Epilogue - Belle
Five Years Later - Vienna
"Mama! Mama, look! Snow!"
I turn from the floor-to-ceiling windows of our hotel suite to find our three-year-old daughter, Grace, named after my mother, pressed against the glass, her small hands leaving prints on the pristine surface.
Outside, snowflakes drift down over Vienna's historic streets, coating everything in white.
"I see it, baby girl." I cross the room and scoop her up, settling her on my hip. She's wearing the little red velvet dress I bought for tonight's trip to the Christmas markets, her dark curls already escaping from the braid I attempted this morning.
Grace presses her nose to the window, her breath fogging the glass. "Can we go now? Papa promised hot chocolate!"
"Papa promised a lot of things," Richard's voice comes from the bedroom doorway, and I turn to see my husband leaning against the frame, watching us with that soft expression he reserves for his daughter and me. "But first, you need your coat, princess. It's cold out there."
He's dressed in one of his immaculate suits: charcoal gray today, tailored perfectly to his body.
At fifty, Richard Kane is somehow even more devastating than he was five years ago.
Silver streaks his temples now, and there are laugh lines around his eyes that weren't there before.
But he's still the most handsome man I've ever seen.
And he's mine. Has been for five years, legally for four. My husband, Grace's father, the man who saved me and then gave me a life I never dreamed possible.
"Don't want coat," Grace announces, her current favorite phrase.
She's hit the stubborn stage. Richard's determination combined with my newfound refusal to be pushed around makes for one incredibly strong-willed toddler.
"No coat, no Christmas markets," Richard says, crossing to us. "No hot chocolate, no gingerbread, no—"
"COAT!" Grace shrieks, wriggling in my arms. "Want coat, Papa!"
I laugh, setting her down, and she races to the couch where her little pink coat is laid out. Richard helps her into it, patient as always, doing up the buttons while she chatters about everything she wants to see tonight.
I watch them together, my heart so full it aches.
Richard is an incredible father. He’s attentive, patient, playful in a way I never would have expected from the serious billionaire I met five years ago.
He reads Grace bedtime stories every night we're home, takes her to the park on Saturdays, lets her paint his nails when she asks.
Nothing like Nathan would have been. Nothing like the cold, controlling monster I almost married.
I don't think about him much anymore. After that confrontation at Richard's house, we never saw him again.
My lawyer, the excellent one Richard hired, handled everything.
Restraining order, settlement of my belongings, legal protection.
Nathan tried to fight it initially, but Richard made good on his threat.
Within six months, Nathan's business opportunities dried up, his reputation damaged beyond repair.
Last I heard, he'd moved to Europe. Victoria went with him, of course. Still enabling, still making excuses.
I don't care where they are, as long as it's far from me and my family.
"Earth to Belle." Richard's hand on my shoulder brings me back to the present. "You okay?"
"Perfect." I smile up at him. "Just thinking about how lucky I am."
"We're the lucky ones." He leans down to kiss me, the kind of kiss that still makes my stomach flutter even after five years. "Ready to see Vienna?"
"So ready."
The hotel, one of Vienna's finest, because Richard still can't help himself when it comes to luxury, is beautifully decorated for Christmas. We walk through the lobby, Grace between us, each holding one of her hands. She swings between us, giggling, demanding we lift her up.
Outside, Vienna is transformed into a winter wonderland.
The Christmas markets are in full swing, wooden stalls selling everything from hand-carved ornaments to roasted chestnuts.
The smell of glühwein and gingerbread fills the air, and everywhere I look there are lights, decorations, people bundled up and smiling.
"Hot chocolate!" Grace announces, pointing at a vendor.
"As the lady commands." Richard scoops her up, settling her on his shoulders, and we make our way through the crowd.
We've been traveling for the past two weeks. Richard's Christmas gift to me. Started in Paris, then Munich, now Vienna. After this, we're heading to Prague for New Year's before returning home to Blackwater Falls.
Home. It's strange how quickly Richard's fortress became home. We've made changes over the years. We softened it, made it more family-friendly. There's a playroom now for Grace, filled with toys and books.
