The Mistress Who Ran Away With The Twins-Chapter 158: Only About You

There it was.

I had known this question would come eventually. I opened my mouth, then closed it again, choosing my words carefully.

"Someone I used to know.." I said softly.

His gaze didn’t waver. "He looked at you like he was scared..."

My chest tightened. "S-scared... of w-what?"

"Like... like he was scared of losing you," he said after a moment. "And sad."

I froze.

I hadn’t realized he noticed that too. I had thought he was asleep the whole time. Did that mean he had been aware the entire time, aware of Rome?

I forced a small smile. I didn’t want him to see how panicked I was inside.

"You’re very observant," I said lightly, forcing a soft laugh. "But he’s not someone who would show something like that. He’s not like that."

I shrugged, trying to appear casual, but then he glanced back at his siblings, clearly not fully believing me.

"Is he going to come back?"

The fear in his voice didn’t escape me. He was worried.

I cupped his cheek gently, making sure he looked at me. "Don’t worry about him," I said firmly. "He’s not someone you should be afraid of. I won’t let anyone hurt you—"

My voice softened.

"—or your sisters. I promise."

He studied my face for a long moment, then nodded slowly—satisfied for now.

"Okay" he murmured, settling back down.

I stayed until his breathing evened out again, then carefully tucked a blanket around all three of them.

Only after I was sure they were asleep did I retreat to my bedroom.

The moment I closed the door, the mask slipped.

I pressed my back against the wall and slid down until I was sitting on the floor. The silence pressed in, thick and unforgiving.

I wrapped my arms around my knees and finally let the tears come.

They weren’t dramatic sobs.

Just quiet, burning tracks down my cheeks as everything I had been holding back clawed its way out.

I was angry at him.

I was angry at myself.

And worst of all—I was scared.

Scared that no matter how much time had passed, Rome still had the power to shake me to my core. Scared that my children would someday ask questions I wasn’t ready to answer. Scared that the life I had fought so hard to protect was standing on a fault line I hadn’t seen coming.

I wiped my face and took a shaky breath.

Crying wouldn’t help.

Avoiding him forever wouldn’t either. I knew that, even if I didn’t want to admit it.

Sooner or later, Rome and I would have to talk—really talk. About the past. About the truth. About the children.

The thought made my stomach twist.

What would he say when I told him everything? Would he be furious?

Would he demand things I couldn’t give?

Or worse, would he look at me with that calm, calculating expression and decide what was best without considering what it would cost us?

I pressed my fingers into my palm, grounding myself in the sting.

I stood and crossed to my dresser, pulling out a worn folder hidden beneath folded clothes. Inside were documents I rarely looked at anymore—birth certificates, medical records, legal papers I had collected over the years.

Proof.

Protection.

I flipped through them slowly, reminding myself that no matter what Rome thought or felt, these children were legally, unquestionably mine.

That knowledge steadied me.

I returned the folder to its hiding place and sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall as exhaustion settled in.

Tomorrow, I would have to decide what to do.

Tomorrow, I would have to face the reality that Rome wasn’t just a ghost from my past anymore.

And whether I liked it or not, the choices I made next would shape everything that came after.

I lay back, staring at the ceiling, one hand pressed over my heart.

"Please," I whispered into the quiet room. "Let me do this right."

Sleep came eventually—but it was restless, tangled with dreams of closed doors, outstretched hands, and a voice calling my name from just beyond reach.

*****************

"Do you like my place?"

I couldn’t help but let my gaze wander around the condo. It was clean, neat and minimal but warm. Exactly what I had expected from him. Everything had its place, nothing out of order. Very Rome.

"Yep" I answered unconsciously, the word slipping out before I could stop myself.

Rome’s lips curved into a wide, satisfied smirk.

"Good," he said. "From now on, this will be our place."

I turned to him slowly, my heartbeat suddenly uneven.

"Our... place?"

He looked entirely too pleased with himself, confidence radiating off him like it always did—like he had already decided, already claimed a future without waiting for permission. As if things between us were that simple.

As if saying it out loud could make it permanent.

I swallowed, forcing myself to breathe evenly.

"Yes. Our place," he said without hesitation.

"You promised you’d live with me starting now. So what’s mine is yours—from this moment on."

I let out a small laugh, unable to stop the smile that curved my lips. "What do you think your mom would say if she heard you talking like that?"

Rome met my eyes, sharp and steady, completely unbothered.

"I don’t need to know what she thinks," he replied calmly. "Or her reaction." His voice softened just slightly. "You’re here. And that’s what matters most to me."

