Chapter 113

Christiana’s POV.

I couldn’t stop smiling. A part of me felt like I was floating, the other part so full I was sure it would burst. After finally telling Alex I loved him, that I had always loved him…I felt light, like some heavy burden had finally slipped from my shoulders. There was no more hiding, no more holding back. It was just us, bare and real. And Alex…he looked at me like he’d won the world.

He hadn’t stopped smiling since, either. Even now, as we stood side–by–side in the kitchen, preparing breakfast, he had that lovestruck grin plastered on his face, making him look almost boyish. “I can’t believe this,” he murmured, almost to himself, watching as I poured the batter into the pan. “Feels like a dream.”

I glanced at him, raising an eyebrow playfully. “If this were a dream, you wouldn’t be cooking breakfast. You’d probably be waiting at the table with a newspaper.”

He laughed, a deep, soft sound that sent warmth flooding through me. “Maybe. But I wouldn’t mind it at all. Being here with you like this? It’s everything.” He reached over, brushing a stray hair from my face, and let his hand linger, his thumb tracing gentle circles on my cheek.

I leaned into his touch, savoring the warmth, and whispered, “You’re acting like a lovesick teenager, you know.”

He just laughed, unabashed. “That’s exactly how I feel. I’m not afraid to admit it.”

The smell of sizzling pancakes filled the kitchen, but it was the laughter…ours and the kids…that made the moment feel alive. Ethan and Emma came tumbling into the kitchen, their eyes lighting up when they saw us together. Ethan let out a small gasp, his eyes wide. “Are we having breakfast…all together?”

I nodded, unable to keep the smile off my face. “Yes, we are. Your dad’s actually cooking for once.”

Alex ruffled Ethan’s hair, laughing as he did so. “Hey, give me some credit. I’m a master at breakfast.”

Emma giggled, climbing onto one of the chairs. “Does this mean Daddy’s staying with us forever?”

The question hung in the air, and Alex and I exchanged a look, one so full of unspoken promises that it felt like everything in the world was right. Alex knelt down beside her, looking her straight in the eye. “If your mom lets me,” he said softly, casting me a meaningful glance, “I’ll stay as long as she’ll have me.”

I felt my throat tighten, emotions bubbling up, but I managed a playful smile. “Well, I’ll consider it. But only if you make the pancakes next time, too.”

Ethan and Emma erupted into laughter, and Alex joined in, wrapping an arm around my waist and pulling me close. For the first time in what felt like forever, we felt like a family…a real, whole, and complete family. The kids couldn’t stop smiling, and their happiness was infectious.

As we sat around the table, I watched Alex with the kids, how he listened to their stories, his gaze warm and patient. He asked Ethan about school, nodded seriously when Emma rambled on about her favorite toy, and every so often, he’d look up at me, catching my eye with a look that left me breathless.

He reached over, squeezing my hand under the table. “Christiana,” he murmured, his voice low and thick with emotion, “this… right here. It feels like a dream come true.”

My heart clenched, with joy and disbelief coursing through me. “For me too, Alex.”

a gentle kiss to my fingers. “Then I’ll spend every day making sure

at our family…the family we’d fought so hard to be… I felt like, for

Few hours later.

halls of Alex’s home. I stood there, feeling the weight of everything that

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Chapter 113

my shoulder, grounding

eyes were intense, filled with

me wanted to find comfort in his words, to believe that he could somehow shield us from the darkness that Bianca had brought into our lives.

I whispered, my voice trembling with frustration. “Bianca is still out there, and she’s dangerous. She needs to be

a moment, a shadow of guilt crossing his features. “I know,” he said, nodding slowly. “And

you should have.” My words were sharp, but I didn’t pull away from him. I needed to be close,

mine. “I’ll make it right, Christiana,” he promised, his voice filled with a quiet, determined intensity. “I’ll do whatever it takes to protect you. I’ll fight anyone… Bianca, even my mother. I’ll

my heart, but I couldn’t let myself believe them so easily. I couldn’t afford to. “Alex… promises aren’t enough this time.” My voice broke, and I felt a tear slip down my

hand lingering on my cheek. “I know,” he murmured, voice soft. His gaze held mine, steady

hard to trust, after everything. But the way he was looking at me, like I was the only person in the world, it broke down a part of my defenses. “I just… I need her to face

clenched, and a flicker of something dark crossed his eyes. “She will,” he said with chilling certainty. “I’ll

was serious, there was a fierceness in him, a determination that left no room for doubt. Despite everything, I felt a strange comfort

my forehead, his lips warm against my skin. “You and the kids are my life,

in so long. I could see how deeply he meant every word, how ready he

my chin, tilting my face up to meet his eyes. His gaze was tender, filled

softly, his voice thick with emotion.

here I was, my heart racing in his presence. “You’re a fool, you know that?”

you.” He took my hand

his lips brushed against my knuckles once more, the world around

touching me burnt him, and he let go of my hand before saying. “Daniel Brooks,” as if the name was just drawn to him and

Alex, his face tight, guarded, the hurt still raw in his eyes. The mention of Daniel had made him tense, his jaw set, the softness

to keep my voice steady, hoping to bring some calm to this storm. “There’s nothing between us. He’s…

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