The Rose He Killed novel Chapter 314

Chapter 272: Hart Worldwide Goes Public-2

“Woah,” Tom gasped, staring up as Caleb lifted him out of the car. “Is this a castle?”

“It’s a different kind of castle, buddy,” Caleb said, setting him down on the sidewalk. “Hold my hand.”

We walked inside through the security doors. The trading floor was not quiet or glamorous up close. It was loud, crowded, and warm. People in dark suits were shouting, screens flashed bright green and red numbers in every direction.

Maya was waiting for us near the stage, wearing a bright yellow dress. The second she saw us, her eyes welled up with tears.

“Oh, Bella,” Maya sobbed, pulling me into a tight hug. “Look at this place! Look at what you did!”

r

“Maya, don’t cry yet,” I laughed, wiping a tear from her cheek. “The bell hasn’t even rung.”

“I can’t help it,” she sniffled, holding her phone up to take a picture of us. “From that shelter in Crestwood to the NYSE floor… you actually did it.”

Lena stepped up beside us, holding a sleek black tablet. “Everything is in place, Bella. The media is lined up, and the opening numbers look exceptionally strong.”

“Thank you, Lena,” I said softly.

Caleb stood right beside me, his long fingers slipping into mine. He squeezed my hand gently. “Ready, Empress?”

“Ready,” I whispered.

We walked up the stairs to the famous balcony overlooking the entire trading floor. Tom stood right between us, holding onto the railing with both hands, his eyes wide as he looked at the massive crowd below.

A man in a sharp suit handed me the gavel. The clock on the wall counted down.

10… 9… 8…

Caleb leaned down to my ear. “I am so proud of you, Bella.”

3… 2… 1…

brought the gavel down hard against the button.

The heavy brass bell rang out, loud and ringing throughout the massive room. Confetti burst into the air raining down in gold and silver streams over the trading floor. The crowd below broke into wild cheers and applause.

On the giant digital screens hanging from the ceiling, the numbers updated instantly. Hart Worldwide’s valuation shot up, surpassing every single projection my financial team had calculated.

I stared at the numbers. My eyes blurred for a second. I didn’t see the stock market. I saw the cold, rainy street from years ago when I had nothing. I saw the tiny offices where I cleaned while pregnant. I saw the

Chapter 272 + Worldwide Goes Public 2

little boy who was now standing beside me, clapping his small hands as fast as he could.

Claims

A reporter thrust a microphone over the balcony edge toward me. “Ms. Black! How does it feel to break the record today?”

“It feels earned,” I said into the microphone, my voice steady and clear. It feels like hard work, truth, and resilience finally winning.”

In the backseat of the car on the way home, the noise of the city faded away. Tom sat between Caleb and me, swinging his small legs back and forth against the leather seat.

He leaned close to me, staring up at my face with deep curiosity.

“Mom?” Tom asked softly.

“Yes, sweetie?”

“Your eyes were wet up there,” he said, pointing a small finger at my face. “Why were you crying?”

“Oh,” I said, smoothing down my blazer. “It was just the air conditioning, Tom.”

Tom shook his head immediately. “No, it wasn’t. The air conditioning was off.”

Beside him, Caleb quickly turned his head toward the car window, his shoulders shaking slightly as he tried to hide his quiet laughter.

“Okay,” I admitted, looking down at my son. “It wasn’t the air conditioning. A long time ago, before you were born, I made a very important promise to myself. Today, I finally kept it.”

Tom thought about this for a moment, his small forehead scrunching up as he processed my words. “Like a promise you can’t break?”

“Like a promise I couldn’t break,” I agreed softly.

“Like a vow?” Tom asked, his eyes wide.

“Yes, sweetie,” I smiled, touching his nose with my finger. “Just like a vow.”

He nodded, completely satisfied with the answer, and turned to look back out the window at the passing buildings. “I think Grandpa Sebastien would have liked to see you hit the bell,” Tom said casually after a minute.

“He watched it live from France,” I said. “He called me right before we got in the car.”

“It’s not the same as being there for the loud noise,” Tom noted sagely.

“No,” Caleb chimed in, turning around to smile at our son. “It definitely isn’t the same as the loud noise.”

Tom yawned, his small head dropping onto my lap. Within minutes, the excitement of the morning caught up to him, and his eyes fluttered shut.

Caleb reached across our sleeping son, taking my hand in his. His thumb rubbed small, soothing circles over my knuckles.

213

Chapter 222 M Worldwide Goes Public-2

“You did it, Bella,” Caleb whispered softly.

“We did it,” I corrected him, looking out the window at the sunny skyline of Silverton. “We really did it.”

Also Like

Comments

LUCK DRAW

Finding Love With A Biker At Christmas

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify