Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Mikhail was taken aback by her response but quickly masked his surprise with a warm smile. “Great. Let’s make it a day to remember,” he said, though beneath his smile, a plan brewed. He hoped the change of scenery might give Calliope the chance to pull herself together before he confessed the truth and ended things with her.

Their little boy catching the positive shift in the conversation, clapped his hands excitedly. “I want to go to the beach too!” he said, his face lighting up with enthusiasm.

Mikhail ruffled the boy’s hair and gave a soft chuckle. “Of course, Hunter. We’ll all go together.”

But as he stood there watching them, the pit of guilt inside him deepened. He wondered if this outing, this brief moment of happiness, would make his eventual confession even harder to bear. How would Calliope react? Would Hunter understand? And more importantly, could he really go through with it?

For now, he shelved those thoughts, telling himself that a day away from this place m