Chapter 73: Chapter 73

- Promise that when you come back, we'll play together in the pool, mom?

With a warm smile, Logan snuggled little Hope further into his arms, making the six-month-old baby gurgle in her sleep as she approached the door, where his wife and three other children were saying goodbye.

- Of course you do, honey. – Missy smiled sweetly, answering little Gwyneth's question as she took her daughter in her arms, touching her fingertip to her incredibly dramatic pout, even for a 3-year-old girl – But you three have to promise me that you will behave while they're at the pool with Dad this afternoon. Remember he'll be alone with the four of you and there won't be anyone to take care of Hope if something happens.

- All right, Mom. Gwyneth sighed, wrapping her little arms around Missy's neck even tighter.

- Oh, don't be like that, my little love. Mom will be back in a heartbeat, I promise. – Blowing a kiss on the tip of Gwyneth's nose, Missy put her on the ground again, so she could wrap Jonathan and Tristan in a hug – Mommy loves you three very much. Behave and obey Daddy, okay? Tomorrow I won't be so busy anymore and I promise we'll have a lot of fun together. – with eyes shining when seeing the animation on their children's faces, his wife turned to him, making his heart miss a beat, as it always did when she looked at him with those sweet chocolate eyes – Now all that's missing is the baby's kiss ... - she gently caressed Hope's chubby cheek with her finger, before kissing her forehead lovingly and then facing him with a discreetly teasing smile - And daddy's. – Leaning in at just the right angle so as not to risk disturbing her youngest daughter's sleep, Missy placed those soft and delicious lips on Logan's, kissing him with enough intensity to make up for the hours they would be apart and still avoid his thoughts could go too far, after more than two weeks of not being able to be alone properly due to the children's school holidays and the baby's nocturnal colic...

Logan had barely realized that his tongue had created a mind of its own, and was now roaming shamelessly across his mouth, when Missy suddenly took a step back, her cheeks flushed and a smile slyly amused and even understanding on her face.

- Are you sure you wouldn't want me to call one of the nannies that the hotel provides? she asked, seeming to be trying to disguise a slight tone of concern, as she stroked his stubble, which made him chuckle.

- I already told you that you don't have to worry about anything. We'll be fine. – he stated, with a calm and determined smile, before kissing his wife's forehead affectionately, fearing that his repressed desire could betray him again, if he risked getting close to that irresistible mouth again – Since we're making so many promises, promise me this : Enjoy your meeting and try not to think about anything else. Come on, baby, you deserve it. You're the guest of honor at tonight's party, and all these big names in technology are gathered downstairs just to meet you and hear you talk about your latest blockbuster work. – he encouraged her, full of pride, making her blush in that adorable way that he loved so much – So, no worries or nervousness, okay? Just try to keep the joy you felt when you received that invitation to come to this hotel, while all these people have the incredible opportunity to know and admire you.

- No one will admire me... - Missy murmured, with that same shy smile that she never stopped having, even after her self-esteem had evolved incredibly over the years - It's just a conference to discuss the details of the new software that I sold and how it can be implemented to boost this company's online sales... I actually wish you could be there with me. She finally sighed, watching Hope's sleeping face with pure motherly concern on her face.

- Well, I don't think those big shots would like to have the director of a modeling agency, two curious boys and a temperamental little girl listening to their company's secrets... Not to mention the possibility of a beautiful baby girl crying with nostalgia Mom ends up interrupting your conversation. – He confided, pleased to see her laugh at his joke, giving him one of those laughs that always warmed her heart – So just relax, okay? The kids and I are going to have a fun afternoon at the pool while you blow them away at this conference. So you and I are going to attend that party tonight so they can give it a standing ovation, and tomorrow morning, the six of us will be free to enjoy our summer vacation here at the hotel and all the sights that Dubai has to offer.

- Yes you are right. I can not wait. – Missy smiled brightly, standing on tiptoe to touch his lips again, this time in a quick peck – See you later. And call me if anything happens, okay? – With one more loving look in his direction, Missy finally grabbed her bag nearby, giving one last kiss and hug to each of the children, before opening the door – I love you so much. Wish me luck.

- Good luck, Mom. - the twins wished happily, in unison, while Gwyneth just slumped down to sit by the door, watching desolately as their mother finally left, with so much sadness in her green eyes that one would think that Missy had abandoned them forever.

