The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 303

Chapter 265: Press conference-2

Caleb turned his head slightly, looking down at me for a brief second before turning back to the microphone.

“My wife, Bella, is completely innocent in all of this,” Caleb said, his voice softening just a fraction, though the strength behind it remained. “She has done nothing but protect our home. I would deeply appreciate it if you left her name entirely out of this issue. She does not deserve to be targeted for my professional surroundings.”

He stepped back from the microphone, his hands clasping together once more as he signaled to the security team at the side of the stage.

I stood there beside him, and for the first time in days, I felt tears prickling at the very brink of my eyes. I blinked them back quickly, refusing to let a single one fall in front of the flashing cameras.

But inside, a heavy, warm wave of relief washed over me. Every single day lately, through all the mess and the rebuilding, I felt incredibly lucky to have Caleb in my life. He was not the same man who had walked away years ago. He was here, standing in the storm, shielding me.

Caleb placed a solid, steady hand on the small of my back, guiding me away from the podium. This time, we didn’t stop. We walked together off the stage and into the quiet safety of the private corridor, the shouting of the press room finally fading behind the heavy double doors.

Once we got into the back of the car, the silence between us was thick. The city moved past the tinted windows in a blur of gray and rain.

“You defended me out there,” Caleb said finally, turning his head to look at me.

“I defended us,” I replied, keeping my eyes fixed on the passing buildings outside. “There is a massive difference, Caleb. Do not make me regret it.”

“I won’t,” he said, nodding seriously. “I promise you, Bella, I won’t.”

I turned away from the window, looking at his sharp profile, the tension finally leaving his shoulders. A soft smile touched my lips, warm and genuine. I reached over, sliding my hand into his, feeling the familiar heat of his palm.

“Having you as a husband is a blessing, Caleb,” I said softly, my voice barely above a whisper. “And having you as a father to our kids is an even bigger blessing. The way you stood up there today, the way you spoke about Tom and Grace and Victor-it showed me exactly who you are now. You are the man I want them to look up to.”

Caleb’s eyes softened completely, a beautiful, genuine smile breaking across his face. He didn’t say a word. He just leaned in, his hand cupping the side of my face, and pulled me into a kiss.

The kiss started sweet, but as his thumb stroked my cheek, Caleb deepened it, pulling me closer against his chest until the noise of the city outside completely vanished.

Suddenly, a loud, dry cough echoed from the front of the car.

Our driver, Arthur, cleared his throat quite deliberately.

1/2

Chapter 765 Press conference 2

burst out laughing, quickly pulling back. My face felt incredibly warm. Caleb let out a soft groan, his Tingers lingering on my waist as he glared playfully at the rearview mirror.

Claim

“Mrs. Black,” Caleb whispered, his gray eyes sparkling with sudden mischief as he leaned in close to my ear. “Kindly respect yourself, please. We are in public.”

“Yes, sir,” I whispered back, laughing as I leaned my head against his shoulder.

A few minutes later my phone suddenly lit up in my lap. looked down and saw a text.

It was Olivier. The message read: Saw the news. Are you alright?

I stared at the screen.

“Who is it?” Caleb asked quietly, noticing the screen.

“Olivier,” I said honestly. “He’s asking if I’m okay.”

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify