The night after Arabella's birthday, Romero was quiet. Arabella and Jessy were both asleep, the house finally still. Bella padded softly into Chris's study, the glow of his desk lamp spilling into the hallway.
"You're still working?" she asked gently.
Chris looked up, loosening his tie. "Trying to. But I keep getting distracted."
"By what?" Bella tilted her head.
He didn't answer with words. Instead, he leaned back, his eyes drinking her in. She wasn't dressed in silk or lace, just one of his shirts thrown over shorts, her hair loose around her shoulders. But to him, she had never looked more beautiful.
"By you," he said finally.
Her cheeks warmed, but she didn't look away. She crossed the room slowly, resting her hands on his desk. "Then maybe you should stop working."
Chris stood, his hand reaching to tuck her hair behind her ear. "You've kept me alive these past months, Bella. You and the kids. I don't think you realise how much I need you."
Her throat tightened. "You broke me once, Chris. But you also pieced me back together. And I don't want to keep fighting it anymore."
His lips found hers before she could say more. The kiss was deep, hungry, but soft in the way he held her face, as if she might vanish if he let go. Bella melted against him, her hands sliding into his hair, their breaths quickening as the months of distance burned away.
Later, tangled in each other on the sofa, Chris traced the curve of her shoulder with his fingertips.
Three months later, Romero was alive with colour and sound. Balloons lined the garden, long tables were draped with blue and white, and a giant "1" balloon bobbed in the breeze. Children raced across the grass while adults chatted under the canopy.
Jessy sat in his high chair wearing a tiny crown, banging his hands on the tray as Arabella fed him bits of cake with a proud big-sister grin.
"Slow down," Bella laughed, wiping frosting from Jessy's cheeks. "He's already wired."
Hailey arrived with her two children, who immediately joined the cousins in chasing bubbles across the lawn. Andrew's wife followed with their three kids, Vera bending down to hug each of them tightly. Joe watched from the porch, his eyes warm as he took it all in.
Bianca pulled Bella aside, handing her a small wrapped box. "This is for Jessy, but also for you. For surviving your first year as a mum of two."
Bella hugged her best friend tightly. "You've been there through everything. I don't know how I'd have managed without you."
Alexis joined them, her husband's arm around her shoulders. "This is what family is meant to be," she said softly, looking around at the laughter and joy. "We've all been through hell, but... look at us now."
Chris came over just then, scooping Jessy into his arms. The little boy squealed, tugging at his father's hair. Arabella wrapped her arms around Chris's waist, laughing as he spun both children gently. Bella watched, her heart swelling at the sight her children safe, her partner strong, her family whole.
But even in the joy, there was a whisper of unease. A camera flashed from beyond the gates, a journalist trying to sneak a photo. Elliot quickly moved the man off, but Chris's jaw tightened.
The world hadn't forgotten them. Cassandra's allies might still linger in shadows.
Yet as Bella slipped her hand into Chris's, their children clinging to them, she knew this much: whatever storms came next, they would face them together.
And for now, in the glow of Jessy's first birthday, that was enough.
The party wound down as the sun dipped low over Romero's gardens. Half-empty plates of cake lay scattered across the tables, balloons bobbed lazily, and the sound of children's laughter gave way to yawns and sleepy whimpers.
Jessy had fallen asleep against Bella's chest, one fist clutching a blue ribbon. Arabella sat curled up beside Hailey's little girl, her head resting on her cousin's shoulder, both of them drifting.
Inside, the adults lingered around the dining table, glasses in hand.
Andrew leaned back in his chair, watching Chris with a faint smirk. "Hard to believe. You the untouchable tycoon now chasing after a one-year-old with cake in his hair."
Chris shot him a look, but Hailey laughed, ruffling her brother's hair. "Don't pretend you're not secretly loving every minute of it, Chris."
Vera smiled softly from across the table, her eyes on her grandchildren. "It's what we prayed for. That our children would grow, forgive, and come home whole."
Joe set a hand on her shoulder. "They're stronger than we ever dreamed."
Bianca rolled her eyes dramatically, leaning toward Bella. "You hear that? 'Stronger.' Which means no excuses when you and I go out next week. You owe me cocktails and gossip, best friend."
Bella grinned. "Deal. But only if Liam behaves himself."
"I always behave," Liam said, grinning, earning a chorus of scoffs from around the table.
Alexis, glowing beside her husband, squeezed Bella's hand. "Before I forget we've set a date for the actual wedding. Next summer in Greece And I want you there. All of you."
The table filled with cheers and congratulations, but Bella felt her chest tighten with warmth. For the first time in years, the world around her felt steady. Family. Laughter. Love.
Later that night, after the guests had left and the children were tucked safely in bed, Bella slipped out into the dimly lit hall. The air still carried the faint scent of frosting and flowers.
Chris was in their room, loosening his shirt as he poured himself a glass of wine. He looked up when she entered, his eyes softening instantly.
"You looked beautiful today," he said quietly.
Bella tilted her head, smiling as she closed the distance. "Covered in baby spit-up?"
He caught her waist and pulled her flush against him. "Still beautiful." His lips brushed her neck, his voice husky. "Always."
Her breath hitched, her fingers curling into his shirt. The weeks of exhaustion, of distance, of carrying so much it all melted under the heat of his touch.
"Chris..." she whispered, but the rest of her words dissolved into a sigh as his mouth claimed hers, slow and deep.
He lifted her effortlessly, setting her on the edge of the bed, his hands sliding over her thighs. She tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer, her heart pounding.
The kiss grew hotter, hungrier, as though they were making up for every stolen moment of the past year. His hands mapped her body, hers clung to him as though she couldn't get enough.
When they finally broke apart, breathless, Bella pressed her forehead to his. "We've been through hell, Chris."
"And we came out stronger," he murmured, kissing her again, softer this time. "I'm not letting go, Bella. Not ever again."
Their laughter mingled with their sighs, the quiet room holding their whispers and the promise of a love reborn.
Outside, the night settled over Romero, peaceful at last. Inside, for Bella and Chris, it was not just the end of a day it was the beginning of the life they had fought so hard to claim.