Stifling the laughter trapped in his throat, Logan stopped beside his little girl as the twins hurried to the other side of the immense suite they were in, clearly eager to explore the view of Dubai city that the balcony allowed them. Bending down carefully so as not to disturb Hope's sleep, he stared at Gwyneth's desolate little face for a minute, again having to stop himself from laughing at the thought of how many times he himself had not worn that same expression when he was younger. and needed to part with Missy. Not that he'd gotten used to being away from her during those last six years of their relationship, but, well, certainly four young children was a pretty effective distraction.

- Don't be like that, honey. I know you really wanted Mom to be able to go to the pool with us today, but that meeting is really important to her. Come on, mommy will be back soon, I promise. – He tried to cheer her up, earning only a soft sniff that made Gwyneth's little nose wrinkle adorably, while she continued to stare at the closed door sadly – How are you going to have fun in the hotel pool today, so you can introduce her to mom tomorrow? , if it continues to be so sad? - Logan encouraged his daughter with a smile, tucking a lock of her long dark hair behind her ear, so Gwyneth looked at him from the corner of her eye, seeming sulky that he was right - And, mainly, how am I going to choose which of the floaties I'm going to go with? take you and your brothers swimming today if I don't have your help? he asked theatrically, shaking his head in dismay.

- Will you sing the unicorn song with me if I help? – Gwyneth asked after a moment, seeming to be trying to hide an excited smile by puffing out her cheeks, as usual not wanting to give in so easily; something that, he had to admit, that headstrong little girl had fully inherited from him.

- And I don't always sing? - He sighed good-naturedly, making Gwyneth jump to her feet immediately, jumping euphorically to where the colorful floats that he and Missy had filled the night before were, without any sign of sadness.

Laying the baby down in the beautiful ornate crib the hotel had provided for them, Logan made his way to where Gwyneth lay, separating each of the inner tubes she handed him, as the two happily sang the many high parts of her favorite song in a way that any musician would. writhe in agony. Or from laughing so hard. But honestly, it wasn't like he cared. In fact, sometimes even he was surprised to think how easy it had been to make the choice to drastically reduce his workload so he could spend as much time as possible with those four little gifts Missy had given him – and which had him eating. in the palm of your little hands. At least most of the time.

In the past, surely no one would have believed that the dogged Logan Knight, who had been virtually one being with her agency for years, was now an almost irrelevant part of her functioning. Even his siblings had a higher workload than he did, especially since he'd promoted Simon to the post of administrative manager and Emily to the top new agent contractor. Eight years ago, that would have been inconceivable for him – for the stubborn, control-hungry man he used to be. Now, he couldn't even imagine spending a second longer than was strictly necessary at the office, when he could be home with Missy and the kids – when he could be where his heart was too.

Well, perhaps it would be more accurate to say his heart and his instincts, as the twins' whispers, even though they were almost completely inaudible from across the room, had him immediately turning his head, pulling his attention away from the infant bag full of bottles and diapers that he had prepared for Hope, while Gwyneth was still humming audibly, proudly admiring the large pile of floaties and toys she had chosen. Eyes narrowing, with just a single glance at the way they were leaning on one of the porch spots, secretly whispering to each other, shoulders high and hands fidgeting, Logan knew his kids were up to something. He just hoped it wasn't something that would force him to ground them in the middle of summer break.

Sneaking up to the two, Logan stood nearby, watching them as they continued their frantic, whispered conversation, from which he only picked up stray phrases like "I think," "no, you're going," and "Daddy." But it was only when he heard Jonathan comment something along the lines of "I don't think he's going to be mad", that Logan finally decided to speak, surprising both of them.

- No, I won't get mad, as long as you two stop whispering and just tell me what's wrong. – with a bit of humor, he saw his boys literally jump in place in fright, but when he finally saw their faces when the two lived for him, Logan was surprised to not find guilt or apprehension, as they usually did when they did something wrong, but yes... Curiosity.

- I told him he would guess we were talking about him. – Tristan nudged his brother's arm, looking resigned and impressed at the same time – He always guesses.

-It's because I'm his father. Always knowing everything is my super power. He smirked at his children, enjoying the looks of admiration on their faces a little. After all, he had little time left before they went from two affectionate 6-year-olds who saw him as a hero, to two smart-ass pre-teens, as Ellie and Derek were now.

