Not when I have someone who loves me wholeheartedly.
Someone who’s been so patient with me while I pieced together my whole damn life—literally.
Who welcomed Emilee and me into the world he shares with his family—folded us in, made room when their bond was already so tight—bending instead of breaking.
Love like that doesn’t come along often.
Especially when it’s stretched to breaking point.
Elijah’s serious black eyes burn with love as he removes the empty water bottle from my hand. He parts his shirt and places my palm over his heart—the same way Gabriel had in the limousine.
A familiarthump, thumppulses beneath my hand, and a wave of emotion crashes over me… Gabriel told me this is where he holds his family.
Without a doubt, this is where Elijah houses his too.
One love. One home. One family.
Onepowerhouseof love.
I know exactly what Elijah is telling me without words:Thisis where Emilee and I belong too—housed within these chambers of love.
And that’s exactly where I want to be.
But to live there, I have to let go.
Which brings me back to the very beginning, when a child was born, marked by a puzzle piece on her palm.
Her name: Ana.
The artist behind the puzzle tattoo: Meera.
And the mystery of Meera was set into play.
The players? Me and Gabriel.
The price? For me, it was my dignity—trusting someone I thought I loved, only to be fooled into such a twisted game.
But for Gabriel, it was so much more. His friendship with Meera cost him his marriage, a whole lot of money, and his pride.
Yet, he chose to stay in the game.
Even if it meant sacrificing his marriage.
All to keep his family safe. And keep a secret he should never have kept in the first place.
But everything he did was out of love. Gabriel loves his family—deeply. He’d set himself on fire if that’s what it took to keep them safe. Hell, he’d become the fire if he had to.
Looking back, I’m so thankful that he stayed in the game. Because now we all have each other, and truthfully, I wouldn’t want it any other way.
I’ll probably never understand what was going through Meera’s head when she constructed this puzzle. It’s shameful to think that she never even considered the damage this sick game could inflict on her daughter… on Ana.
That poor child was robbed of knowing me—her biological dad—and being raised alongside her sister.
But Gabriel stepped up. He made sure Ana wasn’t deprived of a family. That she was always surrounded by two parents who loved her so fiercely, they would do absolutely anything for her happiness.
And that’s exactly what Gabriel did—shielded her from the ugly.
For that, I am grateful.
