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~TESSA~ The house was finally quiet.For once, no roaring engines. No alarms. No ghosts. Just the soft sound of three tiny heartbeats asleep in the next room.I stood in the doorway for a moment, watching them. Their tiny chests rising and falling. Their fatherâs dark hair, my eyes.âYou three are my whole world,â I whispered.A hand slipped around my waist. Warm. Familiar. Strong.Ryder kissed the back of my neck. âYouâre supposed to be resting,â he murmured.âI am resting,â I said softly. âJust... watching them.âHe chuckled, low in my ear. âYou said that two hours ago.âI smiled. âCanât help it. Still feels unreal.âHe looked past me at the babies. âTheyâve got your stubbornness already. The smallest one kicked me in the thumb earlier.âI laughed quietly. âMaybe she takes after you.âHe grinned. âThen Iâm doomed.âWe stood there in silence for a while, just listening to them breathe. The past felt like another lifetime. The fire, the fights, the fearâit all faded into background n
TESSA The morning felt like a dream. No gunfire. No fear. No ghosts. Just laughter echoing through the Bishop mansion as the girls moved around the room like excited birds. Sarah stood behind me, fixing the lace veil with steady hands. âHold still, Tess,â she said, biting her lip. âIf you move again, Iâll poke your head.â Debbie laughed from the vanity, curling her hair. âSheâs nervous. Look at her handsâtheyâre shaking.â âIâm not nervous,â I said. âJust⊠overwhelmed.â âSame thing,â Sarah teased. I caught my reflection in the mirror. The white dress shimmered softly under the light. I didnât recognize myself for a second. I looked⊠peaceful. âGod,â I whispered. âItâs really happening.â Sarahâs smile softened. âIt is. And you look beautiful.â I turned to hug her, careful not to mess up the veil. âThank you for coming, sis.â She hugged me tighter. âWouldnât miss it for anything. Besides, I had to see the biker who finally tamed my sister.â Debbie chuckled. âTamed? More like
~TESSA~ I was folding one of the babiesâ tiny blankets when the TV caught my eye. The morning show host was smiling wide, microphone in hand, standing beside someone who looked⊠familiar. It took me a second to realize who it was. Sarah. My baby sister, standing in front of a huge art display â her art. Cameras flashing, people clapping. And then the words hit me. ââŠwinner of the International Design Exhibition, with a grand prize of two million euros â Sarah Collins!â I froze. Then I screamed. Ryder came running from the hallway, holding one of the twins like a football. âWhat? What happened? Whoâs dead?â I pointed at the screen. âLook!â He turned. âNo wayâŠâ Sarah was smiling, tears in her eyes, holding a big glass award. She looked so different â confident, radiant, alive. Paris had done her good. âOh my GodâŠâ I grabbed my phone with shaking hands. âI have to call her!â The call connected on the third ring. âTess?â âSarah Collins, you millionaire genius!â I shouted. S
(Tessaâs POV)The house was finally quiet.The kind of quiet that doesnât feel empty⊠just peaceful.The babies were asleep â all three of them. Ryder and I stood by their cribs, watching the rise and fall of their tiny chests. Three little heartbeats that somehow made the whole world make sense.Ryder smiled, his arm sliding around my waist. âThey look like you.âI laughed softly. âNo, they donât.ââYeah, they do,â he murmured. âSame nose. Same little frown when they dream.âI leaned against him. âYou think theyâll grow up wild like you?âHe chuckled. âHell, I hope not.âI turned to look at him, really look at him. His hair a little messy, shirt half-buttoned, eyes softer than Iâd ever seen them. There was no trace of the man who once lived for chaos. Just Ryder⊠the man who fought his way out of hell for me.âCome on,â he said quietly, taking my hand. âLetâs sit outside.âThe night air was cool. We sat on the back porch, a blanket around us, the glow from the nursery window spilling
(Tessaâs POV)It felt strange waking up without fear.No screams in the night. No shadows moving in the corners. Just sunlight through the window and the sound of three tiny heartbeats sleeping in their cribs.For the first time in a long time⊠life felt normal.Ryder was still asleep beside me, one arm thrown over his face. He looked peaceful. The scars, the bruises, the rough edgesâthey were still there. But somehow, softer now.I smiled, kissed his cheek, and slipped out of bed.Today wasnât about danger or curses or survival.Today was about the future.By noon, Debbie was at the door, already talking before I could even open it all the way.âCome on, sleepyhead! Weâve got a bride to dress!ââDebbieâââNo excuses! Ryder said I could kidnap you for the day. Said it himself.â She held up her phone, showing me a text.I groaned. âHe actually said that?ââWord for word: Take her before she talks herself out of it.âI rolled my eyes, laughing. âHe would.âBefore I could argue, she was
(Tessaâs POV) 8 MONTHS LATER... The pain came fast. Too fast. I was in the hospital room, gripping Ryderâs hand so tight I thought Iâd break it. âBreathe, Tess⊠come on, baby, breatheâŠâ His voice trembled, but he tried to sound calm. âIâm⊠Iâm trying!â I screamed, another wave of pain tearing through me. Nurses rushed around, shouting numbers, checking monitors. Someone yelled, âSheâs crowning!â Everything blurred after that. The lights. The noise. The sound of my own heartbeat slamming in my ears. And then â a cry. Then another. Then⊠another. Three. Triplets. I was sobbing before I even saw them. Tiny, pink, alive. Three little pieces of us. Ryder was crying too. Iâd never seen him cry before. His tears dropped onto my hand as he kissed my forehead. âYou did it, Tess⊠you did itâŠâ The nurse smiled, placing the babies on my chest. âTwo boys and a girl,â she said softly. âAll healthy.â For a moment, the world was perfect. Hours later, the room was qu