The guest room I first stayed in is now my art studio. Richard funded my return to school, and I finally finished my art history degree. I work remotely for a museum in the nearest city, curating virtual exhibitions.
Living the dream I thought Nathan had killed.
Richard orders hot chocolate for Grace and glühwein for us, and we wander through the market. Grace is enchanted by everything: the lights, the music, the wooden toys. Richard buys her a hand-carved nutcracker that's almost as big as she is, and she clutches it like treasure.
"You're spoiling her," I tell him, but I'm smiling.
"That's my job." He pulls me close with his free arm. "Spoiling my girls. Making sure they have everything they want."
"We want you," I say, stretching up to kiss his jaw. "That's all. Just you."
"You have me." His voice is rough with emotion. "Always. For as long as you'll have me."
"Forever, then."
We find a relatively quiet corner near a nativity scene, and I watch Grace examine every figure, asking Richard questions about the baby and the animals. He answers patiently, explaining the story, and I'm struck again by how different this is from what I thought my life would be.
Five years ago, I was running from a wedding in a destroyed dress, terrified and alone. I showed up at Richard's gate with nothing but hope and desperation, not knowing if he'd even help me.
Now I'm here, in Vienna, watching my husband teach our daughter about Christmas traditions. Warm and safe and loved beyond measure.
"Mama cold?" Grace notices me shivering and holds out her hot chocolate. "Share?"
"Thank you, sweet girl." I take a sip, the warmth spreading through me.
Richard wraps his coat around both of us, pulling us close, and we stand there as a family, surrounded by lights and music and the magic of Christmas in Vienna.
"Thank you," I whisper to Richard.
"For what?"
"For saving me. For loving me. For giving me all of this." I gesture vaguely at Grace, at the beautiful city around us, at the life we've built.
"Belle." He turns me to face him. "You saved yourself. You're the one who ran, who chose to fight, who built this life. I just gave you a safe place to do it."
"You gave me everything."
"No." He kisses my forehead. "You gave me everything. A second chance at being a father. A real family. Purpose beyond just making money." His hand comes up to cup my face. "You gave me love, Belle. Real love. The kind I didn't think I deserved."
Grace tugs on his coat. "Papa! Look! Angels!"
We turn to see a choir setting up, dressed in white robes. They begin to sing—"Silent Night" in German, their voices pure and clear in the cold air. Richard lifts Grace back onto his shoulders so she can see better, and I lean against his side, his arm around me.
This moment, right here, right now, is perfect. More perfect than I ever imagined my life could be.
I think about Belle from five years ago. Scared, broken, running in a wedding dress. I wish I could tell her that it gets better. That the man she's running to will become the love of her life. That she'll find not just safety, but joy, purpose, a family.
That choosing to run was the bravest thing she ever did, and it led to everything beautiful.
The choir finishes their song, and Grace claps enthusiastically, her nutcracker tucked under one arm. Richard kisses the top of her head, then looks down at me.
"Merry Christmas, Mrs. Kane," he murmurs.
"Merry Christmas, Mr. Kane."
We stay at the markets until Grace starts yawning, her head drooping on Richard's shoulder. Then we make our way back to the hotel, through snowy streets, past glowing windows and decorated trees.
When we get to our suite, Richard carries Grace to her room while I turn on the Christmas tree lights. We always bring a small tree when we travel during the holidays, one of Richard's indulgences, but I love it.
He emerges a few minutes later. "Out like a light. Didn't even make it through one story."
"All that excitement." I hold out my hand. "Come here."
He crosses to me, pulling me into his arms, and we sway gently to the classical music playing softly in the background.
"Happy?" he asks.
"Impossibly." I rest my head on his chest, listening to his heartbeat. "You?"
"More than I ever thought possible." His arms tighten around me. "Thank you for running to me, Belle. For trusting me. For building this life with me."
"Thank you for opening the gate."
We dance in the soft glow of the Christmas lights, in our beautiful hotel suite in Vienna, with our daughter sleeping peacefully in the next room.
Five years ago, I was a runaway bride with nothing.
Now I have everything.
And I couldn’t be happier.
Thank you for reading it!