Page 78 of Broken Destiny

My muscles went weak as I stared at Liam, trying to understand how he could know something I had guarded so carefully for years.

“Cole told me,” Liam revealed. “But I didn’t piece it together until recently.”

I let out a long breath, my shoulders dropping.

“I wouldn’t have told him anything, Jiya, if that’s what you’re worried about,” he continued. “It is your decision whether you want to or not. I would never say anything.”

He walked toward me and placed his hands firmly on my shoulders.

“I am your family,” he said. “I know you have your reasons why you don’t want to tell him. I will support you and be there for you regardless of what you decide.”

My shoulders relaxed under his touch as gratitude filled my chest.

“Thank you, Liam. I appreciate it.”

We embraced each other.

“Liam?” I asked quietly.

“Hmm,” he replied, still holding me.

“How would you feel if you had a child and you weren’t told about it?”

The question had been sitting on my mind ever since Caleb had come back into my life.

Liam pulled back and looked at me.

“I wouldn’t like it, to be honest. It would have upset me because I have a right to know my child. However,” he paused. “I would have also wanted to listen to the explanation behind it, and that would have helped me understand why that step was taken in the first place.”

I nodded slowly, absorbing his answer. “Thanks,” I said softly.

“Anytime.”

His answer settled heavily inside my chest because it was exactly what I had feared he would say.

I left his office and continued my meetings with Caleb, reassured that I did not have anything to worry about through Liam.

Caleb had started coming over regularly after apologizing. What began with a weekend lunch and a dinner after work slowly turned into more visits. Each visit felt surprisingly natural, as though he had quietly slipped back into our lives without permission.

I found myself wondering whether his family knew, especially Eleanor.

My arch-nemesis.

She had despised me from the moment she learned Caleb and I were together, questioning my worth and scrutinizing everything I did.

The rest of his family had been different. Randall, especially, had always treated me with warmth and respect, and I often caught myself wondering how he was doing… how all of them were doing… and whether they realized they were now in business with me.

Maybe Caleb had told them.

Or maybe they already knew and wanted nothing to do with me after what had happened with Jeremy and the children.

I could not blame them for that.

Lucas, however, enjoyed having Caleb around, and so did Emma, who eagerly took out all her dolls and played tea party with him the same way she used to do with Cole.

One night, during Caleb’s fourth dinner with us, he looked at Emma across the table and asked gently, “Do you miss your dad?”

My food got stuck in my throat, my body tensing. I was alwayscareful to remain present when Caleb was around the children, making sure conversations stayed safe and predictable. I never wanted questions to open doors I was not ready to walk through.