After the Final Goodbye Chapter 06
The wedding was small and warm, exactly what I had always dreamed of.
Only a handful of close friends and colleagues gathered for the ceremony in a tiny stone church nestled in the Cotswolds, followed by a quiet lunch in a sun-drenched garden.
Leo’s family was warm and down-to-earth, welcoming Grandma and me as if we were long-lost family.
I wore a simple silk gown with a small sprig of lavender pinned into my hair.
As Leo slid the ring onto my finger, a sense of calm, profound contentment washed over me. This was real.
This belonged to me.
Grandma, whose mind remained remarkably sharp these days, leaned over during the reception and gently patted my hand.
“He’s a good man, Bella,” she whispered softly. “Your grandfather would have liked him.”
I squeezed her hand tightly, blinking back tears. That was all the blessing I would ever need.
A few weeks later, a thick, cream-colored envelope arrived at our apartment.
The return address belonged to a law firm in New York. Inside was a formal notice stating that my parents’
estate had finally been fully settled. The house I sold had appreciated significantly in value, and due to a clause in the will, the remaining equity now belonged to me.
On top of that, there was an unexpected inheritance from an aunt I barely remembered.
The amount was staggering-life-changing money for most people.
Leo read the letter over my shoulder, kissing the top of my head. “Well, looks like you can finally expand that design studio you’ve been dreaming about.”
I contacted a highly reputable elderly care charity and arranged a massive anonymous donation.
The rest of the funds were moved into a trust earmarked for Grandma’s lifelong care, with the remainder invested directly into my new startup.
Just like that, five years flew by.
I sat in my office, reviewing the renovation blueprints for a boutique hotel in Edinburgh.
My studio had grown significantly, earning a stellar reputation for elegant design.
I had just hung up with a thoroughly satisfied client when my assistant buzzed through.
“There’s a gentleman here to see you. He doesn’t have an appointment, but he says his name is Adrian Moretti.”
My pen froze against the paper. I hadn’t heard that name in years.
I had never actively sought out updates, but rumors always had a way of filtering through the industry. I knew
his family had never fully recovered their former glory.
I told my assistant to send him in.
He looked older. The sharp, arrogant edges of his face had softened, and strands of gray now peppered his hair. Every movement he made carried a deep, underlying exhaustion.
He stood in the center of my office, his eyes scanning the sketches on the walls before settling on the London skyline outside the window.
“I’ve been hearing a lot about your studio,” he said, his voice raspy and rough. “Congratulations, Bella.”
“Thank you, Adrian.”
He looked at me, really looked at me, taking everything in.
“I needed to see you,” he murmured. “To see exactly what… what I threw away.”
He let out a bitter, humorless laugh. “I’ve spent the last five years trying to fill the void with business deals and mergers. It didn’t work.”
I gestured to the chair across from my desk. He sat down.
We briefly exchanged small talk-nothing of consequence. How my grandmother was doing. The weather.
As he stood up to leave, he paused at the door. “Do you ever wonder what would have happened if you stayed?”
I thought about it for a second, remembering the cold nights spent alone in that hospital bed.
“Never,” I told him honestly. “I prefer the life I have now.”
He nodded slowly, as if he had already expected that answer.
He reached for the doorknob, then turned back one last time. “You know, she died last year. Elena.”
I didn’t say a word.
“It was an overdose. Her family covered the whole thing up.” He shook his head, a faint, cynical smile touching his lips. “The tragedy is, she wasn’t even a good person. And still, I let her ruin the best thing I ever had.”
With that, he stepped out and quietly clicked the door shut behind him.
I sat in the silence for a long time.
Then, I turned back to my desk and focused on the blueprints-in front of me. I picked up my pen and cleanly redraw a line.
Outside, a classic London rain began to fall, streaking across the glass window.
I watched the water drop for a brief moment, then went right back to work.