13. Bella
— ? —
Bella
Eight Months Later
Beside me, Adrian stirs. “I’ll get her,” he murmurs, already getting out of bed.
“Are you sure?” I ask, though I’m already settling back into the pillows.
“I’m sure,” Adrian says, leaning down to kiss me. “You rest. You were up with her twice last night.”
I watch him go, admiring the view. Even after eight months of marriage and four months of sleepless nights with a newborn, I’m still as attracted to him as I was the first time we made love in his office.
A few minutes later, Adrian returns with our daughter, Sophia Grace Sterling, in his arms. She’s four months old, with Adrian’s dark hair and my blue eyes, and she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.
“Someone wanted to see Mommy,” Adrian says, handing her to me.
I take Sophia, cradling her against my chest, and she immediately starts rooting around, looking for breakfast.
“Hungry girl,” I say, adjusting my nightgown so she can nurse.
Adrian sits beside us on the bed, his arm around my shoulders, watching Sophia eat with a look of pure adoration on his face.
“I can’t believe she’s already four months old,” he says. “It feels like just yesterday we were bringing her home from the hospital.”
“I know,” I say, stroking Sophia’s soft hair. “Time is flying by.”
Sophia’s birth was the most incredible experience of my life. After twelve hours of labor, she came into the world screaming and perfect, and the moment they placed her in my arms, I fell completely in love.
Adrian cried when he held her for the first time, tears streaming down his face as he looked at our daughter with wonder and awe.
“She’s perfect,” he’d said. “She’s absolutely perfect.”
And she is. She’s healthy and happy and loved beyond measure.
After Sophia finishes eating, Adrian takes her to change her diaper while I get dressed. We have a busy day ahead - Sarah is coming over for brunch, and then we’re taking Sophia to the park for the first time.
As I’m getting ready, I catch sight of myself in the mirror. I look different from how I did a year ago - softer, rounder, more maternal. But I also look happier. More content. More at peace.
I think about the woman I was when I ran from that wedding, broken and humiliated and lost. I barely recognize her now. That woman was so focused on what she’d lost that she couldn’t see what was waiting for her just around the corner.
I couldn’t see that the worst day of my life would lead to the best thing that ever happened to me.
I couldn’t see that Adrian Sterling - the man I thought was just using me for revenge - would become the love of my life, my partner, my husband, the father of my child.
I couldn’t see that I would build a life more beautiful than anything I’d ever imagined with Marcus.
Because what I have with Adrian is real. It’s built on honesty and trust and genuine love. It’s built on respect and partnership and shared dreams. It’s built on a foundation that can’t be shaken.
And I’m grateful. So incredibly grateful.
“Penny for your thoughts?” Adrian says, appearing in the doorway with Sophia in his arms. She’s wearing a tiny pink dress with matching booties, and she looks absolutely adorable.
“Just thinking about how lucky I am,” I say, walking over to kiss him.
“I’m the lucky one,” Adrian says, his eyes soft. “I get to wake up every morning next to the most beautiful woman in the world, and I get to be a father to this perfect little girl. I’m the luckiest man alive.”
I smile, my heart full. “We’re both lucky.”
Adrian leans down to kiss me, careful not to squish Sophia between us. “Yes, we are.”
Sarah arrives at eleven, carrying a bag full of pastries from our favorite bakery and a gift bag for Sophia.
“I couldn’t resist,” Sarah says, pulling out a tiny stuffed elephant. “Look how cute this is!”
Sophia reaches for the elephant with chubby hands, and Sarah melts.
“Oh my God, she’s getting so big,” Sarah says, taking Sophia from Adrian’s arms. “Can I hold her? Please?”
“Of course,” I say, laughing. “You’re her godmother. You can hold her whenever you want.”
Sarah cuddles Sophia close, cooing at her. “Hi, sweet girl. Hi, Sophia. Auntie Sarah missed you so much.”
Adrian and I exchange a glance, both of us smiling. Sarah has been incredible throughout this entire journey - from the wedding disaster to the trial to Sophia’s birth. She’s been there for every moment, supporting me, encouraging me, celebrating with me.
I don’t know what I would have done without her.
We have brunch on the terrace of our penthouse, the city spread out below us like a glittering tapestry. The weather is perfect - warm but not too hot, with a gentle breeze that rustles the potted plants Adrian insisted on buying.
“So,” Sarah says, spreading jam on a croissant, “how’s motherhood treating you?”
“It’s amazing,” I say honestly. “Exhausting, but amazing. I’ve never been so tired in my life, but I’ve also never been so happy.”
