Chapter 5

May 20th, 2000

Today me and Noah returned from our honeymoon. Paris was beautiful. We did so many fun things together, sightseeing and fun trips all over. We even had dinner on the eiffel tower

He made me feel like I'm the only person walking on the face of earth. A special feeling indeed which I'm still busy trying to try and comprehend, I am not even going to attempt to put it in words. It is something one needs to experience oneself to understand how I feel.

The day of the wedding was surreal. Everything was done precisely the way I wanted things to be. 

My dress was the first thing to bring tears to my eyes. It was everything and more when I laid my eyes upon it. 

I'm not the traditional girl, I'm futuristic, or that is at least how I see myself. Therefore I didn't want to marry in a white dress, but like every good daughter I had to compromise with my mother. Her precise words to me was, "No daughter of mine will walk down the aisle in something that is not a white dress."

The determination in her eyes told me she was not going to waver so I had taken the initiative to design my own wedding dress. 

It consisted of a pinkish nude underlayer, a soft white lace pattern for the top layer. Completed with thin straps, an open back and a beautiful train. It is V cut at front, body fitted, but flares out softly from below my buttocks.

I looked like a total dream, if I do say so myself.

I didn't think that they would get my dress done to perfection. That just made my heart swell with love. 

My mother and father ended up never going away to visit friends for the weekend, but it was them that got everything done for the wedding. Just coming to know that my parents would put my happiness before anything else is enough for me to be happy for eternity. 

Friends and family from all over were there to celebrate my special day. I cried so much, but for the first time in a month I cried out of joy. 

Like I said in my wedding vows, "Love is not just an emotion, but a companion when you've found it. Like with any companion hardships will follow, but when you know you've found the person that will make the endurance of said hardships worthwhile, that is when you know you have found your piece of forever.", Noah is my forever and through the pain and sorrow my heart still aches when he is not near.

Today I am ready to start a new beginning with my husband. A new beginning as mrs. Costello-Stepanova. 

The reason why I connected the two surnames is quite special to me. Costello has been my identity my entire life up until marriage. It made me into the person I am today, it is me without any attachments. Stepanova made me part of the most beautiful relationship I could ever dream of having. It is my love, a big part of me now. Now Costello-Stepanova represents the old and the new colliding into something special. I'm part of Noah now, but I also have my own identity. I still have a bit of my independence along with me, something I don't want to lose in the abyss of married life.

Amia is eight months pregnant. She says her due date is anywhere between the 21st or 26th of June. 

My mom thinks I am a total nutcase for even bothering Amia at all these days after everything she has done. That is true to an extent, but one needs to see the bigger picture in order to launch a perfect deadly strike at one's opponent. 

To see the picture from inside out I need to infiltrate the red zone and observe everything. 

Besides that sweet baby she is carrying will be my stepdaughter, the perfect weapon for a waging war.

Like they say the calm before the storm. 

"Bella, your parents have phoned. They are inviting us to dinner tonight at their place.", Noah says from across the room. I'm sitting on the couch in the living room beside the large window to stare at the city beneath us. Millions of dazzling little lights, shining from windows looking so small from my vision.

"That would be lovely. Tell them that we'll bring Amia with us. She is practically family, isn't she?" now left with the bitter taste of uttering her name. The last thing I want is to stare at her face for the whole night, but succeeding in one's plans needs a little compromise now and then.

Noah's eyes widened a bit in astonishment at my request. His reaction is quite shocking to me. He is the man to have the emotions of a block of ice. Cold and hard. 

"Now now husband. Killing them with kindness is something to live by." The glint evident in my eyes must've had some sort of effect on him, because he didn't inquire about my decision. 

•●•

The day went by rather fast, in order for the evening to dawn upon us. 

The darkness has been most alluring to me ever since that night, one would think to oneself that I would be terrified surrounded by any dark environment, but quite on the contrary. Being surrounded by nothing, but the constant darkness for months has made me grow fond of all the secrets the dark has witnessed. Most trustworthy companion.

Mine was one now of many.

I have always dressed more casually, but that was the old me. Tonight I have overstepped into the classier section of wardrobe choices. 

I picked out an A-line dress, basked in a dark nude brown colour. The straps were quite broad, interesting, with a lower back. Slipped on some classy clear heels with a nude base. Jewellery was something that I have always found a bit excessive, probably an unpopular opinion – but that certainly doesn't bother me or had the power to persuade me otherwise over the years, however tonight I decided to put on some dainty white pearl earrings with a matching bracelet. To complete the look paired it all with a dark royal blue coat, sleek and classy as the new me. 