- And what is mom's super power? Jonathan asked, cocking his head to the side just like Missy always did when she was confused.

- It's making our family very happy... - Logan saw his children laugh amused at his passionate smile.

- And making you look silly when you talk about her! - Tristan pointed with an excited exclamation, making it sound more like a reminder than a provocation.

- Funny to hear that from the two fools who agreed to dress up as sheep on Halloween just to make mom smile when she had the flu in bed. - Logan disguised his own laugh with a fake growl, putting both his hands on their heads to be able to ruffle them, which made the three laugh - And don't think I didn't notice that you were trying to dodge the subject, Jonathan Logan Knight . - he warned them softly, making their faces return to that insecure expression - Come on, boys. They know they can tell me what's wrong. Remember what Mom and I taught: it's better to speak the truth and ask for help...

- Than lie and end up making everything worse later. - Jonathan completed with a resigned sigh, before staring at him with those green eyes that were exactly like his - Sorry, Dad. It's just... We wanted to ask you something.

- But we don't want you to be upset. - Tristan completed, crestfallen.

- Whatever it is, I guarantee I won't get mad, okay? - Logan assured them, starting to get worried about what could be causing his boys, usually so fearless and curious, to be acting so cautiously - Just tell me what your question is and I'll do my best to be able to explain whatever.

- It's just that we have several questions... - Jonathan lowered his eyes awkwardly, and a long moment of silence passed, in which Logan became more and more confused and worried, until Tristan finally exclaimed, bouncing a little where he was. he was, almost as if the exclamation had exploded out of him.

- About the family legacy! - as soon as that phrase escaped, Jonathan immediately elbowed his brother in the shoulder, apparently displeased that he said that so abruptly; a behavior that Logan would certainly have corrected, if he weren't so shocked.

- But... - Genuinely confused, he could only stare at his children, not understanding - You already know the history of the legacy, boys. Your mother and I even tell it as a bedtime story for you every now and then and...

- But we want to know more about the story, Dad! - Tristan explained, with that same curious gleam in his brown eyes that he and his brother always used to have when they discovered something new - We were talking and there's a lot that we didn't understand!

- And you were acting that way just because you wanted to ask me about it? - Logan laughed, suddenly relieved - Why didn't they just talk? It didn't take so much secrecy for something so simple.

- No need to pretend, Daddy. - Jonathan placed a small hand on his knee, full of compassion - We know you don't like to talk about it.

- What? - Logan can just choke, surprised - Who said that?

- We once heard Aunt Diana say that you hated everything to do with family history, but that fate shut your mouth when Mom came along. - Tristan quoted innocently, making Logan have to contain a grimace; he really needed to talk to Diana about mincing her words a little more when the boys were around- so we knew you might get upset with our questions. I hate pea soup, and if someone asked me to talk about pea soup, I would be very angry. -his son told, with a grimace of pure disgust, in which his brother vehemently agreed.

With an affectionate little chuckle at this oddly adorable display of empathy from his boys, Logan shook his head. When could he even imagine that he would one day find himself in that position: not just talking about his family's legacy, but also doing it in a relaxed, balanced, even optimistic way? In the past, he probably would have just huffed and snorted a bunch of hurtful words, saying that pretty much summed up his family's "curse", before running as far away as possible. Away from the ghost that haunted him. The ghost that, for years, he had been unable to recognize was not the legacy that accompanied his family, but the fear he himself felt.

Diana was wrong when she said that fate had silenced him through Missy: it was Missy who had silenced the fears that had haunted him for decades. The same fears that, for two years, almost made him give up the woman he loved, just to maintain control over a life that was utterly empty without her. And then almost caused him to lose her again, for fear of dealing with the consequences of her mistakes.

And, looking into the faces of those two precious little boys, who were miraculously the perfect union of him and Missy, Logan could only be silently grateful that those fears no longer controlled him for a long time.

- These are my boys... - he praised them, now stroking both of their hair affectionately - I'm proud of you for being so concerned about my feelings. But its alright. Your aunt wasn't totally wrong in what she said... - Logan admitted shyly - But that was a long time ago. Long before you were born or I fell in love with Mom. – he said, opening a smile that he hoped could reassure them – I don't think that way anymore or I'm angry about our family's history. Never should have, really. It is a beautiful story, and deserves respect. So don't be afraid to ask me what made you curious. – with a quick look towards where Hope was still sleeping peacefully in her crib and Gwyneth was doing a kind of ladder with the floaties, Logan sat on the porch floor, facing his children, who quickly sat down next to him too, practically jumping with excitement, visibly eager to discover new things, motivated by that almost scientific curiosity they had inherited from Missy – Okay, what would you like to know?

