That night, Romero was quiet. Too quiet.
Bella sat on the edge of her bed, her eyes still red, Jessy nestled against her chest while Arabella slept nearby. Her mind replayed the encounter on the street the face she never thought she'd see again. The man who had given her life, but had destroyed her mother's.
The door creaked open. Chris stepped in, his jacket gone, his shirt loose at the collar. He didn't speak at first he just knelt in front of her, his hands covering hers.
"Ella," he whispered.
The sound of her name broke her. Tears poured as Chris gathered her and Jessy into his arms, steady and strong.
"He looked at me like he had the right," she choked out. "Like he could just walk back into our lives after twenty years. After everything Mum suffered."
Chris pressed a kiss into her hair. His voice was low, certain. "He doesn't have the right. Not to you. Not to her. And I'll make sure he never gets near you again."
Jessy stirred, his small hand brushing Chris's jaw, as though sealing the vow. Chris kissed his palm gently, then laid him back in the crib. Returning, he pulled Bella into his lap, grounding her.
"Don't carry this weight alone," he murmured. "I'm here. Always."
Their eyes met, and for the first time that day, Bella let herself lean into him. His lips brushed hers — soft, steady, a reminder that she was no longer alone.
The Next Morning
In the Walter residence, Joe was in his study when Bella and Vera told him.
His pen slipped from his hand. "He came back?" His voice was sharp, controlled fury simmering beneath.
Vera's eyes brimmed. "At the door. Begging forgiveness. After everything..."
Joe stood, shoulders squared like stone. "Forgiveness? That man stripped you bare, Vera. Left you broken with three children. He doesn't deserve to speak your name."
He reached for the phone instantly. "Yes, this is Joseph Anderson. I need a restraining order filed. Effective immediately. My wife's ex-husband resurfaced yesterday. He's a danger to her and our children. I don't want him within a mile of my family."
He listened, nodded once, and said firmly, "Make it permanent."
When he hung up, his eyes softened slightly as they moved to Bella. "You have me. You've always had me. And I won't let that man poison this family again."
Bella hugged him tightly, her voice breaking. "Thank you, Dad."
"Always, my girl," Joe said, kissing the top of her head.
Later that evening, the twins arrived at the house. Bella's words were simple but heavy.
"I saw him. Our father."
The air froze. Jayden and Kayden's faces darkened, years of buried wounds surfacing in an instant.
"That bastard," Kayden spat. "He doesn't get to show his face after what he did to Mum."
Jayden's jaw was tight, fists clenched. "He's still blood. But... blood doesn't erase what he did."
"Don't you dare," Kayden snapped at his brother. "Don't you dare defend him. He abandoned us, Jay. Left Mum shattered. He doesn't get that title anymore."
Bella's voice cut in sharply. "He's dead to me. He'll never be welcome."
Raquel, who had been silent in the corner, finally spoke. "You're lucky mum stepped in. She raised you when that man ran. She's the only father figure worth respecting and of course dad."
The room grew heavy.
Chris, leaning in the doorway, finally spoke. His voice was cold steel. "He tries to come near this family again, I'll end it. He's already taken too much."
The siblings looked at each other, united despite the anger swirling between them. For the first time in decades, the ghost of their father had no power over them.
And Bella, with Arabella curled in her lap and Jessy asleep in his crib, finally understood the truth: they didn't need him. They never had.
That evening, Romero felt different. Lighter.
Bella curled up on the sofa, Jessy babbling in her lap while Arabella drew little flowers on a sketchpad beside her. Chris came in with two glasses of wine, setting one down for her before leaning against the armrest, his eyes soft as he took in the sight.
"How are you holding up?" he asked quietly.
Bella exhaled, brushing Jessy's hair back from his forehead. "Better. For the first time, I feel like Mum can breathe. Like she's free."
Chris nodded, his jaw tightening as though remembering his own parents. "Freedom is everything."
Jessy squealed then, reaching for his father. Chris laughed under his breath and lifted the boy into the air, spinning him gently until Jessy's laughter filled the room. Arabella giggled too, abandoning her sketchpad to climb onto Chris's other knee.
"Two against one," Bella teased, smiling softly at the sight.
Chris shot her a crooked grin, his arms full of children. "I can handle it. Barely."
Bella's chest warmed. She watched the man she once thought she'd lost forever holding both their children, laughing freely, his guard finally down. It struck her then how far they'd come, how much had nearly destroyed them, and how much still bound them together.
She reached for her wine, her hand brushing his as she whispered, "Thank you."
His gaze met hers, steady and full of something deeper. "For what?"
"For not letting me drown," she said softly. "Even when I thought I already had."
Chris's throat worked as he pulled the children closer, his eyes never leaving hers. "You saved me too, Bella. You don't even realize it."
The children's laughter filled the room, but underneath it, the air hummed with something unspoken, something waiting.
And for the first time in a long time, it felt like home.