My hair was loose in perfect waves, every hair glistening in the evening light. Makeup is something that I never really needed, but tonight I went through the trouble to paint on hues of dark and light brown on my eyelids, applying eyeliner and all. I painted my lips with a dark brown and called it a night. 

Before I stepped out of my and Noah's bedroom I bathed myself in the fumes of my most favourite fragrance, Alien. 

When I arrived in the living room Noah stood there in a pair of navy blue slacks and a jet black dress shirt, he left the first two holes unbuttoned. His hair tousled in a backwards motion. 

As soon as he looked up from his phone I could have sworn to see a glint of pure surprise in his eyes. His mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water. 

Might I let you know that Noah is never speechless. A smooth talker from the first day he has opened his mouth to say something to me. Quite an unusual scene to witness, but oh so rewarding. To know that I obtain the ability to still surprise him is quite satisfactory.

"Like what you see," I say while batting my lashes at him in a very seductive way "mister Stepanov?"

His lips tucked into one of his spine tingling smirks, seductive behaviour just oozing from his being and to think he is not even trying, "Why yes mrs Costello-Stepanova, but unfortunately if I shall act on the purring amorous I have inside me at this very moment, I'm afraid we shall not make it to your parents on this fine evening, my love."

The way he says the words my love, honestly sounds more like a tease than a form of endearment. Enticing the graving I have for him at this very moment just more.

I step towards him and in a matter of mere seconds I found myself trapped in the strong arms of him – Noah. His lips moved blissfully against mine in unity, begging for entry. My lips parted slightly and his tongue dived in the second he was granted entry. 

At that moment nothing mattered in the world more than the passion filling up the air between me and this man standing before me. Everything was perfect just for a moment before I dived headfirst back into the realm of reality. 

With a hint of lingering longing I breaked the kiss. My breath hinged in my throat. Staring into his eyes I could see my emotions reflected in his.

Straightening my stance I inhale and exhale while letting my eyes wander deep into his gaze. I never thought that I'd see love in those cold blue pools, but today they are blazing with it – perhaps with something more consuming.

"We need to leave otherwise we'll be late and you know how my mother feels about tardiness." I say spinning on my heel. 

I hear the rustling of keys and soon after the rhythmic footsteps of the man I love so dearly following me towards the door.

We took the elevator down to the lobby where there was quite a buzzing of people. Where they all came from was beyond me, but who cares really?

Out in the cool air of New York City the night life was as busy and magical as always. So many people with their own goal insight, making this beautiful chaos a sight to behold.

Noah asked his driver to take us to my parents on this fine evening which resulted in the sleek black Mercedes pulling up just in time right in front of the entrance. 

"Sir, my lady please." The driver, I believe Peter, opened the door for us. Quite a charming young lad with curly brown hair and piercing green eyes. His tanned skin does a fair bit of justice to the forestry colour of his irises.

I nodded my head slightly – in a manner of appreciation – with a polite smile spreaded on my face.

The ride was rather quiet to my parents house. I would lie if I said there was not a fair bit of tension in the air, but nothing is ever as exciting without a bit of drama, right?

As the car pulled up in front of the white three story house, I could see a cab stopping on the other side of the road. 

A mob of blonde hair could be seen out of the corner of my eye and I knew exactly to whom that hair belonged.

"Hello dear. It is quite lovely for you to invite me to one of your family events." Amia says, with one of her customised fake smiles plastered on her face. Well two can play that game.

"One needs to forgive and forget right? No need to hold grudges against one another now, hey. We are going to be raising a child together now after all." I say with an even brighter smile plastered on my face. I can feel how I'm getting under her skin, the brewing anger just enticing me more to play my cards.

"If I may enquire what do you mean when you say we have a baby to raise. I didn't realise you are also with a child." She snarls back at me with this comment coming like a fast curveball at me, but I'm not going to let her get under my skin as easily as that.

"Oh no. I'm talking about my husband's baby that you are carrying so graciously. After the stunt you have pulled I've lost my babies and the chance of ever being able to become a mother of my own, but that is nothing too painful to cry over, isn't that right?" I say in my most angelic tone I've used in a while. The pureness of my voice acting as the daggers that inflicts the most fear.

"Shall we go inside, my parents are probably worried about where we are."