Page 60 of When Love And Destiny Collide

“You were a little quiet during dinner,” she says, her voice tinged with vulnerability. “Do you regret what happened between us? Please… be honest.”

“No. Never,” I say firmly.

“It meant everything to me,” she admits, looking away with a shy glance.

“It meant everything to me too, Sweetheart,” I reply, lifting her chin gently with my thumb until our eyes meet. “I love you, Lily.”

“I love you too,” she murmurs, her words wrapping around us like a cocoon.

The doorbell’s ring startles us both. “Who could that be at this hour?” I wonder aloud, making my way to the front door.

I have a sinking feeling that deepens as I open the door and find Marian standing there. Her penetrating gaze holds a reproachful edge, silently accusing me of today’s disappointments.

“Who is it?” Lily’s sweet voice asks from behind me, just before she catches sight of our uninvited guest.

Chapter 16

Lily

The woman at the door is absolutely gorgeous, her blonde, shoulder-length hair falling in loose, perfectly placed beach waves. She’s impeccably dressed in a dark blue A-line dress that stops just above her knees, paired with expensive Jimmy Choo leather pumps I recognize—Laila has a pair just like them. Tall and svelte, her hazel eyes are watching me with an intensity that can only be described as pure disdain.

Without waiting for an invitation to come in, she brushes past Noah, approaching me with such swift purpose that the force of her presence nearly knocks me off balance.

"Marian." Noah's voice is clipped but steady.

“Where’s my son?” she demands, stopping just a foot in front of me before dramatically whirling around to face Noah again.Every movement she makes is sharp and intense, like she’s commanding the room with her presence.

This is Noah’s ex-wife? Davey’s mom? She's so cold.

"Lower your voice, Marian," Noah's tone is curt, matching her intensity. "Davey’s sleeping. He had a long day."

The dynamic between them is unsettling, charged with tension. It’s hard to imagine them ever being a couple in love, let alone a family.

I’m frozen in place, wishing I could make a quick, undetected exit and give them space to talk. Anything to avoid witnessing their argument.

"You knew I was coming today," Marian says, her voice sharp with accusation. "Why didn’t you make sure he was awake for my visit?"

"It’s almost ten o’clock at night," Noah replies, his frustration barely contained. "Even if he’d waited all day for you, by eight, he’d be ready for bed. You can’t honestly expect me to keep him up this late for you."

"This is a special occasion," she insists, her voice rising. "It’s not every day his mom is here to see him."

"You can say that again," Noah murmurs under his breath, the frustration in his tone clear.

"What?" she snaps, her eyes narrowing. "You think I enjoy being away from my son?"

"All I know is that you're being unreasonable," Noah responds, the tension in his voice increasing with every word.

I want to leave. I don’t know what to do or where to look. My gaze is locked on Noah, silently willing him to stay calm, to feel my support—as if I could somehow send him strength telepathically. What a stupid notion.

I turn to leave the room, but Noah's calm voice halts me. "Lily. You don’t have to leave, Sweetheart. Please stay."

His words are enough to unleash Marian's wrath, her attention snapping to me, and suddenly, I’m standing directly in her line of fire.

"So, is this the insignificant girl you're sleeping with?" she asks, her gaze sharp and condescending as she looks me up and down before addressing me.

"Well,Sweetheart, the official Mrs. Linder is here. You can leave now." The way she spat out "Sweetheart" was dripping with contempt, and her dismissive wave of the hand makes it clear she views me as nothing more than a fleeting distraction.

"Lily," Noah's voice cuts through the uncertainty created by Marian's harsh words, grounding me in the midst of the confrontation.

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