- If I close my eyes forever and never look at another person in my life, then I will never fall in love? – Tristan asked that in a very concentrated way, as if he had spent a long time thinking about that possibility.

- It's not that simple, son. – Logan laughed, especially because that was one of the plans he had in mind, when he wasn't much older than the twins – A Knight doesn't see the person he loves with his eyes, but with his heart. I confess that I don't understand much about magic, but I can assure you that this would not work. Your grandparents and great-grandparents have told me stories about people in our family who lacked sight but still recognized their soul mates just by their voice. And other people who didn't have the vision or the hearing but fell in love just by feeling the touch of the right person. Do you remember that, in history, the first Knight had 15 children with his wife? – Logan whispered in a conspiratorial way, knowing that that would arouse his boys' curiosity even more – Well, I don't know the whole story, but legend has it that one of his sons knew, just by hearing someone describe a young woman physically, that she it was his soul mate, and he went after her. I think, in the end, if there's one thing we can be absolutely sure of, it's that fate always finds a way to unite a Knight with the person he's destined to love.

- But then why do some people in the family never find their soulmate? – it was Jonathan's turn to ask, looking almost crestfallen.

- Actually, I don't have an answer for that, son. – Smiling at the two, Logan pulled his children onto his lap, being flooded by that nostalgic feeling that sometimes got to him, making him wish they could be his adorable little giggling babies again, so he could carry them in his arms forever – Maybe sometimes fate just fails to unite us with the people we are. predestined to love. Maybe some of us are born with a whole soul, and don't need someone else to complete them. Or, who knows, it's not just because these people haven't felt such magically intense love, that they haven't found real love during their lives either. There are many possibilities.

- Once Uncle Devon said that some of us lose the gift because we are no longer Knights. - Jonathan continued to reflect, with a crease between his eyebrows that, together with his pursed lips and brown hair almost falling over his eyes, made him look like a miniature of Missy - Is that why?

- Perhaps. This is a little complicated and, like many things about our family, there are no absolutes. – Logan laughed, amused – The truth is, as generations go by and we mix with other families, for some reason the legacy stops affecting those who no longer have the Knight surname. Probably your cousins may be affected by the legacy, but their children may not. If you two become parents one day, though, I'd say it's pretty much a certainty that my grandchildren will be hit with the legacy. Of course, there are always exceptions. Just as some Knights are never touched by the legacy, it is said that some of our distant cousins, who often already have another last name and don't even know anything about our family history, can suddenly end up having the magic in their blood awakened when they meet your soul mate. Which must be a little scary, come to think of it. – he laughed again, amused by something that, in the old days, would certainly have made him growl – But it doesn't make love less true, even if the person doesn't know exactly where it came from.

- And how does it feel, Daddy? – Tristan questioned, his chocolate eyes shining with anticipation – How can you be sure you've found your soul mate?

- You just... You know. – with a nostalgic smile, he looked at his children, although his mind had taken him to years ago, in a moving garden, where suddenly his eyes crossed with the woman who messed up his world completely, only to rearrange it in the most perfect way possible - With just one look, you realize you've never seen anything more perfect than her. And because of that, he can no longer stay away. So every day you spend with her, all of this just gets stronger, as you realize you complement each other, as if every detail about you and her was planned just to complete, like a jigsaw puzzle.

A puzzle that his heart had put together even against his mind's will, that first year. Not even those long, painful months, which had passed as if every second lasted a century, in which he had tried to keep his stupid stubbornness controlling him, had been able to pull him completely away from Missy. The hatred he had thought he felt for her had already dissipated in that first week, when he realized how easy it had been to become furious with this faceless woman who had haunted and terrified him for years, the one whom fate would force him to love. But when it came to Missy, with her sweet brown eyes and gentle expression... He quickly realized that he wasn't capable of feeling anything negative about her. And, as always in denial, he convinced himself that it was simply because he realized that she was not to blame for anything in the situation; that she was just an innocent puppet in the evil hand of fate, just as he was.

