To Love A Villain-Chapter 202: Happy Birthday, My Love

>>Hael

The day had been long, and the crowd outside the office had only added to the exhaustion weighing me down. We had an issue with a model that was signed with the company and managing celebrities is no easy task.

Working as a director has its perks but it can get really hectic at times.

As I walked to the car, the tiredness was beginning to settle in my bones. But as I drove home, there was only one thought that kept me going, the only thing that could bring me peace.

Amber.

The mere thought of her made the tightness in my chest begin to loosen. By the time I parked the car in front of our home, the streetlights had flickered on, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. I sighed, taking in the quietness around me for a moment before stepping out of the car and heading toward the door.

I didn’t expect much when I opened the door, to be honest. With everything going on lately, I figured Amber would be resting, maybe reading or watching something. She was nearly seven months pregnant now, and her energy wasn’t the same as it used to be.

I have a chef hired to make her anything she wants and the maid comes to clean as well, they both should have gone home by now though.

When I stepped inside, the lights in the house were dim, and soft music was playing in the background.

Hmmm?

Something smelled sweet, like sugar and vanilla. For a moment, I paused in confusion. It wasn’t until I saw the cake sitting on the dining table, the candles already lit and casting a soft glow, that it hit me.

My birthday.

I’d completely forgotten.

I stood there, rooted to the spot, as my eyes scanned the room. The table was set beautifully—there were gifts neatly wrapped and waiting for me. The faint sound of footsteps approaching pulled me from my stupor.

Amber appeared from the hallway, wearing a flowing, pale blue dress that was loose around her swollen belly, her long hair falling loosely around her shoulders. Her face lit up the second she saw me, and she smiled in that way that always made my heart skip a beat.

"You’re home," She said, her voice warm and soft.

"I... I forgot it was my birthday," I admitted, still stunned by the sight in front of me.

She giggled softly, walking over to me. "I know you did. That’s why I wanted to surprise you."

Orenya wrapped her arms around my waist, her body pressed gently against mine as she looked up at me. I instinctively pulled her closer, resting my hand on the small of her back.

I leaned down to press a soft kiss to her forehead, "I didn’t think I’d forget my birthday." But then again, I was a celebrity then and no one would let me forget. I let out a chuckle.

Things are so much more peaceful now

"Wait until you see what I have planned," She teased, her eyes twinkling.

I smiled, feeling the tension and exhaustion from the day slowly melting away. How was it possible that one person could make everything else fade into the background? She had this magic about her that grounded me, that made me feel alive and whole.

She always did. But back in Aurelia, I had a lot of magic power, it’s not like that here and being human is pretty different but it comes with so many new things.

Amber guided me toward the table, and we sat together in front of the cake. The flames from the candles flickered gently, casting a soft glow around us. It was perfect.

"Make a wish," She said, her voice light and playful.

I closed my eyes for a moment, but I didn’t need to make a wish. Everything I’d ever wanted was already sitting next to me. I blew out the candles, and she clapped her hands together with a grin.

"Happy birthday," She said softly, her hand resting on top of mine.

"Thank you," I replied, my voice barely above a whisper. I was bad at these expressions in my past life, but not in this one. As they say, the way you grow up defines a lot of a person’s traits.

Amber squeezed my hand, her gaze soft and loving. "No need!" She said, "This was a given!" She stood and began cutting the cake, the sweet scent of it filling the room. I couldn’t help but admire her, the way she moved with grace even in her pregnancy. Her belly, round and full, was a constant reminder of the life we were building together.

Our daughter—our little Zola—was growing inside her. The thought made my heart swell.

After we had our cake and shared some quiet moments together, Amber gestured toward the gifts on the table. I hadn’t even noticed them until now, but she was clearly excited.

"Open them," She urged with a smile, her eyes sparkling.

I picked up the first one, a small box wrapped in soft gold paper. I unwrapped it carefully, revealing a silver watch inside. It was simple, elegant, and it suited me perfectly. I looked up at her in surprise.

"You know what I like,"

"Of course I do!" She grinned, "How would I not know when we’ve spent a whole lifetime together."

I leaned over and kissed her cheek, my lips lingering against her skin for a moment longer than necessary.

She blushed slightly and motioned for me to open the next gift. This one was larger, wrapped in dark blue paper. When I tore it open, I found a framed picture inside—one of the ultrasound photos of our daughter.

But what made it special was the inscription at the bottom. It read, Our family, our forever.

I stared at it for a long moment, the emotions welling up inside me. This was it. This was everything I had been waiting for. My family. My forever.

I got my memories of our past like when I was fifteen. Since then, for over a decade, I had been looking for Amber. It was frustrating, because no matter how much I tried I would fail.

Over

And over

And over again.

I had to do it alone, only I could recognize her after all.

"I thought it would be nice to have it framed," Amber said softly, her hand resting on her belly. "A reminder of what’s to come."

I swallowed hard, feeling a lump in my throat. "It’s perfect," I whispered. Now that I was here again, in the moment where I had gotten everything I wanted, the loneliness from the past was fading away.

She smiled, and I could see the love in her eyes, the same love I had hoped to see when I was looking, it was what had kept me going through all the years of searching, of waiting. And now, here she was, my wife, carrying our child, giving me everything I’d ever hoped of.

We spent the rest of the evening together, just the two of us. We laughed, we reminisced about our life in the magic tower and we talked about the future. At one point, we moved to the living room, where Amber lay on the couch, her head resting on my lap as I ran my fingers through her hair.

The TV was on in the background, but neither of us was paying attention to it. I was too focused on her, on the feel of her warmth against me, on the sound of her breathing. Every moment with her felt precious, like something I needed to hold onto.

I smiled, leaning down to press a kiss to her lips. It was a gentle kiss. She kissed me back, her hand resting on my chest as she pulled me closer.

When we finally pulled away, she smiled up at me, her eyes twinkling with mischief. "I have one more surprise for you."

I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "Another one?" I grinned

She giggled and sat up, carefully maneuvering her pregnant belly as she reached for something behind the couch. When she turned back, she was holding a small box, her eyes shining with excitement.

"This is the last one, I promise," She said, handing it to me.

I took the box from her and opened it, revealing a set of tiny baby shoes inside. They were white and soft, so small that they fit in the palm of my hand.

"For Zola," Amber said softly, her hand resting on her belly.

I stared at the shoes for a long moment, the reality of everything hitting me all over again. I was going to be a father once again.

I didn’t get to hold Zola just as she was born last time, but this time it’s going to be different.

I looked up at Amber, my heart full. "I love you," I whispered, my voice thick with emotion.

"I love you too," She replied, her eyes brimming with tears. "More than anything."

We sat there together, holding each other close, as the world outside faded away. This was all that mattered—us, our family, our future. I had waited for her for so long, and now she was mine, forever

The End