Mira was organizing her notes when the knock came.
Soft.
Careful.
She looked up, surprised.
The door opened slowly, and Dominic stood there.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
"Can I come in?" he asked.
She nodded and stepped aside.
Dominic entered and closed the door behind him. His presence filled the room—not with authority, but with something heavier.
"I have something for you," he said.
He reached into his jacket and brought out a small, neatly wrapped box.
Mira froze.
"What is it?" she asked softly.
Dominic placed it on the desk between them.
"It belonged to your father."
Her breath caught.
"He carried it with him," Dominic continued, his voice controlled but low. "The night he died."
Mira's hands trembled as she reached for the box.
She didn't open it immediately.
Her fingers brushed the ribbon, lingering.
"He was on his way home," Dominic said quietly. "With a birthday cake."
Silence crashed into the room.
Mira looked up at him slowly.
"My… birthday?" she whispered.
Dominic nodded.
"He never made it."
Her grip tightened around the box.
For a second, she stayed very still.
Then her shoulders shook.
A sound escaped her—small, broken, nothing like the composed girl everyone knew.
She sank onto the edge of the bed, clutching the gift to her chest.
"I waited for him," she whispered. "That night… I waited."
Dominic looked away.
"I thought he forgot," she continued, tears falling freely now. "I told myself it didn't matter."
Her voice broke completely.
"But he didn't forget," she sobbed. "He never forgot."
Dominic took a step closer.
"I'm sorry," he said quietly. "I was wrong about you."
She looked up at him through tears.
"I don't need your apology," Mira said softly. "I just wanted my father."
She untied the ribbon with shaking hands and opened the box.
Inside was a delicate silver bracelet.
Simple.
Elegant.
On the inside, four words were engraved:
To my brave Mira.
She covered her mouth.
"I'll wear it," she whispered. "Every birthday."
Dominic stood there, helpless in a way he had never been before.
For the first time, he understood something clearly—
Mira didn't climb into this family.
She survived into it.
---
Outside the door, Ariana stood frozen.
She had heard everything.
And suddenly, jealousy felt small.