The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 269

Chapter 238: Six

Bella POV

Tom turned six on a Saturday, and by ten in the morning, the house was already incredibly loud.

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The sharp ring of the doorbell cut through the noise, and Tom practically flew across the rug. I walked out of the kitchen right behind him and watched him pull the heavy front door open.

Maya stood, holding a massive, brightly colored cake box very carefully with both hands. She didn’t even step inside before issuing a warning.

“Do not touch this box, birthday boy,” Maya said, balancing it as she walked past him into the hallway. “It is completely unstable until it commits to the kitchen table.”

“Is it chocolate?” Tom asked, bouncing on his heels as he followed her straight to the counter.

“Of course it is chocolate,” Maya laughed, setting it down with absolute care.

My laptop on the counter let out a loud chime. A video call request popped up on the screen. I tapped the answer button, and Diana’s face instantly filled the monitor.

She was sitting in the front seat of her car, the blurred background of the airport moving past her window.

“Where is the birthday boy?” Diana demanded loudly through the laptop speakers. “Why have I not been greeted yet?”

Tom ran over to the counter and waved his arms at the screen. “I am here, Auntie Diana! I am six today! Look at my green shirt!”

“Happy birthday, my favorite nephew, Diana smiled, leaning closer to her camera. “You look so big already.”

“I miss you, Aunt Diana!” Tom shouted, leaning his hands right on the edge of the kitchen counter. “Are you coming to my house soon? You have to see my green decorations. Nadia put them up high so I could not rip them.”

“I miss you too, sweetie,” Diana said from the screen, her eyes looking very warm. “I am driving home from the airport right now. I will be at your house before you even finish your lunch, I promise.”

Diana shifted her gaze on the screen, her smile widening as she spotted me standing right beside him. “And hello to the beautiful mother! Bella, you look wonderful. How are you holding up with all this birthday madness?”

“I am doing great,” I laughed, leaning closer to the camera. “We are just trying to keep Tom from destroying the kitchen before the guests get here.”

Caleb walked into the kitchen, holding a fresh stack of small paper plates. He stopped right behind Tom and looked down at the laptop screen. A genuine smile broke across his face when he saw his sister.

“Don’t speed, Diana,” Caleb said, his deep voice carrying clearly into the microphone. “The cake isn’t going anywhere. Tom already tried to negotiate eating it before lunch, but I shut the deal down.”

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< Chapter 238 Str

“Dad!” Tom complained, looking up at Caleb. “I said it was science!”

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Diana laughed loudly through the speakers, the sound echoing off our kitchen tiles. “Don’t listen to your father, Tom. He never understood the importance of dessert. Caleb, you look good. The house looks wonderful.”

“We are doing well,” Caleb replied, stepping closer so his shoulder brushed against mine. He looked down at me for a split second, his grey eyes soft. “We are just waiting on Bella’s family now.”

“No problem,” Diana said, nodding. Her face turned a bit more serious on the screen as she looked at her brother. “Caleb, make sure you take good care of Bella today. Don’t let her do all the work.”

“I always do,” Caleb promised, his hand resting gently against my lower back.

“Good,” Diana smiled. “Give Bella a huge hug for me right now. I will see you all soon.”

“Bye, Auntie!” Tom yelled, waving both of his hands until the screen went dark.

The morning kept moving fast, and by ten o’clock, the house had reached a level of noise that was completely chaotic. Nadia was in the dining room, adjusting the green streamers to make sure they were perfect.

I was standing by the stove when Tom suddenly let out a huge gasp. He dragged Caleb toward the living room by his hand, pointing at a large box sitting near the armchair.

“Is it time?” Tom asked, his voice shaking with excitement. “Can I open it now, Daddy? Please?”

Caleb looked over at me, asking for permission with his eyes. I gave him a small nod.

“Go ahead, buddy,” Caleb said.

Tom did not wait. He dropped to his knees and tore into the bright wrapping paper with both hands, throwing the pieces behind him. When the paper cleared, his entire body went totally still. He stared at the box, his mouth wide open.

It was a remote-control car. It was a large, scaled model with working headlights and a dark, glossy paint job. It looked exactly like a real car, just smaller.

“Caleb,” I whispered, walking over to stand right next to him. “This is a lot. It looks beautiful, but he is only six today.”

Caleb watched Tom lift the heavy toy out of the box. His face looked incredibly gentle, completely different from the cold man I used to know. “After everything he went through, Bella-the kidnapping, the fear, all of that horror-he deserves to be spoiled today. Let me do this for him.”

The honesty in his voice hit me hard. I could not argue with that, so I just reached out and squeezed his

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