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“Who?” I pulled her to me and inhaled her comforting floral scent. It immediately soothed my tension.

She wrapped her arms around my waist and peered up at me. “Your mom and sister.”

Vanessa had spent a lot of time creating the perfect gift for Mom Gigi and Ellen. One gift—which symbolized us as a couple—was enough. My mom and sister didn’t need another plant from me to earn their forgiveness.

Even though Vanessa had been screwed over by many people, she still held onto hope and kindness. I wasn’t like her, but she proved that the world still had good people.

“Oh, yeah? Did they like the terrariums?” I held a strand of her soft hair in my hand. “Also, where’s my terrarium?”

“They loved them. Yours is in your office. I wanna start selling them at the gallery.” Her eyes beamed with excitement. “These would be terrariums inside unique containers.”

“I think that’s a fantastic idea. I haven’t seen any galleries that sell terrariums. You’ll start a new trend.”

“Thanks! This gives me a reason to work with plants again. Also, you should check out the greenhouse. We can start eating the vegetables in a few months!”

I’d received an alert on my phone that my greenhouse had been activated, but I hadn’t gone out there to see what she’d done.

“Thanks for starting it.”

“You’re welcome. I figured you were busy. It was fun.”

“I want to see my terrarium.” We walked into the office, and I saw a uniqueglass jar with a cover on top. A set of steps made of tiny twigs led up to a small gazebo. Small sticks and moss lined the path. Adorable trees and flowers were perfectly placed around the jar to create a peaceful scenery—a safe and magical world inside a jar. That was how she made me feel. When I was here with Vanessa, I felt like I was entering a safe space where nothing could bother me.

“It’s beautiful. I love it.” I gripped her face and kissed her. “These would sellwonderfully at the gallery. Youshould price them high. They’re unique art.”

“That’s what your mom said.”

Needing the comfort, I pulled her in for another hug.

“Are you okay?”

I didn’t want to talk about finding Joseph’s watch and worry her. My job was to protecther.

“Yeah. I want to work on my video game today. Wanna see what I have so far?”

“Yes, please.” She reached for a chair, dragging it over next to my desk.

But I said, “Sit on my lap.”

“How are you going to work like that?”

“It’s perfectly fine.” I patted my thigh.“I want your ass to kiss my thighs.

Shaking her head, she slid onto my thighs, and all was well with the world again.

I clicked on my computer and opened the folder with all the video games from my friends.

“I like how you named it level one, two, three, and so on.”

“Yes, that signifies the elevation of power.”

“What power? Is there an element that links all the games?”

“It’s WaterFyre—a powerful energy that builds over time. The players gather this potent energy every time they move on to the next level.”

“That’s an interesting way to link them all together.”

“Remington started this with Grayson, Royce, Forrest, and Arrow when they were teens. Orion and I joined later.”