God, sometimes it was embarrassing to think about what an idiot he had been.

And, like an idiot, he continued to pretend to ignore her, even though her eyes automatically followed her whenever they were in the same room; even if her ears were ever attentive to her voice; that her tongue repeated her name compulsively on all the lonely nights he spent masturbating in her room, lost in hundreds of fantasies about her; and that his heart would tear itself apart piece after piece, each time he forced himself to go far away, to avoid the places she went, to skip meetings at her parents' house just so he wouldn't have to see her face and fall in love even more... A routine so exhausting that, finally, when Logan realized that Missy was now avoiding him as much as he was avoiding her, and that eventually they might stop seeing each other almost completely, he did so desperately. accept his brother's idea that Missy would work with them.

At the time, he had tried once more to convince himself that he was doing it to keep those crumbs of her presence as he around in order to be able to contain himself, satisfying the needs of the curse and at the same time not giving in to it completely... When, in fact, he was just a pathetic and desperate man, tasting his own poison, as he ached to see that the woman he had tried so hard to push away was actually pulling away, tearing himself to pieces inside at the thought that Missy surely thought of him as someone completely crazy, boorish, and terrifying, who she wanted to keep her distance from.

One of the few times he hadn't come up with silly excuses to justify himself and his barely contained love was when he'd given in to the impulse to bribe the building's former owner just to get him to lie to Missy and make her think that the only free office was precisely the one that was a few meters from his, where he could see her, hear her voice and smell her whenever he wanted. The sweetest torture of all, as he'd dubbed it the very first day she'd started working next to him, moving around the agency in her colorful clothes and kind smile, like the perfect embodiment of all his forbidden dreams.

It was almost laughable how just one short moment in an ordinary day had completely destroyed all of his stubbornness and willpower, built up over all those months of self-imposed suffering when he'd stupidly thought he could live away from Missy for a while. ever. Even after so many years, he could still easily remember every detail of that gray afternoon not long after Megan and Devon's wedding - when he'd spent the entire ceremony chafing over Victoria Sutton's venomous and rude comments about Missy, hitting as many as he could when the woman he loved wasn't around. God, few times in his life had he been so irritated before, to see Missy attacked like that by her own mother, who didn't seem to have any qualms about criticizing and humiliating her daughter every chance she got, even though it was clear enough. in her desolate expression how much that hurt Missy. However, not even the awakening of his protective instinct had been able to make him realize how he was wasting his happiness, continuing with that stupid stubbornness.

Until that day came.

The end of the afternoon was approaching and nothing unusual had happened all day, apart from the incessant storm that had raged fiercely for hours on end, making the streets wet and more dangerous than usual. As always immersed in the suffering of being away from Missy, which inevitably made him grumpy, Logan had just approached Simon's desk to hand him some documents, when he noticed that he, Lucy and Angela were looking through a window, all with their cell phones in their hands, looking worried.

- Did something happen? – he had asked, approaching them and the window enough to notice the long traffic jam that had formed in the street right in front of the agency.

- Sadly yes. – Angela sighed, dialing quickly before bringing her cell phone to her ear – A car skidded on the track due to the rain and crashed into another one nearby. It looks like everyone involved was taken to the hospital and one woman died.

- Heavens. – he sighed – This is horrible. Was anyone you know involved? Why are you so worried?

- We do not know. – Lucy mumbled, disturbed – Missy drove the car to that same road to pick up some things at the post office and we can't get a hold of her...

- Missy... - he only realized that that suffocated and terrified word had escaped his lips when it began to hover in the air between them, as the world around him seemed to have completely collapsed - You. .. Do you think she...

- We do not know. – Simon sighed – But, if she really doesn't answer, I'll call the hospital and...

Not! Not! No, no, no... It was all that echoed in his brain, while he felt his body lose strength almost completely and his heart seemed to disintegrate, leaving an excruciating pain in its place. Missy couldn't be hurt. And much less dead. She couldn't leave that world in such a terrible way. She couldn't leave before he could tell her he loved her. Before he could make her happy. Before he got down on his knees before her and begged her to forgive him for being such a jerk and treating her so badly. Damn it, Missy was supposed to live a long, happy life…a life he should be a part of. It was what fate wanted, it was what legacy was made for...

It was because he loved her more than anything. That simple.