Page 74 of Broken Destiny

I didn’t want to carry this fight any longer.

Part of me had already forgiven him, even if I wasn’t ready to admit it out loud. But more than anything, I didn’t want a can of worms reopening right there in my kitchen, with my children right outside. The past had a way of spilling out when emotions ran high, and I wasn’t prepared to let that happen—not tonight, not in front of them.The less we interacted with each other, especially inside my home and around my children, the better.

Our relationship now was strictly professional, and it had to stay that way.

He didn’t need to know anything about my personal life, and I didn’t need to know anything about his.

I was moving forward with my life, building a future for my children and creating stability. He was moving forward with planning his wedding and preparing for a life that no longer included me.

I let out a slow breath and met his gaze.

“I accept your apology,” I said finally.

“Thanks for letting me stay for dinner,” he replied.

“Sure,” I answered. “You still owe me ice cream.”

A slow smile spread across his face as I turned back toward the stove.

23

CALEB

Ichatted with Jiya about the marketing strategy for the project while watching her move around the kitchen, preparing dinner.

“Liam and I had a short conversation,” I said, leaning against the kitchen counter as I watched her stir the pot. “But I thought maybe you and I could work on it in the next meeting.”

“Sounds good,” she replied without looking up. “The marketing team from our side has come up with a few ideas. I’ll bring those along with me next time.”

“Great. We can do another site visit next week. Is that all right? I can call and check your schedule.”

“Okay,” she said calmly. “Let me check right now.”

She set the ladle down on the chopping board, turned, picked up her phone, and scrolled through her calendar while I found myself watching her.

Seeing her here, in this village, surrounded by her children, living a life that felt steady and grounded, pulled me in two opposite directions at once.

One part of me still burned with anger, haunted by the moneyshe had taken, her connection to Jeremy, and the betrayal that had once made me believe revenge was the only way to restore balance.

Yet standing here now, watching her cook for her children while their laughter echoed through the house, the version of her I had carried for years no longer matched the woman in front of me.

Was I missing something?Was there another piece to this puzzle that I hadn’t uncovered yet?

The story I had believed and the reality in front of me didn’t align. The need to understand her—her new name, her disappearance, this carefully rebuilt life—gnawed at me.

I wanted to know everything, but I knew I couldn’t push too hard. Not yet.

Trust had to come first.

I needed to lay a foundation before I started asking questions. The last thing I wanted was to attack her inside her own home, especially with her children just a few steps away. Not after I had only just managed to smooth things over following my accusation about her and her late husband.

“Can I ask you something?” I said.

“Yes,” Jiya replied, lifting her eyes from her phone.

“Jiya Flores?”

“It’s my birth name,” she said. “I wanted my original identity back.”