Page 40 of Jetmir

This place had always been home, but something felt off these past few years. I didn’t dare admit to the reason behind it.

Soft fur brushed against me and I lowered my gaze to my French bulldog.

“Hey, buddy.” I lowered to my knees and rubbed his belly. He yawned in greeting and I chuckled. “I’m sorry for waking you up.”

His low bark turned into a lazy yawn and he flopped down onto his belly, then closed his eyes.

“Guess a quick walk this morning is out, huh?” He didn’t even bother to open his eyes. I shook my head and splayed my legs out, resting my back against the sliding doors and soaking in the early morning rays.

An hour later, I slipped into a buttery-yellow sundress that skimmed my knees and gathered my hair into a high ponytail, letting a few loose strands frame my face. I paused in front of the mirror, smoothing invisible wrinkles from the fabric before forcing myself to leave my room.

The familiar scent of fresh baked Colombian bread drifted down the hallway, guiding my path. My sandals clicked softly against the polished marble floors, the sound piercing the quiet.

The moment I stepped through the doorway to the breakfast room, my parents looked up from the beautifully set table.

“Happy birthday, baby,” Mama and Papa said in unison, their smiles radiant.

I couldn’t help but smile back, even if it didn’t quite mirror my heart.

“Thanks, Mama. Thanks, Papa.”

Mama immediately crossed the room to wrap me in one of her warm embraces, her floral perfume cocooning me. Papa followed with a kiss against my temple and a gentle squeeze of my shoulder, his affection quieter but no less heartfelt.

For a fleeting moment, everything felt almost… normal.

The golden light from the crystal chandelier danced across the fine china that Mama insisted on using for birthdays, no matter how small the celebration.

Ours was a house built to hold generations, yet these days it felt far too large for the three of us who remained.

Gabriel and Amara lived in their penthouse downtown, preferring the freedom of a place that belonged solely to them. Papa had made sure the estate remained heavily guarded, layers of security hidden behind elegant gates and manicured hedges. To the outside world, it was simply another luxurious family home. To us, it was a carefully protected sanctuary.

Still, Papa valued privacy above displays of power. He’d never wanted our home to feel like a fortress—even if the illusion grew thinner with each passing year.

I slid into my chair, my fingers brushing against the crisp linen napkin as I took in the room I’d celebrated every birthday for as long as I could remember.

Twenty-two.

The number settled uneasily in my chest.

Not because it was a big number, but because I managed to wreak enough havoc to last a lifetime when I married Jetmir Volkov. Of course, I hadn’t known then that my Thorne was actually Jetmir, Amara’s half brother.

I shook my head, not wanting that darkness to encroach on whatever morsel of peace I could hope for today.

Twenty-two didn’t feel like the beginning of my happy ending.

It felt like standing in the middle of a story whose ending I still couldn’t decipher.

Life hadn’t followed the neat chapters or satisfying endings I’d once believed were waiting for me. There had been detours, heartbreak, impossible choices, and dreams quietly folded away before they’d ever had the chance to bloom.

A snort broke through the dining room and all three of us looked toward the doorway in time to see Dozer barreling inside, his stocky little body bouncing with every determined step. His stubby legs moved so quickly they were almost a blur, his oversized ears the only thing you could see clearly.

He skidded slightly on the polished floor before catching himself, planting his paws wide. Then he looked up at us and let out a single, growling bark.

Silence hung for exactly one heartbeat before the three of us burst into laughter.

“You are the least intimidating creature I’ve ever met,” I managed between laughs. “You know that?”

Dozer tilted his head dramatically, one ear folding inside out. His dark, round eyes blinked at me with complete seriousness before he answered with another sharp bark, as if he wholeheartedly disagreed with my assessment.