The Walter residence was louder than usual. The twins had returned from their hospital rotations, Raquel was home from class, and Vera was cooking as though the whole house needed healing through food.
But the air shifted when Bella stood up from the couch, Arabella's hand in hers. Jessy cooed in his highchair, oblivious to the tension.
"There's something I need to tell you," Bella began. Her voice shook, but her eyes didn't leave her siblings.
Jayden and Kayden glanced at each other, already sensing it wasn't small.
Bella drew a breath. "Arabella isn't just Chris's daughter. She's mine too. She's the baby I had at eighteen, the one I never knew I'd given birth to because of the accident. She was stolen from me... from us."
The silence was crushing. Raquel's hand flew to her mouth. Jayden sank back into the sofa as though someone had punched him. Kayden blinked rapidly, his jaw tightening.
"You mean..." Raquel whispered, her voice trembling. "She's our niece? You're saying... this whole time..."
Bella nodded, her eyes filling with tears. "Yes. And I'm not letting her go again."
Arabella, confused but watching, pressed closer to Bella's side.
Kayden stood suddenly, running a hand through his hair. "All those nights you cried yourself to sleep, all the pain we didn't understand... you carried this alone?"
Bella's throat tightened. "I didn't know, Kay. Not until now. But yes all this time, she was mine."
Raquel moved first, rushing forward to kneel beside Arabella. "Then she's ours too. You're part of this family, Arabella. Always." She hugged the little girl tightly, tears slipping down her cheeks.
Jayden finally leaned forward, voice low. "It feels like we lost years. But if we have her now... then we're not losing her again."
Vera wiped her eyes from across the room. For once, the Walter siblings and their mother stood united, pain giving way to something stronger love and determination.
Bella's chest loosened for the first time in months. She wasn't alone anymore.
That night at Romero, after tucking Jessy into his crib and Arabella into bed, Bella walked quietly down the hall. Chris's study door was ajar, light spilling onto the marble.
He was at his desk, sleeves rolled up, his tie discarded, the weight of the day in his posture. But his eyes lifted as soon as she entered.
"Long day?" he asked softly.
"Long life," Bella said, managing a small smile.
Chris leaned back in his chair, watching her. "You told them?"
She nodded, moving closer. "They took it well. Better than I expected. They love her already."
Something softened in his gaze. "Of course they do. She's you."
The words hit deeper than Bella expected. She swallowed, then stepped closer until she was at the edge of his desk. "You kept too much from me, Chris. But you also gave me back what I never knew I lost. And for that... I don't know how to feel."
Chris stood slowly, closing the space between them. His hand brushed her cheek, hesitant but warm. "Feel this," he whispered. "Feel us. We've been broken apart for too long, Bella. I don't want distance anymore."
Her heart thundered. She should have pulled away, but she didn't. Instead, she leaned in, their lips meeting tentative at first, then deeper, more urgent, the kind of kiss that stitched months of silence and aching back together.
When they finally broke apart, Chris's forehead rested against hers. "I love you, Bella Walter. I loved you when you were eighteen, I loved you when the world tore us apart, and I love you now with our children between us."
Tears slipped down her cheeks, but she smiled through them. "Then prove it. Not with words. With us. With this family."
Chris's arms wrapped around her, pulling her against his chest. "Every day, for the rest of my life."
The week after Bella told her siblings, the Walter residence was lighter. Arabella sat at the kitchen table with Raquel helping her with homework, while Jayden and Kayden fought over who made the better pancakes. Jessy babbled in his highchair, throwing oats on the floor, and Bella just sat back, watching, her heart full.
For the first time in years, she felt whole.
Chris arrived later that evening to pick her up. He stood at the door in his sharp suit, Arabella rushing to cling to his leg. Jessy stretched his arms out to him too, and Chris lifted the boy with surprising ease.
"Hey, little man," Chris said, bouncing him slightly, a genuine smile tugging at his lips. "Finally holding me, huh?"
Bella watched, her chest tightening at the sight of Chris with both children Arabella clutching his hand, Jessy giggling in his arms. Something about it looked so natural, like they had always been this way.
"You're good with them," Bella murmured when their eyes met.
Chris's expression softened. "They're mine. And so are you."
Her cheeks flushed, but before she could reply, Jayden called out, "If you hurt her again, Hampson, I swear...."
"Jay!" Bella cut him off, but Chris only smirked faintly. "Fair enough. I'll take it."
Back at Romero, Bella walked into Chris's home office later that evening. Papers covered his desk files, court transcripts, evidence against the Fredericks.
"They're crumbling faster than I expected," Chris said, glancing up at her. "Thelma's appeal for bail was denied. Cindy and Denise are under investigation for bribery. Neil and Lilian are both awaiting sentencing."
"And Cassandra?" Bella asked quietly.
His jaw tightened. "Tomorrow. She faces the court for kidnapping and attempted murder. Clinton already got a maximum sentence. She won't walk away from this."
Bella exhaled, her shoulders trembling. "So it's really ending."
Chris stood and moved closer, his hand brushing her arm. "No, Bella. It's beginning. Our life. Without them in the shadows."
Her heart raced. He was so close, his presence overwhelming. "We've wasted too much time, Chris," she whispered.
"Then let's stop wasting it," he said, his voice low. His lips found hers, not tentative this time but certain, deep, the kind of kiss that promised a future.
When they finally pulled apart, Bella's breath shook. "What if we can't fix everything?"
Chris cupped her face. "Then we'll fix what we can. Together."
The next day in court, the Hampson and Frederick names filled the headlines again. Cassandra was brought in, her once-commanding presence replaced with bitter defiance. Evidence was laid bare: her orders to Clinton, her threats, her part in Bella's, Jessy and Arabella's kidnapping.
Bella sat in the gallery, Jessy in her arms, Chris at her side, Arabella holding her hand. When the verdict was read guilty on all counts the courtroom buzzed with noise. Cassandra's sentence was heavy, years in prison with no possibility of parole.
Outside, reporters swarmed. But for once, the microphones weren't accusing Bella. They were praising her the survivor, the mother who fought back, the woman who had been vindicated.
Alexis called that night, her voice thick with emotion. "You did it, Bella. You're free."
Bianca sent a message too: Proud of you. You're stronger than all of them put together.
Even Bella's old co-workers from Hampson's sent small notes of congratulations. Liam, sweet as always, left a voicemail: You're the bravest person I know.
Bella sat on her balcony at Romero, reading each message with tears in her eyes. Behind her, Chris stepped out, wrapping an arm around her shoulders.
"You see?" he murmured. "The world finally sees you for who you are."
Bella leaned into him, her head resting on his chest. For the first time in what felt like forever, she wasn't carrying the weight of lies or fear.
She was carrying love.
And she had no intention of letting it go again.