His smile faded. He recalled Chloe's kidnapping and the kidnapper's demand.
"I thought my life was back on track. I exposed Danica, found out son, and got you back. But Chloe got kidnapped. Danica was behind it."
He paused, letting out a sigh. "We managed to rescue her. Just as we thought, we would escape the danger, the explosion killed me."
Summer covered her mouth, eyes wide with shock. "You… died?"
He nodded slowly. "But I came back. To fix everything."
Silence lingered. She studied his face. All she could see was sincerity in his gaze. It didn't feel like a lie.
"Did we…" she asked softly, "find our way back to each other?"
A faint smile touched his lips. "I never let you go again. You will always be mine – in the past, present, and in the future."
Her eyes softened.
He cupped her face and kissed her.
Her fingers curled into his shirt as she leaned into him.
All the tension of the night melted into that moment.