“You look happy,” Sarah says, smiling. “You’re glowing.”
“That’s the sleep deprivation,” I joke, but Sarah shakes her head.
“No, it’s more than that. You look… complete. Like you’ve found exactly where you’re supposed to be.”
I glance at Adrian, who’s holding Sophia and making silly faces at her, and I feel my heart swell.
“I have,” I say softly. “I really have.”
After brunch, we take Sophia to the park. It’s her first time, and I’m ridiculously excited about it. Adrian pushes the stroller while I walk beside him, my hand in his.
The park is crowded with families - parents pushing swings, children running through the grass, couples walking hand in hand. It’s a beautiful scene, full of life and laughter and joy.
We find a shady spot under a large oak tree and spread out a blanket. Adrian lifts Sophia out of the stroller and lays her on the blanket, and she immediately starts kicking her legs and waving her arms.
“She loves it,” I say, lying down beside her. “Look at her.”
Adrian lies down on Sophia’s other side, and the three of us just lie there, looking up at the sky through the leaves of the tree.
“This is perfect,” Adrian says quietly. “This moment right here. This is everything I ever wanted.”
I reach across Sophia to take his hand. “Me too.”
That evening, after Sarah leaves and Sophia is asleep in her crib, Adrian and I finally have a moment alone.
We’re sitting on the couch, my feet in his lap, a glass of wine in my hand. Adrian is rubbing my feet absently, his eyes distant.
“What are you thinking about?” I ask.
Adrian looks at me, and there’s something vulnerable in his expression. “I’m thinking about how close I came to losing you.”
I sit up, setting down my wine glass. “What do you mean?”
“When Marcus tried to hurt you,” Adrian says, his voice tight. “When he had you cornered in that office. If I’d been even a minute later…”
“But you weren’t,” I say firmly, taking his face in my hands. “You were there. And Marcus is in prison where he belongs.”
“I know,” Adrian says. “But sometimes I think about what could have happened, and it terrifies me. The thought of losing you, of Sophia growing up without her mother… I can’t bear it.”
“You’re not going to lose me,” I say, kissing him softly. “I’m right here. I’m not going anywhere.”
Adrian pulls me into his arms, holding me tight. “I love you so much, Bella. More than I ever thought it was possible to love someone.”
“I love you too,” I whisper against his chest. “You’re my everything, Adrian. You and Sophia. You’re my whole world.”
The next few weeks pass in a blur of feedings and diaper changes and sleepless nights. But they also pass in a blur of laughter and joy and moments so beautiful they take my breath away.
Like the first time Sophia smiles at me - a real, genuine smile that lights up her whole face.
Like the way Adrian sings to her when she’s fussy, his deep voice soft and soothing.
Like the way she falls asleep on my chest, her tiny hand curled around my finger.
These are the moments that matter. These are the moments that make everything worth it.
One afternoon, I’m working from home while Sophia naps. I’ve been back at Sterling Industries part-time for the past month, working on a new acquisition that Adrian and I are spearheading together.
It’s a tech startup with incredible potential, and I’m leading the due diligence process. It feels good to be using my brain again, to be contributing to something beyond diapers and feeding schedules.
Not that I don’t love being a mother - I do, more than anything. But I also love my work. I love the challenge of it, the intellectual stimulation, the satisfaction of closing a deal.
And I love working with Adrian. We make a great team - we always have. He trusts my judgment, values my input, and treats me as an equal partner in every sense of the word.
It’s so different from how Marcus treated me. Marcus always made me feel like I was less than, like my opinions didn’t matter, like I was just there to look pretty and support his ambitions.
Adrian makes me feel powerful. Capable. Brilliant.
He makes me feel like I can do anything.
“How’s the Nexus deal coming?” Adrian asks that evening over dinner. We’re eating takeout from our favorite restaurant, Sophia asleep in her bassinet beside the table.
“Good,” I say, twirling noodles around my fork. “I finished reviewing the financials today. Everything looks solid. I think we should move forward with the offer.”
“What about the intellectual property concerns?” Adrian asks.
“I had our legal team review all the patents and trademarks. Everything is properly registered and protected. There’s no risk of infringement.”
Adrian nods, impressed. “You’ve thought of everything.”
“That’s my job,” I say, smiling. “You hired me to be thorough.”
“I hired you because you’re brilliant,” Adrian says, reaching across the table to take my hand. “And because I was already falling in love with you, even if I didn’t want to admit it yet.”
I feel my cheeks heat. “You were not.”