Page 94 of When Love And Destiny Collide

I hear the phone ring, but my heavy eyelids refuse to open. It keeps ringing insistently until I can no longer ignore it. I fumble for it, blinking at the bright screen:Sam, at three o'clock in the morning? This can’t be good.

"Sam?" I answer, my voice thick with concern as my mind snaps awake.

"Noah, I’m really sorry to wake you, but I just got off the phone with Zoe."

"Zoe?" I murmur, momentarily forgetting who she is, but then dread coils in my stomach like a serpent tightening its grip. I brace myself for whatever comes next.

"There’s been a fire."

My heart pounds in my chest as icy dread seeps through my veins. "Oh no," I whisper, raking my fingers through my hair, clinging to the hope that this is just a bad dream.

"Zoe’s there now, and I’m on my way," Sam continues.

"I’ll be right there," I say, my heart racing as I throw off the covers.

"No," Sam’s voice is calm but firm. "Stay with Davey and Lily. She's going to need you."

"Oh my God.Lily," I mutter, the weight of the news sinking in like lead. "How am I going to tell her?"

"I don't know," Sam adds, his voice laced with sympathy. "I'm so sorry."

"What the hell happened?" I ask, frustration and helplessness seeping into my tone.

"I'll know more in the morning," he says. "The fire department got there fast and stopped it from spreading to the studio, but the daycare… it’s gone."

I sit up in bed, the shock settling over me. The vision of everything Lily’s worked so hard for vanishing in flames grips my heart. How am I going to tell her that everything she’s built, everything she’s dreamed of, is gone?

***

Marian was supposed to drop off Davey an hour ago. I glance at my watch again—five past eight. My stomach tightens as I pick up the phone and call again. "Marian, it's after eight. Where's Davey? What time is your flight? Please, call me back."

I pour myself another cup of coffee just as Lily walks in the door. Her smile lights up the room, completely unaware of the weight sitting on my shoulders. The knot in my chest tightens as she draws closer. She looks radiant, her blue eyes sparkling with happiness, and it guts me to know I’m about to shatter everything.

"Good morning!" she chirps, her voice full of warmth and cheer.

"Good morning, Sweetheart." I force a smile, pulling her into my arms the moment she steps up to me. I hug her tight, pressing a gentle kiss to her lips, savoring the moment before everything changes.

I take a deep breath, steadying myself, and then I pull back slightly, holding her gaze. "Lily… something happened last night."

Her brows knit in confusion, and the happiness in her eyes begins to fade as she reads the seriousness in mine. I feel my heart crack as I prepare to deliver the news that will completely break hers.

"What?" she asks, her eyes darting around the room, searching. "Where's Davey?"

The panic in her voice sends a wave of guilt crashing over me. Her love for my son is undeniable as if she were already his mother. Her first thought, her first concern, is about him. It’s one of the reasons I love her so deeply, but right now, it only makes what I have to say harder.

"Sweetheart," I say, gently gripping her shoulders. "This isn't about him."

Her gaze softens slightly, but the fear remains, her body tensing beneath my hands. "Then what is it? What happened?" she asks, her voice trembling, bracing herself for the worst.

***

"It was Marian," Lily murmurs, shaking her head slowly, disbelief darkening her tear-filled eyes. "She took the enrollment form that day and waited for the perfect moment to strike. She warned me. She said she'd make me sorry."

I open my mouth, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. "You can't accuse her of something so sinister, Lily."

The look she gives me in response freezes me in place, a flash of hurt and anger igniting in her gaze—similar to the one she wore when we first met on that dusty road. I can see the betrayalshe feels, the pain of my hesitation cutting deeper than I ever intended.

"You don’t believe me," she says softly, but there’s an edge to her words that makes my chest tighten.

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