As I steppedinto the elevator of the tall glass building in Downtown Victoria and pressed the button for the forty-second floor, my thoughts spiralled with every second that passed and every floor that rose beneath me.Am I making a mistake?Should I interfere in Cole’s life again? Would he be angry with Jack and me if he found out?
The higher the elevator climbed, the more uncertain I became. I had acted on instinct, on emotion, on the conviction that I was doing the right thing, but standing in that enclosed space with my reflection staring back at me from the mirrored wall, doubt started creeping in. What if I made things worsebetween them? What if Liam refused to listen? What if Cole saw this as a betrayal instead of help? That was the last thing I wanted. Hurting him was never my intention.
When the elevator doors opened, I stepped out into a sleek, polished office floor that felt worlds away from the slower, warmer life of Cowichan Bay.
A young blonde receptionist in a grey suit looked up and greeted me with a professional smile.
“Hi! How can I help you?”
“Hi, I’m Jiya Flores. I’m here to meet Liam Harris.”
Too late now.
She smiled, confirmed my appointment, and led me to a conference room, asking me to wait there. As soon as she left, the silence around me seemed to grow louder. My breathing turned heavier, and I tapped my foot against the floor without even realizing I was doing it.
Then I heard footsteps approaching.
I looked up, and the moment he entered, I knew immediately that he could be none other than Cole’s brother.
“Hi, Ms. Flores,” he said in a deep voice, carrying the same Australian accent that instantly reminded me of Cole. “I’m Liam. Nice to meet you. How can I help you today?” He gestured for me to sit as he took a seat across from me.
The resemblance struck me at once. The same blue eyes. The same chiselled jawline. The same kind of commanding presence. The only real difference between the two men was their hair. Cole’s was a few shades lighter.
“It’s Jiya,” I said with a polite smile. “I’m Cole’s neighbour and friend, and I would like to talk to you about him.”
The change in Liam was immediate.
His smile vanished, and his body went stiff with caution.
“What about him?” he asked.
“Well, I’d like to tell you about what he has been through in the last two years.”
“I don’t think I want to know,” he said coldly, standing up and looking at me with guarded, distant eyes.
His reaction made my heart pound faster, but I pushed through it. I had not come all this way to retreat now.
“I’m not here to make you feel guilty,” I said, rising as well, my voice firmer than I intended. “I’m here to tell you that he needs family. His family. You.”
“Why?” he asked curtly. “He seems to have you, since you are pleading his case. I don’t think he needs anyone else. He certainly didn’t need me for the past two years, even though I had tried to keep in touch with?—”
“He does need you,” I cut in before I could lose my nerve. “He needs your support and your love.”
“What do you mean?” He scratched his temple.
I let out a breath, my chest tightening with everything I was about to say. “He never got over losing his wife and daughter. He was drinking himself to death.”
The effect of my words was immediate.
I watched Liam’s face go pale, and in that instant, I knew this could be the turning point. He had no idea what Cole had been going through.
“He checked himself into a rehabilitation centre in November last year and completed a sixty-day program.”
Liam took a step back.
His lips parted slightly, and all the coldness in his face cracked like ice under pressure.
“He has taken up photography and bought a small gallery featuring his work. He’s trying his best to change. He’s trying to become better.”
