"Am I a bad mum?" Vera whispered into Joe's chest, her sobs muffled by his shirt.
Joe held her tighter. "No, Vera. You are not a bad mum. In fact, you're one of the best mothers I've ever seen. We're all blessed to have you in our lives."
"Then where did I go wrong?" she cried, her shoulders trembling.
Kayden stepped forward hesitantly, his face soft with concern. "Mum"
Her head snapped up, eyes blazing. "If you take one more step, I'll break your head."
Kayden froze, stunned. "Mum, what's wrong with you?" His voice cracked into a shout, frustration spilling over.
Vera jerked out of Joe's arms, ready to launch at him, but Joe caught her wrists firmly. "Babe, please. Not like this." His voice was calm, but his eyes begged her to stop.
"You children have no respect for me anymore," Vera spat, glaring at Kayden. "Not even a drop."
"Mum, you keep twisting everything! I don't even understand you anymore," Kayden shot back, his voice shaking with anger and hurt. Without waiting for a reply, he turned and stormed upstairs, Raquel trailing behind him.
In Jayden's room, he sat on the bed, face red and wet with tears. Chris sat on one side, Bella on the other, trying to console him.
"Why did Mum get so mad at me?" Jayden choked out. "What did I do so wrong to deserve that? I've never seen her that angry." His chest heaved as the tears kept falling.
Bella frowned. "What exactly did you say to her?"
"I only joked when I told Catty to call social workers. I didn't mean it!"
Bella's eyes widened. "You said you'd call social workers on Mum?"
"Yes but I was joking!" Jayden wiped his face with the back of his hand.
Bella scoffed. "Jay, you're insane. Of course she got furious! You definitely deserved that mop beating. She must feel horrible right now."
"Sorry," Jayden muttered, sinking deeper into his pillow.
The room grew heavy with silence until Jayden whispered, "Can I just be left alone?"
Bella stood, shaking her head. "It's not your fault we came to comfort you, right?" Her sarcasm carried a sting, but her eyes betrayed worry. She tugged Chris's arm. "Let's go."
Chris lingered at the door. "Will he be okay?"
"He should be," Bella replied softly before leading him to her room.
Chris looked around, taking in her space for the first time. The white-painted walls gleamed under the soft light. Her bed, perfectly centered, carried six neatly arranged pillows. Side tables flanked the headboard. A simple white chair sat in one corner, and a vanity table stood across from it. It was simple, elegant like her.
"Why are you smiling like that?" Bella asked, narrowing her eyes.
Chris turned with a grin. "Am I not allowed to smile?" His dimples deepened.
Before she could protest, he wrapped an arm lightly around her waist, pulling her close. Their eyes locked, and for a moment, time seemed to slow.
"Have you gotten the invite for the end-of-year party?" he asked.
"Yeah. It came by email a few days ago. Why?"
"Because I want you to come with me. I've got a surprise planned for you that night."
Bella raised a brow. "As much as I'd love to, I don't want to end up in another scandal."
"What if the scandal is a good one?" Chris teased.
"I don't care. I don't want to be involved in any."
Her legs began to ache, so she lay down on the bed. Chris followed, lying beside her. They stared at the ceiling until his voice broke the silence.
"When did you start liking me?" he asked softly.
Bella smiled faintly. "I don't know exactly. But I realized it the day that scandal broke out."
His hand found hers, and she slid closer, letting him hold her.
"Do people still bully you?" Chris asked suddenly.
"Not exactly. It's more like a glaring competition these days," Bella chuckled. "But speaking of that... what will happen to Tracy? She didn't kill anyone. She just bullied me."
Chris's jaw tightened. "Whether she bullied or killed, I don't care. What matters is you. My girlfriend. My employees. Their safety comes first."
Bella frowned. "But I told you not to get involved."
"The FAA invited me. I didn't have a choice."
"You dropped me off at the airport that morning and didn't say a word about it."
"I didn't think it was necessary to burden you with work details." He shrugged.
Bella sighed but let it go.
"It's late. I should head back now," Chris said, standing.
"Yeah, you should." She got up as well.
"I'm really going to miss you," he murmured, hugging her tightly.
"It's not like we won't talk or see each other again."
Chris smirked, pulling back just enough to look her in the eye. "Actually, you won't. Not for a week."
Her brows shot up. "And why is that?"
"I leave for Paris tomorrow morning. Business emergency." He paused, his grin widening. "Pack your bags too. You're coming with me."
Bella's mouth fell open. "What?!"
"You'll get the notification tonight about your changed flight schedule." His smirk deepened.