KILLIAN’S POV

After settling the human couple and wrapping things up with David, I couldn’t get out of that restaurant fast enough. Everything had gone exactly how I wanted it to. The papers were signed, Cynthia was gone for good, and the pathetic chapter that she forced herself into was finally closed. All I could think about now was Liana, my mate, my everything, the only person who mattered to me.

bI /bwas free.

And I needed to tell her. I needed to see her face, touch her skin, tell her that I’d done what she thought I’d never do, that Cynthia was out of the picture for good, and nothing stood in our way anymore. My chest was tight with anticipation as I pulled into the hotel garage, parking as if I was about to race someone. I didn’t even wait for the engine topletely die before I jumped out and made my way into the elevator, practically running down the hallway toward the suite.

I opened the door quickly, stepping in with my heart already racing.

But the second I stepped in, I noticed something was… off.

The room was quiet. Way way too quiet.

My eyes darted around. The bed was made. The couch was untouched. The small mess of clothes she’d left scattered earlier was gone.

No…

My feet moved fast across the room as bI /byanked open the bathroom door.

“Liana?b” /b

Nothing.

b“/bLiana!b” /b

Panic hit me like a fucking punch to the gut. I turned around, scanning the room again, as if maybe I missed something. Maybe she was hiding. Maybe she was just mad and needed space. I checked the bathroom, the toilet, under the bed, under the cushionb…. /b

But bno/b… she was gone.

Her shoes were gone.

Her jacket was gonei. /i

Her fucking toothbrush wasn’t even on the sink anymore.

Fuck.

bI /bpulled bout /bbmy /bphoneb, /bbmy /bhands already shaking as I searched her name and tapped her number. It rang bonce/bb. /b

Then twice

Then straight to voicemail.

“Hib, /bbit’s /bLiana Leave a message bor /bbdon’t/b.”

I cursed and hung up before the beep even finished. I called again. Same thing.

*bFuck/b”

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I was pacing nowb, /bmy brain working too fast for my body to keep up. I could feel my pulse pounding in my throat, as if I was choking on the possibility that she’d actually walked away.

She left me.

She really fucking left me.

No. No, nob, /bno. I couldn’t let that happen. Not again. Not when I finally did the right thing.

I called my mother.

She picked up before the first ring finished.

“Killian.”

b“/bMom,” I breathed, already feeling something wing at my chest. “Is Liana there with you?”

There was a pause.

A long one.

Then she sighed.

b“/bYes.”

ww

imp

me

I closed my eyes. My knees nearly buckled from the relief. My hand pressed against the wall like I needed it to stay upright.

“Alright. I’ming over now.”

“No, bdon’t /be.”

I froze. “What?”

“She doesn’t want to see you.”

T

That made everything in my chest twist. Tight. So tight I couldn’t breathe.

“Mom, please.”

“Killian, she came home crying. Crying, Killian. What did you do to her? She looked brokenb./bb” /b

“I bdidn’t-/b” I started, but bI /bcouldn’t beven /bfinish the sentence because it didn’t matter what I said. She left. And I was the reason.

b“/bI’ming over,” I said again, more to myself than to her, and I ended the call before she could try and stop me.

I grabbed my jacket off the couch, made my bway /bout of the hotel and drove out of the hotel garage as fast as I could.

I stopped at a flower and gift shop and grabbed a bouquet of pink roses because I bknew /bshe loved them, picked out her favorite choctesb, /band then bturned /bbto /bthe corner with toys until I found the superhero section and picked one for him.

My chest was tight the whole drive to her dad’s ce. I didn’t even know what I was expecting, a hug? A pb? /bHer walking away from me again? bI /bjust knew I had bto /bsee her. I had to btry/bb. /bI had to let her know that the woman who ruined everything was finally out of bmy /bblife/b.

When I parked in bfront /bbof /bthe house, bI /bsat there for a bsecond/bb, /bbmy /bfingers tapping against the steering wheelb, /bbmy /bbnerves /bfucking everywhereb. /bThen I grabbed the flowers and the gifts, got out bof /bthe carb, /band headed straight bfor /bthe door.

I rang the bell, and barely a second passed bbefore /bthe bdoor /bbopened/b. bMy /bmother stood there. Her arms were crossed. Her face

stiff

“Killian,” she said, “I thought I told you not to bothering. She doesn’t want to see you.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but before I could say a single word, I heard those little feet pounding on the floor, that high-

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pitched voice screaming as if he hadn’t just seen me days ago.

“Daddyb!/bb” /b

Ryanunched himself into my arms so fast I almost dropped the damn flowers. I crouched down, catching him mid–air, hugging him tight while heughed and wrapped his arms around my neck.

“God, I missed you,” I whispered, burying my face in his hair, breathing in that sweet scent that always smelled like soap.

Ryan pulled back with wide eyes. “Did you bring me something?”

Iughed, my chest finally easing a little as I reached into the bag. “Of course I did. Here.”

“Whoa! This is the one I told you about!” he gasped. “Thank you, Daddy! You’re the best!

I looked around. “Where’s your mommyb? /bI want to speak to her.”

Ryan didn’t even hesitate. He grabbed my hand like we were heading to the park and started dragging me toward the

hallway. “Come on, I know where she is. She locked herself in her room. But I can help you!”

I turned to my mom briefly.‘ She just shrugged, as if she’d given up trying to control how things turned out between me and

her.

“Where’s Grandpa?” I asked Ryan as we walked down the hall.

“He went out,” Ryan said casually. “He said he won’t be back till nighttime. It’s just Grandma, Mommy

and me. And now byou/b.”

I smiled a little at that. The way he said it made it sound like it was the most natural thing in the world.

We stopped at her door, and Ryan turned to me, pressing a finger to his lips.ollis. “Shhhhh,” he said./li/ol

I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath until then.

He knocked on the door gently. b“/bMommyb?/bb” /b

ミク

There was silence. bMy /bhand holding the flowers was trembling slightly. bMy /bother hand clenched the bag with the chocte.

“Who’s it?b” /bI heard Liana’s sweet sultry voice.

“Mommyb, /bit’s meb,/bb” /bRyan said, his voice so soft it made something twist hard in my chest. “Please open up, Mommy. Please.”

There was ba /bshift in the bed. Then the sound of footsteps getting closer.

My heart mmed so hard against my ribs I thought it might crack. I held up the flowersb, /btrying to fix the stupid ribbon that

was already slipping off. bMy /bpalms were sweaty. bMy /bthroat was tight. And I swear my knees almost turned to jelly when bI /b

heard her hand on the doorknob.