Page 68 of Broken Destiny

But the past doesn’t bend, it stands still, waiting for you to face it.

There was only one way to fix this.

I pushed back my chair and stood up quickly, and scanned my phone for a rental car company.

Fifteen minutes later, a car arrived in front of Liam’s office building in Downtown Victoria.

I stepped into it, pulled out my phone, and punched Jiya’s address into Google Maps, my heart pounding in my chest as the navigation screen lit up.

And I headed straight toward her.

21

CALEB

Iknocked on Jiya’s door.

I didn’t know if she was at home when I got into the car at the office, but I knew I needed to make amends. What I had said to her sat heavily on my conscience.

As the car turned slowly into the cul-de-sac, my gaze scanned the quiet street, and when I saw her car parked in the driveway, a tight breath escaped me.

The door opened.

“Mr. Caleb,” Geeta said.

“Is Jiya here?” I asked.

“She’s in the backyard with the children.”

“May I come in? I need to speak with her.”

“Of course.” Geeta stepped aside.

I walked into the house and moved toward the back, slowing as I reached the sliding glass door.

Then I stopped.

The sight had me spellbound.

I watched her laugh as Lucas and Emma climbed over her. The dogs ran in circles around them, barking happily, tails wagging. Fromthe kitchen, the faint aroma of spices drifted through the air, wrapping the moment in a quiet, domestic warmth.

It felt like stepping into a life I had once imagined for myself.

A woman I loved. Children running toward me with open arms. A home filled with laughter, warmth, and the steady rhythm of family life. It was the kind of life my siblings had built—the kind I had longed for but had never quite managed to grasp.

Standing there at the door, watching her in that backyard, a hollow ache grew deep inside me.

This was the life I had wanted with her.

With Nyah… with Jiya.

Even now, after all this time, my mind stumbled over her new name, unable to accept the transformation.What does her name mean anyway?Nyah had been the woman I loved. Jiya was the woman standing before me now—a stranger wrapped in familiar skin.

Through the window, while looking at her, I couldn’t help noticing the stark contrast between the two women in my life.

Tatiana reflected my old world—a life of late nights, polished parties, expensive drinks, and empty conversations.

Jiya, on the other hand, represented something entirely different. She embodied maturity, responsibility, and commitment.