The drive was long, silent except for the low hum of the engine. Jake’s mind spun with every mile every hour. Finally, the vehicle slowed. Gravel crunched under the tires. The door yanked open, and the hood was ripped away. Jake blinked against the sunlight.
He was staring at his own house. His house in Idaho. The man holding him shoved him forward, but not hard. Not violent. Almost… deliberate. He removed the cuffs, then leaned in close, his voice low,
Calm, but sharp enough to slice through bone.
“Listen carefully, Jake. You got lucky. Real lucky. Rio’s giving you a second chance not for you, but for those kids. And because he loves Kylee more than his own life. That’s the only reason you’re breathing right now.”
Jake stood frozen, his hands tingling with returning circulation. The man’s eyes narrowed. “If you try to contact Kylee, if you show up at his house, if you so much as breathe in her direction again” he paused, letting the weight of his words sink in, “you won’t be so lucky next time. Do you understand?”
Jake’s throat worked, but his voice came out hoarse. “Y-yes.” The man stepped back, gave him one last cold look, and slid back into the SUV.
Jake stood there on his front lawn, stunned, watching the black vehicle disappear down the street. His house loomed in front of him, the place that used to be his fortress, his pride. Now it felt like a cage. Jake Waterman realized he wasn’t in control anymore. Not of Kylee. Not of the kids. Not even of himself.
Rio had stripped it all away. Back in Los Angeles the sunlight poured through the wide windows of Rio’s Mansion, painting the white stone floors in gold. The smell of coffee drifted from the kitchen, mingling with the sound of children’s laughter echoing from upstairs.
Kylee padded into the living room, barefoot, her silk robe trailing behind her. For the first time in years, her chest felt light, no weight, no dread, no second-guessing. Just air. Just freedom.
“Good morning, beautiful.” Rio’s voice carried from the kitchen as he leaned against the counter, shirtless, tattoos dark against his golden skin. He held out a steaming mug for her. “Extra cream. Just how you like it.”
Kylee smiled, her heart skipping as she took it. “You’re learning.”
He winked. “I plan on learning everything about you.”
Before she could respond, the sound of little feet thundering down the stairs filled the room. Jake Jr. came first, hair sticking up in every direction, followed by Macy and Kayla in their pajamas.
“Can we go swimming again today?” Macy chirped, already tugging at Kylee’s hand.
“After breakfast,” Kylee laughed, kissing the top of her head.
Rio crouched down, letting Macy climb on his back while Jake Jr. tried to wrestle him from the side. The rockstar who commanded stadiums now knelt on the living room floor, laughing as he let the kids “pin him” to the ground.
Kylee stood back, watching, and her chest swelled. For so long she had prayed for stability, for a partner who made her feel seen, for a home that didn’t feel like a cage. And here it was loud, messy, and joyful.
After breakfast, they piled out to the pool. The kids splashed in the water while Rio wrapped his arms around Kylee from behind, his chin resting on her shoulder.
“You did it,” he murmured.
“Did what?” she asked softly.
“You survived him. You chose yourself. And you found your way to me.”
Her throat tightened, but this time it wasn’t from sadness. It was from gratitude. From love. Kylee leaned her head back against his chest, watching her kids laugh in the sun. “Feels like a dream.”
Rio kissed her temple. “Then let’s never wake up.”
For the first time in forever, Kylee believed in a happily ever after.
A month had passed, and Kylee still hadn’t asked what happened to Jake. A part of her wondered, late at night, if she should but every morning she woke up in Rio’s arms, with her kids smiling and safe under his roof, the question slipped further from her lips. Some truths, she decided, weren’t worth reopening.
Now, they were thousands of miles away, the chaos of everything left behind. Rio surprised Kylee and the kids with a getaway house in Hawaii. The private island was something out of a fantasy: palms swaying in the ocean breeze, waves lapping gently at the white sand, and a villa perched high on the rocks overlooking it all. And it was all for them anytime they wanted it.
Rio had whisked them away as if he’d been planning this escape for years. Macy and Kayla squealed as they played on the beach, splashing into the turquoise water. Jake Jr. tried to build a sandcastle fortress strong enough to withstand the tide, his tongue poking out in concentration.
Kylee stretched out on a lounge chair, oversized sunglasses shielding her eyes, a cool drink sweating in her hand. The sun kissed her skin, but it was the peace that warmed her the most.
“Paradise looks amazing on you,” Rio’s voice teased.
She turned her head to find him walking toward her
