Chapter 12

What Now?

I was sitting alone at a bar, my head in my hands, the weight of my thoughts pressing down like a physical force. My mind was a storm, swirling with every fear and doubt I had about the future. I wanted to go home, but that idea was quickly dismissed. No, I couldn’t go back to the isolation. I had just gotten Saxon back in my life, after all these years of distance, and now... now all I needed was my daughter.

Kira was going to be pissed when I told him I was taking her home with me, but it had to be done. My daughter deserved to know who she truly was—who we really were. Kira couldn’t stand in the way of that anymore.

“Lisa, are you alright?”

I turned to see Sandy standing behind me, his brow furrowed with concern. I looked at the time on my watch—it was only one-thirty in the afternoon. Maybe it was a little too early for drinks, but I didn’t care anymore.

"Yeah, I’m fine. It’s five o’clock somewhere, right?"

Sandy offered me a smile, but it was laced with a hint of worry as he took a seat next to me, ordering something of his own. I downed the rest of my drink, summoning the bartender for another. The warm burn of alcohol was the only thing keeping my nerves in check at this point.

"Is everything alright? Your mum and brother are fine?"

"They're fine," I muttered, shaking my head. "I just don’t want to be in Bluehaven anymore. Why I even came back is still a mystery to me. I wish there was another way."

"You’re here for your daughter, right?"

I nodded, the weight of that truth settling on my shoulders like an anchor. "Yeah. Taking her from Kira is going to be harder than I thought, especially considering our history... and my history."

Sandy leaned back, his expression softening. "I know it’s not my place, but Kira knows."

"Knows what?"

"That your daughter isn’t his."

My breath caught in my throat. "What did you say?"

"She’s not his, Lisa. Kira knows."

I felt the blood drain from my face. "Fuck. Thank you, Sandy. I— I need to go." I stood abruptly, leaving a few bills on the bar before quickly heading for the door. My mind was racing, spinning with all the pieces of this tangled web.

I needed to talk to Kira. I had to do this now.

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I raced back to the casino, heart pounding in my chest, my thoughts a storm of chaos. As I made my way upstairs, nearly running into Kira on the staircase, I could feel a pulse of magic at the back of my mind—like something trying to reach out to me, some force beyond my control, but I shoved it down. It wasn’t the time for that. I had enough to deal with.

"Kira," I said, trying to steady my breath.

"Lisa, what’s the hurry?" His voice was laced with concern, but I could hear the undercurrent of something darker in it—something that didn’t sit right.

"Can we talk? Or are you headed somewhere?" I asked, voice tight.

"No, just downstairs. I have time to talk."

I let out a breath, relieved, but the tension in my chest only grew as we walked into a small room off the main lobby and sat down. I twiddled my thumbs for a bit, unable to meet his gaze. The silence between us was thick, suffocating, until Kira started tapping his shoes in agitation.

“Why are you here, Lisa?”

I looked up at him, frustration bubbling. "Are you thick? Why do you think I’m here?"

His face darkened, his expression shifting into something unreadable. "You can’t take her. Crystal’s mine."

“Crystal?” I echoed, my voice barely above a whisper. My heart skipped a beat, and I suddenly felt the world tilt on its axis. "Is that what you named her?"

The anger vanished from his face as confusion set in, but I didn’t care about that now. "You named her Crystal. I thought you remembered everything."

I exhaled slowly, running a hand through my hair, trying to collect myself. This was the part I had been dreading—revealing everything. But I had to do it. The truth had to come out, no matter how ugly.

I pulled out my phone and texted Saxon. It only took a few minutes before he walked into the room, his presence like a grounding force in the storm of my thoughts. I patted the space next to me on the couch, and he sat down, his gaze flickering between Kira and me.

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"What’s up?" Saxon’s voice was calm, but I could feel the tension in the air, like static before a storm.

Kira’s eyes darted between us, his confusion deepening. "Why is he here?"

I hesitated for a moment, then answered. "I don’t remember everything, Kira. I was diagnosed with memory loss about three years ago."

"What exactly do you remember?" Saxon asked, his tone gentle but probing.

"I remember why you and I broke up," I said, voice breaking slightly, "I remember giving birth, and I remember everything while I was with Kai, but only those events. I don’t remember naming my daughter. I don’t remember if I graduated from uni. But I do remember that Wyatt and I were roommates."

Saxon’s hand found mine, squeezing it. The simple touch was a lifeline, a spark of warmth that cut through the coldness of my own mind. But it didn’t stop the storm of guilt and anger building inside me. Kira was seething, but it wasn’t clear if his fury was for me or for the fact that Saxon was holding my hand.

