Page 60 of Best Kept Secret

Beau sat up, leaning back on his hands, watching us withthatlook—the one that made my heart skip a beat every time. It was the kind that said this amazing life was ours now! It was happy, peaceful, and full of love.

"You two are my world, you know that?" Beau's gaze locked on mine. "I love you both very much."

"I know." I trusted my Beau. "I love you both very much, too."

Pari squirmed in my lap, holding up a dandelion she'd plucked from the grass. "Blow,Miramashi! Make a wish!"

I leaned down, blowing the tiny seeds into the breeze, watching them scatter into the sunlight. I didn't need to make a wish. I had everything I could have ever dreamed of—right here. Beau, Pari, this life. It was more than I ever thought I deserved.

"I love you, myShona," I said, smiling widely.

I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I doubled over.

"Mira? Can you hear me?" Beau called out, but his voice didn't sound like his own.

The warmth of the sun became distant, the laughter around me faded into something darker, colder. The world tilted, and everything became a blur.

"Mira?" Beau's voice was faint, like he was calling from underwater. "Do we know what she took?"

"Ambien," someone else said.

I tried to focus on the voices to identify who was speaking, but I was drowning. The pressure inside me was unbearable, like I was being pulled under, sinking into a place where I couldn't escape. I felt my body slipping away, my mind spiraling into darkness.

Loud, urgent voices woke me. Someone was shouting. The world around me wasn't our garden anymore—it was harsh and sterile, with beeping sounds and bright lights. I tried to keep my eyes open, but they felt too heavy.

"She's unresponsive!" A voice cut through the haze, sharp and authoritative. "Get the IV ready and start Flumazenil."

An IV? Who needed an IV?

"Hang in there, Mira, don't let go," someone else said, their voice softer, calmer. I wanted to reach for it, to hold onto something, but my body felt like it was floating, disconnected from everything.

"She's crashing!" another voice yelled. "We need that shot, now!"

I tried to reach out, but my limbs were heavy like they didn't belong to me anymore. I could hear chaos around me—footsteps, machinery, the rapid-fire exchange of words I didn't understand. I felt like I was trapped inside my own mind, unable to break free.

I wasn't in the garden anymore. I wasn't with Beau and Pari. This wasn't the life I'd been building.

The last thing I remembered before slipping into nothingness was the sound of an ambulance siren wailing in the distance.

Trigger Warning

This scene contains references to childhood sexual and emotional abuse, and its impact. Please proceed with care.

Chapter 26

Beau

Istepped into the office of Suchitra Pillai, the lawyer who had represented Asha. The space was elegant yet understated—modern, with clean lines and warm wooden accents. Bookshelves lined the walls, stacked with thick legal volumes, while a few framed photographs on the corner of her desk—likely of her family—offered the only personal touch. Aside from that, the room was pure professionalism.

Suchitra herself was a tall, confident woman in her mid-forties, with sharp Indian features, softened by a quiet grace. Her dark hair was tied back neatly, and she wore a navy suitthat spoke of precision and control. She greeted me with a firm handshake, her expression unreadable.

"Mr. Bodine." She gestured for me to take a seat.

"Please call me Beau. May I call you Suchitra?" I settled into a client chair facing her.

"You may." She folded her arms and looked at me. "You'rethefather."

I raised both eyebrows. "Yes."

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