It had been six months since the last storm, but the quiet at Romero didn't feel empty it felt alive. Jessy was walking now, full of babbles and curious hands that reached for everything. Arabella was thriving, her laughter filling every corridor, her shy nature slowly melting into comfort now that she knew she belonged.
Chris stood by the window of his private suite, watching Bella chase Jessy across the rug. Arabella was on the couch, drawing with crayons, her little tongue peeking out in concentration.
"Got you!" Bella laughed, scooping Jessy up as he squealed. She kissed his soft cheek before turning and catching Chris staring. "What?" she asked, breathless but smiling.
He didn't answer at first. He walked toward her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers. Jessy tugged at his shirt as Chris reached them, lifting his son effortlessly into his arms.
"You look like home," Chris said finally.
Bella blinked. "That's... a strange thing to say."
"It's the truth," Chris murmured. He glanced at Arabella, then at Jessy in his arms, then back to Bella. His voice dropped lower, more vulnerable. "I've spent years surrounded by power, control, money but none of it ever felt like this. Like family. Like belonging. Bella, you gave me that."
Her breath caught. He rarely spoke like this raw, unguarded.
He set Jessy down gently and stepped closer until Bella's back nearly brushed the wall. "I don't want to wait anymore," he said. "We've fought too much, lost too much. I want you with me. Officially. I want to marry you."
Her lips parted. "Chris..."
"I mean it," he pressed. "Not six months from now, not a year from now. I want you as my wife. I want our children to grow up knowing they belong to one family, one name, one home." His hand brushed her cheek, his eyes burning into hers. "Say yes, Bella."
Her heart pounded. The word hovered on her lips, but fear still lurked fear of the past, fear of losing this fragile happiness. "You can't just spring this on me. Marriage is..."
"Everything we've already been living," he interrupted gently. "You, me, Arabella, Jessy. We're already a family. Marriage is just the truth catching up."
Arabella looked up from her crayons then, tilting her head. "Daddy, are you asking Mummy to be your princess?"
Bella's cheeks flushed scarlet. Chris chuckled softly, ruffling his daughter's hair. "Something like that, sweetheart."
Arabella beamed, running over to grab Bella's hand. "Say yes! Please say yes! Then we can all be the same."
Bella's throat tightened. She glanced at Jessy, who was gnawing happily on a toy, and then at Arabella's wide violet eyes so much like her own. Then back at Chris, whose expression was steady, fierce, but also hopeful.
Tears blurred her vision. "Chris, I..."
Before she could finish, Elliot appeared at the door, clearing his throat awkwardly. "Sorry to interrupt, sir, but there's something you need to see. It's about the Fredericks' assets. Some movement we didn't expect."
Chris's jaw tightened, his warmth shifting into steel. "I'll be there in a moment."
Bella exhaled shakily, her heart still racing. Chris brushed his thumb across her hand once more before pulling away. "Think about it," he murmured. "I'm not asking for an answer tonight. But Bella..." His voice dropped low. "Don't keep me waiting too long."
And with that, he left for his office, leaving Bella standing with Arabella's small hand in hers, Jessy gurgling on the rug and a proposal hanging heavy in the air.
Bella barely slept that night. Chris's words repeated in her head like a song she couldn't escape: Say yes, Bella.
She lay awake with Jessy sleeping against her chest, Arabella curled close to her side. Two children, two pieces of her heart, both born of storms but now safe in her arms. Wasn't this what she had always wanted? Family, safety, love?
And yet the fear gnawed. Every time she closed her eyes, she remembered the cameras flashing, the hateful words screamed outside the Walter home, the betrayal of people she trusted. Could marriage really rewrite all of that?
By morning, she knew she couldn't hold it inside.
That afternoon, she met Bianca and Alexia at their usual café tucked in a quiet London street. The same one they had laughed in years ago, back when life was simple.
Bianca was the first to speak, of course. "You're glowing, babe. Spill it."
Bella rolled her eyes. "I am not glowing."
Alexia leaned forward, her wedding and engagement ring catching the light. "Oh, you are. So? Did Christian Hampson finally drop the question?"
Bella's jaw dropped. "How did you..."
"Please." Bianca smirked. "The man looks at you like you're oxygen. It was only a matter of time."
Bella buried her face in her hands, laughing nervously. "He asked me to marry him. Last night. With Arabella egging him on."
Both her friends squealed loud enough to earn a glare from the barista.
"Girl!" Bianca grabbed her arm. "Do you know how long we've been waiting for this moment?"
"And what did you say?" Alexia pressed, eyes sparkling.
Bella's smile faltered. "I didn't. Not yet."
Bianca blinked. "Wait. You didn't say yes?"
"I couldn't. Everything we've been through... the scandals, the kidnapping, Cassandra, Thelma. What if it all happens again? What if saying yes paints a bigger target on us?"
Alexia reached over, her voice softer now. "Bella, look at me. You've already survived everything that should have broken you. And you didn't just survive, you found love in the middle of it. That's not weakness. That's God telling you this was always meant to be."
Bianca nodded firmly. "And besides, if you don't marry him, I will."
They all laughed, tension breaking for a moment.
That evening, Bella returned to Romero to find Jayden, Kayden, and Raquel sprawled across the living room, arguing over dinner. When she mentioned Chris's proposal, the room exploded.
Raquel squealed and hugged her tight. "Unnie! Finally! He's crazy about you!"
Jayden crossed his arms. "He better not break you again. Or he answers to us."
Kayden grinned. "You're forgetting the obvious if he marries you, we get lifetime access to Romero's pool."
Bella shook her head, laughing through tears. Her family was chaotic, protective, relentless but they were hers.
Meanwhile, in Chris's home office, Elliot laid down a newspaper on the desk.
"Hampson heir to marry scandal girl? Insiders claim Christian Hampson plans wedding with Christabella Walter despite history."
Chris's jaw clenched as he read the headline. "They don't stop."
"It's starting again," Elliot said quietly. "The Fredericks may be down, but they're still leaking stories through their old allies. The media wants blood. And they'll come after Bella first."
Chris's hand tightened on the paper until it crumpled. His voice was low, lethal. "Then let them come. This time, I'll be ready."
He stood, looking out at the London skyline then down the hall, where he could faintly hear Bella laughing with her siblings.
"They don't understand," he whispered. "She's already mine. Marriage is just the beginning."