Ch 25

The flight back to Florida felt like it was taking forever to The Undertaker. Bella had quickly fallen asleep against him, exhausted from the emotional weight of him telling her about what he overheard between Vince and Hunter. He agreed with Bella that confronting Hunter was pointless. She just had to wait till his secret came out. He glanced down at her peaceful face, a soft smile forming on his lips. She had no idea what awaited her when they reached Florida. For weeks, he had gone over his plan in his mind, fine-tuning every detail, and tonight felt like the perfect moment. He knew how stressed Bella had been, carrying the burden of how she wasn't liking how the storyline felt too personal at times. She hid her struggles from everyone at work—except him. She had vented numerous times when they were alone it bothered her saying certain lines to Hunter. He hoped the surprise he had prepared would ease some of her tension. Leaning down, he pressed a light kiss to her forehead, pulling her closer. When they landed, he didn't have the heart to wake her. Instead, he gently scooped her into his arms and carried her to the waiting car.

By the time they arrived at Bella's Orlando rental, it was well past midnight. The soft glow of the moonlight illuminated the quiet neighborhood as the car came to a stop. Bella stirred, rubbing her eyes groggily. When she looked out the window and saw the familiar house, a confused smile spread across her face as she wondered why they were there instead of home to check on the construction.

"I think I'm still dreaming," she murmured sleepily, remembering the last time they had stayed at this house they had finally taken their relationship further. "I thought we were going home for a few days."

"You're not dreaming darling," Taker said with a grin. "I rented the place for a few nights. I wanted some alone time with you. This place has good memories for us."

Bella's eyes lit up as she stretched in her seat. "Very very good memories. I love you surprised me with time just for us, especially here."

He gave her a soft smile, helping her out of the car and carrying their bags inside. "I'm hoping to make another memory here. I've got one more surprise for you."

She looked up at him curiously, her fingers trailing down his chest. "Another surprise? What are you up to, handsome?" Taker didn't answer. Instead, he took her hand and led her toward the back porch, where the night air was cool and crisp, carrying the scent of roses. As they stepped outside, Bella's breath caught in her throat. The entire pool area had been transformed into a romantic paradise. Flowers—roses, lilies, and orchids—lined the edges of the pool, their vibrant colorful petals illuminated by dozens of candles scattered along the ground. More candles floated atop the water, their flames flickering gently with the night breeze. Bella blinked, still trying to process the beautiful scene behind her and the man she loved more than anything dropping to his knee in front of her. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black velvet box. Bella's heart thundered as he opened the box to reveal a stunning diamond ring.

"I've been thinking a lot lately. I don't want you to just play a part as we travel and in the ring," Taker said, his voice rough yet full of emotion. "I want you to be my wife—for real."

Bella stared at him, hoping she wasn't dreaming. She could hardly believe what she was hearing.

"After years of fighting how we feel, I don't want to waste another second. We don't need to date for years. I already know you're the one," Taker continued, his gaze steady and unwavering. "You are my everything, Bella. I want to spend the rest of my life with you as my wife." He paused, his lips twitching with nervousness. "I want to marry you next weekend in Vegas."

Tears welled in Bella's eyes, her emotions swirling as she tried to find the right words. "Are you serious?" she whispered, her voice shaky.

Taker smiled again, making her heart dance happily. "Dead serious. I love you endlessly. You're my world. Bella, will you marry me?"

A tear slid down Bella's cheek as she let out a soft, breathless happy sigh. "Yes," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Yes, I'll marry you. I want to spend my life with you."

Taker gently slid the ring onto her finger. As the cool metal touched her skin, Bella felt her heart swell with pure happiness. Without hesitation, she threw her arms around his neck, pulling him into a kiss filled with all the love she had for him. He wrapped his arms around her tightly, anchoring her to him, as if the moment was too perfect to let go. The candles flickered softly around them, their flames dancing in celebration of their new beginning. When Taker finally stood up keeping her tightly in his arms, she broke the kiss. Happy tears ran down her cheek as her fingers brushed over the ring as if to make sure it was real.

"You really want to get married next weekend in Vegas?" she asked, her voice had a hint of disbelief.

Taker chuckled, the sound low and deep. "Yes, I do. I want you to be my wife if I could marry you right now at this moment I would. I'll settle for next weekend at a small ceremony with our family—unless you'd rather wait and have a big wedding." He gave her a knowing look. "But I have a feeling you'd prefer something intimate."

Bella nodded, tears glistening in her eyes. "You know me too well. I don't want a fancy big wedding. I just want to be married to you. I can't imagine life without you. I want to keep building our life together. I need you more than I can put into words," she whispered, her smile radiant.

Taker pressed a kiss to her forehead, his heart full. "I'm yours forever darling," he kissed her deeply. "Then it's settled. Next weekend, we will get married. Unfortunately a long honeymoon will have to wait but we can take a short one."

"I'm ok waiting for a long honeymoon. We can shut the world out for a few days after the show and find somewhere to celebrate just us. Thank you for this wonderful surprise. I love you for eternity," she whispered against his lips.

"I love you Bella," he kissed her, cherishing the moment. Bella leaned into him, her fingers tracing the lines of his tattoos as they stood together under the night sky. The pool sparkled with candlelight, and the flowers swayed gently in the breeze, creating the perfect backdrop. In that moment, Bella felt every ounce of stress leave her body as only happiness filled her and Mark could feel her happiness making him hold her even tighter never wanting to let her go.