Still, the logic of it all twisted inside me, unsettling and impossible to fully grasp.
How was a child born in another lifetime, in another century, now only five years old?
The only answer that made sense was time itself—that Malik hadpulled Rosie forward, bending the past and present as only a creature of darkness could.
My heart ached as I looked between the two men before me.
Roman—the love of my life, my soul’s anchor. And Malik—a man forged in pain, cursed by time, forever searching for something beyond his reach.
Malik had lived a cruel life. He had lost Layla, forced to watch Balthazar tear the life from her with his own hands. How devastating that must have been.
And then, as if fate had not been unkind enough, he had fallen for me—or rather, my past version.
But my heart would always belong to Roman.
Malik had known it. He had watched as history played out against him, watched as Isabelle and Armand—the only people he had ever considered family—were torn away, swallowed by death’s embrace.
How merciless would it be to rip Rosie from his life now?
To claim her in some possessive grasp, as if biology alone gave me any right?
I wouldn’t do that.
Malik had cared for her and loved her. Protected her.
And in doing so, he had proven a truth few would ever believe?—
That even monsters could evolve.
I released Roman’s hand and leaned forward, reaching for Malik’s. “I’m so very grateful to you.”
Malik’s eyes met mine, shining with something unspoken.
“I don’t know why I didn’t see it sooner,” I continued, my voice thick with realization.
“Rosie looks so much like Roman. I saw it—I just didn’t think it was possible, so I dismissed it.”
I squeezed his hand before settling beside my husband, curling my feet on the sofa, and leaning into Roman’s warmth.
“You took her amid tragedy,” I said softly. “And raised her as your own. How could we not be grateful?”
Malik smiled—small, quiet, but real.
“The moment I laid eyes on Rosie, I knew she was mine,” he admitted. “Not by blood, but by bond. I couldn’t hand her over to strangers. I couldn’t leave her to fate.”
His voice held the weight of centuries, of loss and longing.
“Taking her in was both a sacrifice and a gift. She was your child, but she became my purpose. I raised her as I imagined you would have wanted her cared for.” His gaze flickered between us, steady with conviction. “Rosie has never wanted for anything. I’ve given her love,companionship, and friendship. And I will stop at nothing to protect her.”
Roman’s grip around me tightened, his voice rich with emotion. “Our gratitude knows no limits.”
His eyes gleamed in the dim light, reflecting something fierce and unyielding. “You not only saved our child in another lifetime, Malik, but you saved me—twice. You pulled me from Balthazar’s lair. You carried me through a time when I lay dying on the battlefield. Without you, I would have perished both times.”
A single tear slipped down Malik’s cheek.
He swiped it away, his voice rough, strained. “I love you both.”
He took a breath. “I only want to make amends for my mistakes… not to repeat the past. Caring for Rosie has given me a heart, a reason to live. You may think it was a small thing, but to me—” He swallowed hard, his voice breaking slightly.
