CHAPTER 26: The Aftermath

By noon, the GMA interview had twenty million views.

I sat in Alexander's office, scrolling through reactions on my new phone—Victoria had insisted I get a new number to avoid the flood of reporters calling.

The comments were... surprising.

@JessicaR_Mom: I was ready to judge Bella but after hearing her side? James sounds like a nightmare. She deserves better.

@MediaAnalyst: Notice how James never denied the cheating allegations? Suspicious.

@TeamBella2025: That moment when she offered TEN paternity tests? ICONIC. She knows that baby is Alexander's.

@NYCLawyer: Alexander Sterling admitting he failed as a father took guts. Respect.

Not everyone was supportive. There were still plenty of comments calling me a gold-digger, a homewrecker, worse. But the tide had definitely shifted.

"Stop reading those," Alexander said, looking up from his laptop. "You'll drive yourself crazy."

"I can't help it. Yesterday I was public enemy number one. Today half of T*****r is Team Bella."

"Only half?" He smiled. "We'll have to work on that."

I laughed, then winced as a wave of nausea hit.

Alexander was immediately at my side. "You okay?"

"Morning sickness. Except it's noon." I breathed deeply. "I thought this was supposed to get better after the first trimester."

"Should I call Dr. Patel?"

"No, I'm fine. Just... stressed."

He knelt in front of me, hands on my knees. "What can I do?"

"Distract me. Tell me something good."

He thought for a moment. "Victoria called. She wants to take you dress shopping tomorrow."

"Wedding dress shopping?"

"She's very excited. Apparently she has opinions about designers."

"Of course she does." I smiled despite the nausea. "Are we really doing this? Getting married?"

"Having second thoughts?"

"No. Just... it still feels surreal. A month ago I was a teacher living in a studio apartment. Now I'm engaged to a billionaire, pregnant, and trending on T*****r."

"Quite a month," he agreed. "Any regrets?"

I looked at him—really looked at him. The silver in his hair. The worry lines around his eyes. The way he looked at me like I was the most important thing in the world.

"Not one," I said honestly.

He kissed me softly. "Good. Because you're stuck with me now."

"Oh no. Whatever will I do with a handsome, wealthy man who worships the ground I walk on?"

"Worship is a strong word."

"You made me ginger tea at 3 AM."

"That's basic decency."

"You talk to my stomach when you think I'm asleep."

His ears went red. "You heard that?"

"Last night. You told the baby about your day at work. In detail. Including the boring parts about quarterly projections."

"I want them to know my voice."

My heart melted. "See? Worship."

Before he could respond, Marcus burst in.

"We have a problem."

Alexander stood immediately. "What kind of problem?"

"Catherine. She's downstairs. Demanding to see you."

I felt my stomach drop. Alexander's mother. The woman who'd refused to support our engagement.

"Tell her I'm busy," Alexander said.

"I did. She said she'll wait in the lobby until you see her. She's been there for an hour."

Alexander cursed under his breath. "Fine. Send her up."

"Alexander—" I started.

"It's okay. She can't say anything worse than what's already been said."

But five minutes later, when Catherine Sterling walked into the office in her Chanel suit and pearl necklace, her expression wasn't angry.

It was... broken.

"Mother," Alexander said carefully. "This is unexpected."

Catherine's eyes went to me. I stood, instinctively protective.

"I watched your interview this morning," Catherine said. Her voice was quieter than I remembered. "Both of you."

"And?" Alexander's tone was guarded.

"And I... I owe you an apology, Bella."

I blinked. "Excuse me?"

Catherine moved closer, her composure cracking. "I said terrible things to you. About you. I refused to see past my own prejudices and pain."

"Mrs. Sterling—"

"Please. Let me finish." She took a shaky breath. "I lost my husband young. I raised James alone, and I... I turned him into what he is. I gave him everything. Excused everything. And now he's become someone I barely recognize."

Alexander's expression softened slightly. "Mother—"

"When you said you'd failed as a father, I realized I'd failed as a mother. Worse—I was still failing. Still making excuses for him. Still blaming everyone else for his choices."

Tears were streaming down her face now. Catherine Sterling, the ice queen of Manhattan society, was crying.

"I don't expect you to forgive me," she said to me. "But I want you to know—I was wrong. About you. About this relationship. About everything."

I didn't know what to say.

"The way you spoke about my son this morning," Catherine continued, "you could have destroyed him. Revealed every ugly thing. But you didn't. You were... gracious. Even after everything he's done."

"He's hurting," I said quietly. "Hurt people hurt people."

"You're kinder than he deserves." Catherine wiped her eyes. "Alexander, I... I want to be part of this family. Your new family. If you'll have me."

Alexander looked at me. The decision was mine.

I thought about everything Catherine had said. The hateful words. The refusal to attend the wedding. The judgment.

But I also thought about Alexander's face when he talked about his mother. The pain of being caught between his family and me.

And I thought about our baby. About family. About forgiveness.

"We'd like that," I said softly.

Catherine's face crumpled. She actually hugged me—stiff and awkward, but genuine.

"Thank you," she whispered. "Thank you for giving me a second chance."

As she pulled back, she looked at my stomach. "May I?"

I nodded. She placed her hand gently on my barely-there bump.

"Hello, little one," she said. "I'm your grandmother. And I promise to do better with you than I did with your father and uncle."

Alexander cleared his throat, clearly emotional.

"There's one condition," I said.

Catherine looked up warily. "What?"

"You have to help me survive dress shopping with Victoria tomorrow. Apparently she has opinions."

Catherine actually laughed. "Oh, does she ever. That girl once made me return a dress three times because the hem was 'two millimeters off.'"

"I'm doomed, aren't I?"

"Completely." Catherine smiled—a real smile. "But I'll be there. If you want me."

"I want you," I said. And meant it.

After Catherine left, Alexander pulled me into his arms.

"You didn't have to do that," he said. "Forgive her."

"Yes, I did. She's your mother. And she's trying." I looked up at him. "Besides, our baby deserves to know all their grandparents. Even the complicated ones."

"You're remarkable, you know that?"

"I'm practical. There's a difference."

"No." He kissed my forehead. "You're remarkable. And I'm the luckiest man alive."

My phone buzzed. A text from Victoria.

"Grandmother called. She's coming dress shopping. This is either going to be amazing or a disaster. Possibly both. Wear comfortable shoes."

I showed Alexander. He laughed.

"Welcome to the Sterling family," he said. "Where drama is a lifestyle."

"I'm marrying into chaos, aren't I?"

"Absolute chaos," he agreed. "But at least it's never boring."

As I settled against his chest, feeling safe and loved and terrified and hopeful all at once, I realized something.

This—all of this—was exactly where I was supposed to be.

Chaos and all.