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Epilogue

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Chapter 59: Epilogue (Rhys's POV)

Seven years later...

"Don't touch the cookie batter! No, no, no! Aiden!" I heard Stella. 

I realized only after I walked down to the kitchen that I wasn't coming down to the occasional morning view I had where my wife was running around preparing something and my two-year-old son was chasing her. Instead, this morning, I walked into pure chaos. 

"The baby!" Aiden gasped before squealing loudly and running around the island, straight to where he spotted me at the bottom of the stairs. Jumping in place as he tugged at my sweatpants, he grinned at me. When I remained still and watched him in amusement rather than dropping to my knees, he stopped and frowned. "Daddy!" 

I chuckled and ruffled his hair with my free hand before slowly sitting down on the last step. "Be gentle," I instructed, "she's still sleeping," I whispered. 

Looking as giddy as ever with sparkles in his eyes, he waddled forward and peered down at the baby girl in my arms. "Isabella," he sang softly, lightly poking and prodding at her cheek before he swept down and left a quick kiss on it. 

Right after that, he spun on his heels and moved to sprint back to Stella but I caught hold of him and pulled him back with a little tickle in the ribs. "What about me?" I asked, acting offended. 

Sheepishly, he climbed up slowly on the first step, matching my full height while I remained seated and he stood up. Pouting his lips, he leaned in to leave a kiss on my cheek and I suppressed a grin before turning my head at the last second and pecking his lips. He squealed and wiped his lips before laughing and running off. 

I laughed to myself behind him and made my way into the kitchen where Stella stood at the counter. "Morning," I mumbled, staring at the tray while she steadily prepared cookie dough in her hands. 

"Hi," she said, pausing to look at me. Her eyes drifted down to Isabella and she rushed to wash her hands before coming back. "Did she sleep fine? Should I—" 

I turned away, pulling Izzy out of her reach while smiling and watching Stella in amusement. "Me first," I demanded. 

Stella dropped her arms and looked up at me. "Really? I didn't realize I had three kids instead of two." 

"Hmm." I leaned down and inched closer to her. 

Chuckling softly, she lifted her hands to my cheeks and gave me a slow kiss, pulling away after a while with a quick peck to my lips. 

"She slept just fine. Kept me awake, actually," I mumbled, easing Isabella into Stella's arms before swooping down to place a kiss on Stella's cheek, another one on her neck, and the last one on her shoulder. "Is it a special occasion? It's rare enough for you to be up and making breakfast that's not burnt. What's with the cookies?" I teased. 

"Everyone's coming over." 

My smile dropped. "What?" 

"Aiden wanted to meet his friends, remember? He asked to call them over." 

"The kids?" 

"And the parents. Christian and Jules too, they're all coming for brunch. Did you forget?" she laughed, glancing at me from head to toe. 

With slippers on my feet, old gray sweatpants, and a plain black t-shirt on top, it was obvious. I forgot. My eyes drifted down to Stella's sage green sundress that stopped with gentle frills just at her midthigh. 

"You see, I actually woke up on time and got myself and Aiden ready. And you were sleeping away with Sleeping Beauty over here." She glanced pointedly at a sound-asleep Isabella before placing a soft kiss on her forehead. "It's okay," she grinned, coming up to leave a fleeting kiss on my cheek. "If anything, they'll understand. Especially Logan." 

The shrill ring of the doorbell caught our attention and Stella laughed at my expression as I looked over to see Aiden flying past the kitchen and sprinting to the door. 

"He can't even reach the lock," I mumbled with a smile before trailing behind him and scooping him up, taking him by surprise. "No opening doors without Mommy or me around, remember?" I asked, holding him on my hip. Unlocking the door, I stepped aside and before I could even comprehend who was at the door, kids flooded the place, running past my legs. 

Except for one of them. "Uncle Rhys!" Gianna beamed up at me while clutching my legs. 

"Gianna," I mocked in the same sing-song voice she used as I ruffled her hair before setting Aiden down. "Go ahead. The living room is your garden." They were both a blur as they ran that way. 

"Rhys," Zarah greeted with a smile, "you look like shit." 

"Your husband isn't looking any better," I retorted, nodding at Logan. 

"It's a newborn baby thing," Logan mumbled sleepily, adjusting his grip on their new little boy, Nathan. 

"Your older one likes me," I said with a little pride. 

Gianna, being their older child and yet only a three-year-old little girl, was exceptionally sweet to me. Well... to everyone in general, but especially to me. 

I like to think I'm her favorite. 

"Gianna likes everyone," Zarah replied, "where's Stella?" 

"Kitchen." 

Once she walked inside, Logan came forward. "Hold him, please," he said, placing Nathan in my arms before I could protest. Groaning lightly, he rubbed his neck and shoulders. "Why is it always us on baby duty?" he asked, pointing between us. 

I blinked and stared at him blankly. We both looked equally like shit and were dressed practically the same. "Don't ask," I shook my head. 

He headed for the kitchen and then Rowan and Evie came into view. 

