Page 61 of Broken Destiny

A widow.

A woman who had built an entire life I knew nothing about in the years we had been apart.

And yet…

Watching her now, I couldn’t reconcile the woman in front of me with the one I had known.

Or the one I thought I had.

As Jiya and I walked toward the door together, took the elevator downstairs, and entered the car waiting for us, I knew it was time to start my investigation.

I had noticed her wedding and engagement rings, which she still wore.

A year had passed since her husband's death, yet the diamonds remained firmly on her finger.

Maybe she still loved him, or maybe she couldn't let go of what he had left behind.

With Jiya, I wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Every answer seemed to raise two more questions.

“The site is not too far away,” she said. “Just a twenty-minute drive.”

“Great,” I answered.

Being in such proximity to her set my nerves on edge. The faint scent of her perfume drifted toward me. It was the same fragrance my fiancée had tried not so long ago, and my chest constricted.

It had been years since Jiya and I had sat in a car together like this, sharing the same confined space. Part of me wanted to look at her, to study her face, to reach out and hold her hand the way I once had. I didn’t understand why those impulses surfaced now, but they did. Instead of giving in to them, I turned my eyes toward the window and rubbed my finger along my lip, trying to distract myself.

I felt guilty lying to Tatiana. I felt guilty lying to my family. The only person who knew about Jiya was Greg, and even with him, I hadn’t shared the full truth. I had been honest about some things, but kept my true and confusing feelings buried. In just two weeks, I had changed from the man I used to be into someone I barely recognized.

All because of Jiya.

Seeing her again had unravelled something inside me, turning me into a vengeful and dishonest son, brother, and fiancé.

How in God’s name was I going to work with her for the next three months before my wedding when the very first meeting caused so much havoc in me? My feelings and emotions needed to be kept under control. I needed to remind myself of what she had done to my family and to me. That memory had to stay at the front of my mind, because it was the only thing that would help me maintain distance.

When we arrived at the site, we stepped out of the car together.

A vast grass-covered patch of land stretched out before us, openand undeveloped, separated by a small river that cut across the property like a natural boundary.

“On this side will be the townhomes for the families,” Jiya explained, pointing to the left side of the river. “This side will have the apartment buildings for the seniors.”

I nodded, listening.

“When it comes to marketing the project, we will first advertise it in such a way to make sure that families with grandparents can be accommodated and prioritized,” she continued. “The price will reflect accordingly. When do you think you will be able to start construction?”

“First, a percentage of the advance and then construction,” I replied, looking directly at her.

“No problem. I’ll ask Liam to do the needful.”

“How come you can’t do it yourself?” I asked. “I thought you were a partner in the company.”

She jerked her head, raising her eyebrows.

“It’shiscompany, which his parents left to him and my late husband,” she said.

Hearing her say the word ‘husband’ made my stomach burn.

“This project was Cole’s dream, and I’m trying to make it a reality,” she continued, crossing her arms as she faced me. “So to answer your question, even though I am a partner, it is still his company, and I will discuss it with him.”