Page 183 of Uprising

When we slump into each other once more, he curls us up in the bed. Stroking my hair, watching me so intently.

“We’re free now.” I murmur. “Free of all of them.”

He smiles, nodding. “We can get our own home, we can put proper roots down.”

I glance around. “Why can’t we stay here?” I ask. “Why don’t we buy this house?”

“The owner may not want to sell it.” Roman replies.

I let out a laugh. “I’m sure we can offer him enough money to. I have Paris’s fortune. I still have all his properties as well.” What better way to get my revenge than by turning all those old memories into new, happier ones? I’m sure he’d happily swap this one for Paris’s monstrosity of a mansion in the Hamptons.

His lips curl. “You want this place as our home?”

I tilt my head. “Don’t you?”

He looks around nodding.

“We can be a family here, continue living as one.” I say.

He wraps his arms tighter, murmuring about what future he wants, about everything he’s ever dared to imagine for us. Each tiny part.

It’s a future we fought for.

A future we have killed for.

A future we’ve ensured that we can have now.

Rose

Lara’s squeal rings out as she races towards the massive pile of presents in the middle of the room practically throwing herself at them all.

“Careful.” I say knowing that at least some of them are breakable.

Ben smirks. Sofia is sat, holding a mug of tea like she needs the warmth of it to get through this day.

“Happy Birthday Daddy.” Lara says as Roman walks in.

He stops, taking in the scene and then looks at me.

“What’s all this?”

“You think we wouldn’t want to spend our first family birthday together?”

He lets out a chuckle walking over to where Lara is eyeing up the presents like we haven’t bought her enough new things already.

“There’s a lot here.” Roman says.

“There are daddy.” Lara says grinning like she knows what he’s about to say.

He kneels down beside her. “You know, I might need a hand unwrapping them all.”

“I can help.” Lara says bouncing up, springing at the first one and ripping the paper off before anyone can say another word.

Roman and Ben laugh out loud. Even Sofia is laughing.

She passes it over to him and he looks at it before putting it to the side. “Which one next?”

“This one.” She says manhandling a box like one.

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