12. Bella
— ? —
Bella
When this whole thing started, it was to take over Marcus’s company.
After he was put away, we decided the best way to do that was to merge his company with Adrian’s and acquire his employees. On the day that the two companies are set to merge, everyone is gathered waiting for us in the lobby of the building.
There are familiar faces and unfamiliar faces all crowded together, eyeing each other nervously, warily. I can see them all through the glass doors where I hesitate right outside the building, hand in hand with Adrian.
He squeezes my fingers reassuringly.
“Don’t be nervous. I think you should be the one to talk to them,” he says with an encouraging smile.
I start. “Me?” I frown, now glancing at that crowd with renewed nerves.
“Yes, you.” He takes my hands and leads me a bit away from the doors. “Remember when I told you your name was signed on everything? I did mean everything. Technically these are your employees joining our company.”
I grin. “Our?”
“Our.”
“I like the sound of that.”
My heart is pounding. This is it. This is the moment we’ve been waiting for.
I walk into the lobby and everyone heads to the conference room for a meeting. I sit down, my hands shaking. Adrian immediately takes my hand, squeezing it supportively.
“Ladies and gentlemen, please be seated, and we will hear from my wife and partner,” Adrian announces.
All eyes turn to me. Someone walks around handing out champagne glasses.
I wait until everyone has one and raise a glass of water.
Still nervous, I smile awkwardly at them all.
I look at all the hopeful faces of Marcus’s previous employees.
After we weeded out all the ones involved criminally, this was all that was left.
And for these people, we offer a fresh start, untainted by whatever Marcus did.
To start my speech out, I just get right to it. “Guys, we did it!”
Everyone cheers and raises their glasses. I continue on to tell them about our acquisition going over all the points of the merger that Adrian and I had already agreed upon.
And I have earned this moment. The months I spent buried in Webb’s books - tracing every shell company, every falsified contract, every dollar Marcus had hidden - mean I know this company better than anyone alive.
The valuation, the terms, which people are worth keeping and which are rotten to the core: that was my work.
The takeover isn’t just Adrian’s victory. It’s mine too.
“How are you feeling?” Adrian asks afterward once we’re safely in the car.
“Relieved,” I say honestly. “Exhausted. But mostly relieved. It’s really over, Adrian. We took over his company just like you said we would. He’s never getting out.”
“Never,” Adrian confirms, pulling me close. “You were so brave in there, Bella. I’m so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done any of this without you,” I say, looking up at him. “You gave me the strength to fight back, to stand up for myself. You saved me in every way a person can be saved.”
“We saved each other,” Adrian says, pressing a kiss to my forehead. “And now we get to focus on our future. On our family. On building the life we want.”
I place my hand on my stomach, feeling the baby kick. “Our family.”
“Our family,” Adrian repeats, his hand covering mine.
That evening, we have a quiet celebration at home with Sarah and James. We order takeout, open a bottle of champagne (sparkling cider for me), and toast to justice, to new beginnings, to the future.
“To Bella and Adrian,” Sarah says, raising her glass. “May your future be filled with love, happiness, and beautiful babies.”
“Hear, hear,” James adds.
We clink glasses, and I feel a sense of peace settle over me. This is my life now. This is my family. And it’s more than I ever dreamed possible.
Later, after Sarah and James have left, Adrian and I sit on the couch, my head resting on his shoulder.
“I’ve been thinking,” Adrian says. “About the baby.”
“What about the baby?” I ask.
“I want to find out the gender,” Adrian says. “I know we talked about waiting until the birth, but I can’t wait anymore. I want to know if we’re having a son or a daughter. I want to start planning, decorating the nursery, buying clothes.”
I smile. “I want to know too. Let’s call the doctor tomorrow and see if we can schedule an ultrasound.”
“Really?” Adrian asks, his eyes lighting up.
“Really,” I confirm. “I want to know who this little person is. I want to start calling them by name.”
Adrian kisses me, and I can feel his joy, his excitement. “I love you so much, Bella.”
“I love you too,” I reply. “More than I ever thought possible.”
We sit there for a long time, just holding each other, feeling the baby move between us, marveling at the miracle of the life we’ve created together.
And as I drift off to sleep that night, safe in Adrian’s arms, I think about how far I’ve come. From a broken woman running from a wedding to a wife, a mother-to-be, a woman who’s found her strength and her voice and her purpose.
Marcus tried to destroy me. But instead, he set me free. Free to find real love, real happiness, real purpose.
And for that, in a twisted way, I’m almost grateful.