Rio smirked knowingly, taking a slow sip of his wine. “You don’t have to say it. I already know.”
The flight back to L.A. was quiet but comfortable, Rio’s private jet cocooning them away from the world. The kids had fallen asleep halfway through, Kayla curled against Kylee’s side, Macy with her stuffed unicorn, and Jake Jr. sprawled out in a seat across from them, headphones slipping off his ears.
By the time they reached Rio’s mansion, the night was heavy and still. Kylee moved through the house with practiced ease now, tucking each of the kids into one of the guest suites. She kissed their foreheads, whispering promises of fun tomorrow, before softly closing each door.
When she came downstairs, Rio was waiting in the theater room. He had already queued up an old black-and-white film, the dim glow from the massive screen painting shadows across his sharp features. He patted the seat next to him, and she sank down, pulling her knees up under her.
For a few minutes, the hum of the film filled the silence. But Kylee’s mind was elsewhere. Her eyes stayed fixed on the screen, though she wasn’t really watching.
Finally, she whispered, “I feel… guilty.”
Rio turned his head, studying her. “About what?”
Her chest tightened. She forced the words out. “Jake. He’s still down there. In your basement. In that box.” She swallowed hard,guilt tangling with the memory of how alive she’d felt last night. “What are we going to do with him, Rio?”
Rio leaned back in his seat, his arm stretching lazily across the back of the couch as though they were discussing nothing more than tomorrow’s breakfast. His voice was calm, measured, almost chilling.
“We’re not going to do anything. I will have it handled by morning.”
Kylee’s heart skipped. “Handled… how?”
Rio gave her a slow, deliberate look, his lips curling into the faintest smirk. “You don’t need to worry about that. You’ve carried enough. This is mine to finish.”
She shivered, torn between relief and unease. A part of her wanted to press him for details. Another part of her darker and sharper didn’t.
Rio reached out, brushing the back of his hand against her cheek. “Kylee, you’ve already won. He broke you,
And now he’s broken. Let me close the book on him.”
Her breath caught, and she nodded silently, leaning into his touch even as the weight of his words settled heavy in her chest.
On the screen, the film flickered on, but in the quiet of the theater, Kylee could only hear her own pulse, hammering with the realization that by morning… nothing would ever be the same again.
Chapter 10
Finally Free.
The soft morning light spilled across the bedroom, golden rays catching on the silk curtains of Rio’s mansion. Kylee stirred awake, her cheek pressed against the warmth of Rio’s chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, her body wasn’t weighed down by fear or heartbreak, just calm.
Through the cracked door, she could hear the faint sound of laughter. Macy’s high-pitched giggles, Kayla’s squeals, and Jake Jr.’s booming little voice carried through the hallways. They were safe. They were happy. Her heart swelled.
Rio shifted beside her, half-awake, his arm instinctively tightening around her waist. “Mmm… good morning, Mrs. Rock Star,” he teased, his voice gravelly with sleep.
She laughed softly, pressing a kiss to his chest. “Don’t start with that already.”
But part of her loved the sound of it, the idea that her future was no longer tied to betrayal, or heartbreak, or Jake.
It was here, wrapped in this man who had shown her what it meant to be chosen, fiercely and unapologetically.
The door burst open suddenly, and Jake Jr. Came bounding in, his hair messy from sleep. “Mom! Rio! Can we go swimming after breakfast? Pleaseee!”
Before Kylee could answer, Macy, carrying Kayla, tumbled in behind him giggling and climbing onto the giant bed. Within seconds, the quiet cocoon she and Rio shared was overtaken by squeals and bouncing.
Rio sat up, laughing as Kayla wrapped herself around his arm. “Looks like we’re not sleeping in,” he said, flashing Kylee a grin.
And in that moment, surrounded by her children’s joy and Rio’s steady presence, Kylee realized something: This was it. This was the life she deserved. Not the one where she begged for scraps of love. Not the one where she looked over her shoulder. This was her forever. Rio leaned close to Kylee over breakfast, lowering his voice so the kids wouldn’t hear. “Take them swimming after this. Keep them outside… I’ll handle the situation downstairs.”
Kylee froze for a moment, the fork halfway to her mouth. Even though she’d agreed last night, hearing it put so bluntly made her stomach twist. Still, she nodded. “Okay. Just… don’t let them hear anything.”
