At the Frederick residence, laughter and champagne filled the air. Thelma and Cindy were basking in their victory.
"We did it, Mum," Thelma whispered gleefully, clutching Arabella tighter.
"Yes, darling," Cindy replied, her eyes glinting. "But tell me how did you manage to twist the DNA report?"
Thelma smirked. "I paid off the lab staff. The hospital we used is the one Cassandra trusts the most. I knew she'd go there. It was too easy."
Cindy shook her head in disbelief. "You're playing with fire."
"Relax. As long as you keep the orphanage mouths shut, we're safe. Pay them well. Make sure no one talks."
Cindy gave a knowing smile. "Consider it done. Merry Christmas, sweetheart."
"Merry Christmas, Mum."
Thelma retreated to her room with Arabella in her arms. She immediately called the reporter she had bribed days earlier.
"Release it at six a.m. sharp," she ordered coldly. "Time to give that flight attendant her Christmas gift."
Her lips curved into a sinister grin.
At the Hampson residence.
Chris paced the living room like a lion trapped in a cage, fists clenching and unclenching. Fred sat calmly, Cassandra beside him, sipping tea as if nothing had happened.
"Sit," Fred commanded. Chris obeyed reluctantly, but his glare burned.
"You'll have to marry Thelma," Fred said flatly.
The words hit Chris like a blow. "What?"
"You heard me. The girl, Arabella she's your daughter. You must protect her. That means ending things with this... Bella, and marrying Thelma. It's the only way forward."
Chris's jaw tightened. "Dad, that's not happening. I love Bella."
Fred's gaze darkened. "You love her, but we love our grandchild more. I won't have her raised outside this family."
Chris shook his head furiously. "I'll take full responsibility for the child. But not Thelma. I will not marry her."
Fred leaned forward, voice icy. "Then you risk everything. You want your Bella alive, don't you?" His smirk was venomous. "Marry Thelma, and this ends peacefully."
Chris's blood boiled. For the first time, he looked at his father not with respect but pure rage. "I'm not sixteen anymore. You don't get to choose for me."
Before Fred could respond, Chris's phone buzzed. Elliot's name flashed on the screen.
"Sir," Elliot's urgent voice spilled through, "turn on the news. Disaster."
Chris grabbed the remote and switched on the TV. The headline blared in bold red letters:
"Bella the Gold Digger Cheats on Billionaire Boyfriend with Her Friend."
Chris froze. Cassandra snatched the remote and turned up the volume.
The anchor's voice filled the room:
"According to breaking news, Miss Christabella Walter has allegedly been in a romantic affair with the rising artist Neil Periwinkle. Neil confirmed through his manager that they were together before she left him for billionaire Christian Hampson. He provided evidence, including photographs of them on a private dinner date."
Images flashed across the screen: Bella and Neil at a restaurant, leaning too close, captured mid-laugh. They looked intimate.
Chris's stomach churned. He wanted to believe Bella... but the photos were damning.
Before he could react further, another alert cut in:
"Christian Hampson's Secret Exposed?"
The screen showed grainy photos of Chris storming through the hospital with Thelma. Cindy holding Arabella. The little girl's violet eyes captured in a close-up.
"Mr. Hampson was sighted at a London hospital with model Thelma Frederick and a child strikingly similar to him," the anchor read. "Speculation is rife that this six-year-old may be their daughter."
The internet exploded. #GoldDiggerBella and #HampsonSecret trended worldwide. It was Christmas morning, but the world was feasting on scandal.
Chris's chest tightened. His head spun. Bella, Neil, Thelma, Arabella. Everything was crashing down at once.
Cassandra's voice cut through like a knife. "Can you see how filthy that girl is? Cheating on you with her so called friend? Disgusting."
Chris shot her a glare, but Fred's voice came next, low and commanding:
"This is your chance to end it. Announce your engagement to Thelma. Acknowledge Arabella as your daughter. If you don't... I will."
Then Fred stood, leaving Chris rooted in place, the weight of the world pressing down on him.
The morning at the Walter residence was anything but peaceful. Shouts echoed from outside, rattling the windows. The family rushed to the balcony to see a furious crowd hurling stones, eggs, and insults.
"Where's that slut? Show your face!"
"Bitchy Bella, come out!"
"Your secret's out, you can't hide anymore!"
Bella's heart raced. Her phone buzzed in her hand, Alexia calling.
"Babe, have you seen the news? It's insane. Europe is on fire!"
Bella quickly opened the trending headlines. Her blood turned cold.
Her face stared back at her from a grainy, explicit video. A sex tape. Her name was stamped across every post.
"That's not me," she whispered, trembling. Her voice cracked into a scream. "That is not me!"
She dropped her phone, clutching her head, pulling at her hair as if she could rip the horror away.
Joanna and the twins burst into her room. "Ella, what's wrong?" Joanna demanded.
Bella just pointed at the phone. Joanna bent down, picked it up, and gasped so hard her knees almost gave way. Kayden snatched it, his eyes widening as the twins gathered around.
"Noona, who is this guy?" Jayden asked.
"I don't know," Bella sobbed. "I know Neil, but I never...never" Her chest heaved. "That's my face, but I don't remember that room. I never did this."
"Calm down," Joanna said quickly. "It could be edited. We'll look closely."
"Photoshop?" Kayden suggested, shrugging.
Bella shook her head. "Even if it is... how do I explain this to Chris? Everyone believes what they see!" Tears streamed down her face.
"Talk to him," Joanna urged. "He trusts you."
But Bella's silence said it all. Her faith was cracking.
Then Natalie stormed in, her face pale. "Chris is engaged. And... he has a child." She shoved her phone toward Bella.
Bella grabbed it, and her whole body went weak. Her legs collapsed, and she fell to the floor, shaking her head violently. "No... no, no, no. I don't believe this."
She dialed Chris immediately. Once. Twice. Five times. He didn't pick up.
"I need to see him," she cried, scrambling for her sweatshirt.
"Not on my watch," Joanna snapped, gripping her niece's arm. "The paparazzi will tear you apart out there."
"Unnie, Aunt Joe is right," Raquel added softly. "It's too dangerous."
Jayden crossed his arms. "If Chris wants to explain, he'll call. He must be under fire too."
Bella slumped back onto the bed, her face red and swollen, her heart breaking into pieces.
Meanwhile, Raquel whispered the thought on everyone's mind. "Don't you think it's too convenient? Her tape drops the same day Thelma announces a daughter?"
"It's a setup," Natalie said flatly.
Kayden nodded. "Definitely."
Joanna's face hardened. "Then we wait for Chris. His truth will decide what happens next."