"You don’t remember everything?" Kira growled, standing up abruptly, causing the chair to crash to the floor. "So now you’re just going to waltz back into our lives and take my daughter from me?"

"She’s not even yours, Kira," I snapped. "Do you not remember why we broke up in the first place?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. It was like everything in the room was suspended, waiting for the inevitable explosion. Kira’s face twisted in frustration, but I wasn’t going to back down. Not anymore.

"Ten years ago," I said, my voice low and filled with bitter memory, "I found you in bed with someone else. And don’t act like you don’t remember. I called you so many times that night, and you ignored me. Then you had the nerve to tell me I wasn’t giving you what you wanted anymore, that I was too busy working and studying. That’s why we broke up. Don’t you dare try to claim that you have any right to be her father when you never gave a damn about me or our future."

I felt Saxon’s hand on my back, rubbing slow circles, grounding me as I fought to keep my emotions in check. His presence was a quiet storm of its own. Kira didn’t know what to do with that.

“You never cared about her, Kira. You can’t even take care of your son. What makes you think you can be a father to my daughter?” The words stung, and I could feel the magic rippling in the air around us—a faint hum that I could barely control, but I didn’t care anymore. Let it burn through everything.

Kira recoiled at my words, his anger giving way to something darker, something I couldn’t quite place.

"Lisa..." Kira’s voice was rough, his gaze flickering with something like regret, but it was too late for that.

I stood up, my magic crackling in the air, swirling like an invisible storm around us. "I don’t remember everything, Kira. But I remember enough to know I’m taking her from you. Crystal deserves more than this."

Saxon squeezed my hand, his voice calm as he leaned in closer, "We’ll figure this out. Together."

And for the first time in a long time, I believed him.

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I left the room, Kira’s angry words still echoing in my ears. I couldn’t even look at him anymore—every word he said only pushed me further away from him. I could feel the magic swirling beneath my skin, as if my emotions were being amplified by some unseen force. It wasn’t something I could control, but it was there, hanging in the air like static before a thunderstorm.

I needed space. I needed to think.

Saxon followed me out into the hallway, his presence a quiet reassurance in the chaos. His hand brushed against mine, grounding me in a way that felt almost... magical in itself. It wasn’t just his physical touch—it was the calm he exuded, like a steady anchor in the middle of a storm.

"Hey," he said softly, turning me toward him when we reached a small balcony overlooking the city. The faint hum of the casino below us felt distant now. "We’ll get through this. I know it feels like the world’s collapsing around you, but you’ve got me. You always have."

I nodded, the words stuck in my throat. What could I say? I need you? It felt so selfish, but in that moment, it was true. I needed him more than ever. The magic that had always thrummed just beneath the surface of my life seemed to grow stronger when he was near me—like some invisible bond was tethering us together.

"I don’t know if I can win this, Saxon," I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don’t know if I’m strong enough."

"You’re stronger than you think, Lisa. You’ve survived more than anyone I know. And this time, I’ll be right there with you. Every step of the way." His hand came up, gently brushing the hair from my face, his touch soft but insistent.

The pull between us was undeniable. The connection we shared felt deeper now, almost ancient, as though we had always been meant to find each other again. But I couldn’t get lost in that right now. There were more important things to deal with—things that felt like they were spiraling out of control.

I looked down at my phone, the screen lighting up with a new message. It was from James, one of the reporters from the office.

"Lisa, we have a situation. Your ex-husband’s people are trying to get information on us—saying we’ve been leaking stories for bribes. They’re putting pressure on the whole team."

I cursed under my breath, shoving the phone back into my pocket. "Of course he is. Of course he’s trying to ruin everything. This is what he does."

Saxon raised an eyebrow, his gaze sharpening. "What do you want to do about it?"

I hesitated. "I have to go back. I can’t leave them to deal with this alone. Kira might be causing chaos, but I can’t let him win. Not now."

Saxon nodded, his expression unreadable. "Then we deal with that first. We’ll figure out everything else later. But right now, you need to focus. I’ll stay with you."

I shook my head, grateful for the offer, but I couldn’t bring myself to drag him into this mess. I needed to stand on my own two feet, even though every instinct in me screamed to let him take control, to let him fix everything. But this wasn’t just about me anymore. It was about Crystal. It was about my future with her.

"I’ll go alone," I said firmly. "You’ve already done enough. I need to show up for this."

Saxon stepped closer, his eyes softening. "You’re not alone, Lisa. You never have been."

The sincerity in his voice stirred something deep inside me. And for a moment, I could almost believe that everything might be okay—that somehow, through all the chaos and uncertainty, we would find a way to make this work. But there were still so many obstacles ahead, and one of them was waiting for me back in the office.

"I’ll be back soon," I told him, trying to sound confident, though my heart was pounding.