Then, without warning, he added quietly—

"I love you."

My breath caught.

As if that wasn’t enough, he glanced down at my lips briefly before looking back at me, a playful wink following as if assuring me everything would be fine. As if the future was already secured in his hands.

That single sentence made my chest tighten, not with fear, but with happiness so sudden it almost overwhelmed me.

Because he was right.

I was here.

And being with him felt like the only thing that truly mattered to me then.

I took a slow step closer. Then another. Until I was standing right in front of him. My hands lifted on their own, resting against his shoulders, feeling the warmth beneath my palms. He didn’t move, just watched, eyes dark and expectant, that familiar smirk still playing on his lips.

"Same with me," I whispered, my voice softer than I intended. "I love you too."

I leaned in slowly, giving him time, giving myself time before gently pressing my lips against his.

The kiss was unhurried. Familiar. Warm. 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

His hands came up instinctively, settling at my waist as if they had always belonged there, pulling me just a little closer. For a moment, the world narrowed down to that small space between us, the quiet condo, the steady beat of my heart, the certainty I believed in with everything I had.

His lips lingered against mine for a second longer before he finally pulled back, his forehead resting against mine. I could feel his breath, warm and steady.

"For real," he murmured. "You’re living with me now. I can’t even explain how happy I am."

I smiled, soft and a little breathless. "I’m here now." I said.

His arms tightened around me slightly, as if he needed the reassurance more than he let on. And I felt it then, that subtle fear beneath his confidence. He never showed it openly, but I had learned how to recognize it.

"Good," he said quietly. "Because I don’t plan on letting you go."

It should have sounded romantic. And part of me took it that way.

Another part, smaller and quieter shifted uneasily.

But I ignored it.

He pulled away just enough to guide me further inside, one hand resting at the small of my back. The condo felt different now, less like a polished space and more like something already lived in, already claimed.

"Come on," he said. "I’ll show you to our bedroom."

I raised a brow. "That confident already?"

A low chuckle rumbled in his chest. "I’ve been confident since you said yes."

The bedroom was just as neat and elegant as the rest of the place.

"This side gets the morning light," he said casually. "You like that, don’t you?"

I paused. "You already decided which side I like?"

"I pay attention," he replied smoothly. "More than you think."

I walked toward the window, staring out at the city below. The lights stretched endlessly, distant and alive.

"It’s beautiful." I admitted.

He came up behind me, arms wrapping around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder.

"Just like you," he murmured. "Beautiful. Just like you."

I turned slightly in his arms, studying his face, the confidence, the certainty, the way his eyes softened only when they looked at me.

His lips brushed against my temple. There was no hesitation in his eyes.

My fingers curled around his wrist.

He tilted my chin up gently, forcing me to meet his gaze.

"I’ve been thinking about our future," he said, his voice low, almost careful now. "Not just us. Everything that comes after."

I blinked. "Everything?"

"Our family," he continued without missing a beat. "The life we’ll build. The kids we’ll have."

I let out a soft laugh, more surprised than anything else. "Rome..."

He smiled like he had been waiting for that reaction. "I’m serious."

"It’s too early for that, haha" I said, shaking my head lightly.

"One day," he went on, his thumb brushing slowly along my jaw, "we’ll have a place that’s louder than this condo. Toys on the floor. Drawings taped to the fridge. I can already see it."

I snorted softly. "You really planned all that haha?"

"Of course I did." His eyes gleamed with quiet certainty. "If it’s a boy, I like the name after a place just like mine. If it’s a girl... I like it after your name. Something soft. Something like you."

I laughed again, this time more openly, pulling my face out of his hold just enough to look at him properly. "You’re unbelievable."

"What?" he asked, clearly amused. "You don’t like the names?"

"I think you’re moving ten steps ahead," I said, shrugging. "We’re not even living together officially yet, and you’re already naming babies."

He grinned, completely unbothered. "That’s because I know what I want."

I rolled my eyes fondly. "You make it sound like a business plan."

"Hey," he said, mock-offended. "This is the one thing I don’t treat like business."

"Sure," I replied, laughing as I shook my head again. "I’ll let future me worry about that."

He studied me for a moment, then smiled wider. "You always do that. Shrug things off when they scare you."

"Or when they’re ridiculous" I teased.

"Or when they matter" he countered softly.

I paused for half a second, then laughed it off again, turning back toward the window. "You think too much."

"Only about you."

I just laughed it all off.