Page 21 of Forbidden Bliss

Our daughter’s eyes widen with excitement, her face lighting up as she looks between us. “Mommy, say yes! Please say yes!”

Willow’s face softens as tears of joy stream down her cheeks. She nods, a radiant smile breaking through her watery eyes. “Yes, Tristan. Yes.”

As I slip the ring onto Willow’s finger, Lana claps her hands while her eyes bounce with glee. We embrace, our family bond sealing tighter with each passing second.

A sense of hope and legacy for the future fills the air as we embark on our life journey together.

Willow rests her head on my shoulder, her hand intertwined with mine, and Lana snuggles into my other side, her small arms wrapped around my neck.

As we stand with the lights of the city twinkling below us, I whisper into Willow’s ear, “I love you. Both of you. Forever.”

Willow looks up at me, her eyes shining. “We love you too, Tristan. And we’re ready for whatever comes next.”

This is our moment—our beginning. Whatever challenges come our way, we’ll face them as one.

With the promise of a new future ahead, we stand together, ready to face the world as a family.

Epilogue

Hunter

Six Months Later

Myeyesscantheroom until they find Willow radiant in her wedding gown, her smile brighter than I’ve ever seen. She glances at Tristan, her orbs full of a love and happiness that makes my torso tighten. It’s the kind of love I once had, but now it’s a distant, impossible dream.

Next to her, Lana dances with her newly found family, her laughter ringing out like music. My sister and my little niece have finally found the happiness they deserve.

The wedding is beautiful—meticulously planned and flawlessly executed. But this type of thing… it’s not for me. It once was, but that’s gone now.

Love is a complex, messy thing. It has left me standing alone, haunted by the memory of what I lost.

I glance at the towering wedding cake, the extravagant floral arrangements, and the endless stream of champagne. All I see is the emptiness behind it. I had dreams of the big day once. Those dreams became a huge nightmare when my fiancée was taken from me one cruel night.

Weddings are meant for others. Never for me.

My brother, Brandon, makes his way toward me, his tall, muscular frame cutting through the crowd. His presence commands attention, but tonight, that strength only serves to deepen the pit in my gut.

He stops in front of me, standing still, his gaze sharp and assessing. There’s an unspoken tension between us—the kind that’s been simmering beneath the surface for years and never fully addressed. He’s the eldest. He has all the answers, and he’s always been there to shoulder the burdens of the family. But that duty now clashes with my need for distance.

Brandon arches an eye, studying me. “Haven’t seen you in a while.”

“Yeah.” I shrug, looking away. “Been busy.”

“Busy, or just avoiding us?”

Pain shoots up my neck.

He’ll never understand why I’m up there. He can’t fathom why I would choose to live apart from the family and away from the craziness of Vegas. But there’s more to it than that.

I meet his gaze. “The people up there need me.”

Brandon’s eyes narrow, his jaw clenching. “And these people are more important than your family?”

I blow out a hot breath. “Yes. When two stranded hikers are facing life or death on the side of a mountain—yes. That’s more important than sitting around a mansion, eating caviar and reminiscing about old shit.”

The truth is, seeing family only reminds me of what I’ve lost and of the life I’ll never have.

Brandon takes a step closer, his gaze unyielding. “You can’t keep running from this, Hunter. You’re still part of this family, whether you like it or not.”

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