Sure, Lucas might have been upset about my sudden appearance, but this felt like more than simple frustration. His shooting glances at me and his body angling away from me made me feel like I was under inspection.

Was he questioning my reasons for being here? Or sensing the tension between his mother and me?

“Lucas, can I talk to you for a second?” I asked gently.

Before he answered, I glanced toward Jiya.

Her brows were drawn together, and her lips pressed into a thin line as she watched us. Still, after a brief hesitation, she gave a small nod.

“Whatever,” Lucas muttered.

I guided him a few steps away from the others, moving just far enough to give us a bit of privacy without making it seem secretive.

The sounds of the fair continued around us, but they faded into the background as my attention centred fully on the boy standing in front of me.

I knelt, bringing myself to his level.

“I’m sorry I upset you earlier,” I said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to.”

Lucas stared at the ground, kicking at the sand with the tip of his shoe, sending small grains scattering in front of him.

“You’ve grown up so much since the last time I saw you,” I continued, studying his face, noticing how his features had sharpened. “How have you been?”

“Fine.”

“Do you like it here… in this place?”

“Yes.”

“Do you have a lot of friends?”

“Yes.”