"Your daughter already invaded my house," I announced, "Jules went somewhere in the kitchen." 

"She senses cookie dough. It's a gift," Rowan replied dryly. 

Evie watched me in amusement. "I won't ask about the sleepless nights." 

Rowan and Evie's daughter, Jules, and Zarah and Logan's daughter, Gianna, were both of the same age and they were joined at the hip... with Aiden right in between them, declaring them both as his best friends the day they met. 

"Fix your hair, man," Christian said, clapping my shoulder before strolling in. 

My tongue rolled along the inside of my cheek in annoyance. 

"Need a little help?" Jules asked teasingly. 

"You think?"

"I love not having any children," she chuckled. Laughing, she took Nathan from me and joined the others in the kitchen. 

Closing the front door, I followed suit. 

"Where's my favorite kid?" Jules asked, looking around. 

"You can't say she's your favorite just because she has the same name as you, honey," Christian said to her quietly. 

Jules paused. "But she is my favorite because she has the same name as me. Honey." 

He sighed in defeat. 

Apparently, the thought never crossed Rowan or Evie's minds, it just happened since they named Jules after Rowan's mother. 

"Imagine if we had a friend named Isabella," Stella said to me. 

"Would you change her name?" Evie asked in amusement while running the back of her finger along Izzy's cheek. 

"I'd make the woman change hers," Stella replied bluntly before turning to me. "Can you finish up the cookies? The kids will want them soon." 

I stared at her blankly as I stood beside Zarah. Then I nudged her ribs and she repeated the action to Logan. "Help him," she said. 

Logan glowered at me. "I'll fucking drown you in cookie dough." 

Everyone snickered as I slid the tray over and finished up the last batch with him. Things had changed drastically over the past seven years since everything happened. The same year that everything went down with... Damien... Stella and I got married. 

At first, we agreed to wait but with every day I spent with her, I fell impossibly deeper in love and by the end of the year, I couldn't resist. After that, for the first three years, nothing changed. I kept working the way I did, with the same kind of people, and Stella and I enjoyed each other's company. We cherished our husband and wife relationship. 

But when she got pregnant with Aiden, I knew undeniably that I had to slow things down and step back in my line of work. Family came first, Stella and our baby were always my first priority. 

I tried my best to prepare for having a child and to learn what I needed before I became a father but it didn't hit me until I finally held him in my arms. I realized that I didn't have to practice or train myself to keep the work side of me at bay, that completely left me the moment I laid eyes on my first baby. 

I still can't believe that was two years ago. 

But no matter how much time passed or how hard I tried, I couldn't exactly cut corruption out of my life. Once you join a world like this, it's near impossible to get out. That's why, day by day, bit by bit, I was still learning to create the perfect balance and the perfect distance between my family and my job. 

I kept Stella, Aiden, and now Isabella away from that light. The parties still happen, although Stella's been home for quite some time now. After all, we just had Isabella only seven months ago. That was a different feeling on its own. 

My date to those parties was always my son and it felt fucking amazing to walk in with my little boy by my side. Family was everything to me, always had been, and always would be. I had my family right here. 

"Auntie Zarah!" Aiden screamed, running right in and tugging at her clothes. Gianna came running after him just seconds later and Zarah scooped Aiden up before he could get caught. Seating him on the counter in front of her, she brushed his hair back. 

"Did I save you?" she asked. 

He nodded, turning all shades of pink. 

Aiden was the first little boy anyone in our group had ever had and being my son, I noticed it right away. He got special attention from the ladies here and he loved it. Everything made him blush. 

"Dad!" Gianna exclaimed, patting Logan's leg frantically. 

He spun his barstool to face her and a grin took over his face. "I'm always on your team, Sunshine." He picked her up with ease and placed her on his knee. "Come on. Help me with some cookie dough here. Your favorite uncle Rhys," he paused to glare at me, "is making me do all the work." 

She looked at me for an answer and I offered a grin with a quick wink. She giggled and began helping Logan with cookie dough as well. 

Most weekends began to look like this with all of us spending time together and our bond grew stronger than ever. Our kids were growing up to become best friends like we were. 

With Rowan and Evie's daughter Jules, Logan and Zarah's Gianna, and our little Aiden, the three developed an unbreakable bond. Now, with Logan and Zarah recently having Nathan, just a few weeks before we had Isabella, they would share their own kind of bond. 

There was only one thing we all knew for certain. All our bonds were unbreakable.   

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Chapter 59

AND THAT'S ITTTT THAT'S LITERALLY THE END OF THIS BOOK AHHH I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT TO SAY OR HOW TO FEEL

I literally love each and every one of you and I just wanna thank you all for reading this book all the way to the end! This series is literally so special to me, it's like the first true series I wrote and completed and I loved each book and each and every character!

This series is always going to be so, so special to me <3

I'm so excited for the next one ahhh!

I'm going to upload the story details for 'Vicious Sins' right now and the first chapter of the book will be up tomorrow!!

<33