"Wow, look at her! What a precious little princess~"
Tony Stark's face softened with a rare warmth as he looked at little Sally nestled in Bella's arms. Even Happy, who often wore the stoic mask of a bodyguard, couldn't help but smile.
Tony had always had a soft spot for children, especially adorable, well-behaved ones. And despite his broad frame and bodyguard persona, Happy was the kind of guy who secretly loved babysitting more than security duty.
"It seems we're intruding on some family time," Tony said with a chuckle, giving a goofy wave to Sally as he turned toward the door.
He even made a funny face before leaving, which sent Sally into a fit of giggles.
Bella, amused by the scene, took Sally's hand and walked with them to the front door. It was a surprisingly simple goodbye from Tony—no long-winded speech, no persuasive banter. Perhaps because Sally was around, or perhaps because he knew how to read the room, Tony kept it brief.
As the sound of the sports car faded into the distance, Bella turned her head toward Sally.
"Come on," she said gently, "it's time for class."
"Okay~" Sally chirped cheerfully.
She was as obedient as ever.
Sally had no memories of her traumatic past, and Bella didn't intend to bring those dark memories back. That history was far too cruel—so cruel that Bella often felt a burning rage just thinking about the monster responsible.
If she could, she'd revive that man and throw him back into hell herself.
Now, Sally's memories began from the day she awoke in Bella's care. And while Bella refused to let her little sister grow up illiterate or untrained, she also had no intention of raising her in the harsh, emotionally sterile way she herself had once endured.
Sally deserved to grow up happy.
Despite that, basic education was a must. Especially since Sally's soul had absorbed the essence of the Witch-Heart Demon, giving her an extraordinary soul strength—far surpassing that of any normal child. In terms of learning, Sally could be considered a prodigy.
She picked things up at a terrifying speed, but Bella refused to push her too hard. Instead, she carefully balanced education with play, allowing Sally the space to grow into her abilities rather than be chained by them.
And of course, there was another reason to keep a close eye on her.
Sally's powers were dangerous.
Bella knew if her sister accidentally lost control—even by a slight margin—the consequences could be catastrophic. Especially in a school environment, where other children could trigger intense emotions.
So she chose to teach Sally personally for now.
Time passed quickly. Two weeks went by in peace, and during this time, Bella's friend Angie wrapped up a chunk of her medical internship.
As soon as Angie returned home, she was shocked to find a cute little girl living in Bella's apartment.
Her eyes widened. "Hold up—did you seriously adopt a child while I was gone?!"
Bella, ever quick on her feet, offered a vague but emotional explanation: "She lost her parents… poor thing. I couldn't just leave her."
Angie, of course, was a softie. And with Bella's convincing delivery, she immediately melted into the role of doting big sister.
She'd always wanted a younger sibling anyway.
Now that she had Sally, she was completely smitten. She came home from the hospital every day just to shower the little one with love, hugs, and silly gifts. In no time, she even began teaching Sally basic math and writing, practically stealing the role of tutor from Bella.
Bella just watched from the sidelines with a fond smile.
Strangely, despite never meeting before, Sally seemed oddly familiar with Angie, never shy or reserved. What Angie didn't know was that when Sally had been in her soul form, she'd often played tricks and made funny faces at her.
That familiarity carried over, even if Angie couldn't understand why.
Bella adored the peaceful atmosphere their home had become. It was bright, warm, and filled with laughter. It was the kind of life she never thought she'd get to experience.
But Bella wasn't only playing teacher and big sister during this time.
She was still researching new techniques, especially focusing on her attempt to simulate a Fixed Star—a miniature sun, for lack of better words. It was a bold idea, and for that, she needed help.
So she reached out to one of the best minds in that field: Dr. Otto Octavius.
The brilliant physicist had spent years studying artificial energy reactions and sun-like systems. Bella sought him out not just for advice but to deepen her own understanding of the complex thermodynamic phenomena required to simulate such a star.
The core principle wasn't too complicated on the surface.
A Fixed Star begins to cool from its center, losing the heat needed to balance its internal gravitational pressure. This imbalance causes a collapse, which in turn heats the outer layers, eventually leading to a violent explosion—a supernova—if the star is large enough.
That was the science. But pulling it off in the real world?
Far more difficult.
Bella could certainly simulate an explosion, but that lacked precision and power. It wasn't enough to just make things go boom. She wanted control. She wanted artistry. She wanted a cosmic-level weapon under perfect mastery.
And Dr. Otto was the key.
Dr. Otto was delighted by Bella's visit. First, she was a rising star in the scientific community. Second—and perhaps more interesting to him—was the quiet fact that she now held shares in Stark Industries.
That wasn't common knowledge, of course. But for someone with Otto's connections, the whispers had already begun.
She was one of the new shareholders. Nobody knew how much, but that didn't matter.
Her name was now tied to the most powerful company on the planet.
Dr. Otto, ever the pragmatist, knew the importance of financial backing in the scientific world. While he had the support of the Osborn Group, forging a relationship with someone like Bella was clearly a smart move.
And Bella, of course, never revealed just how much she knew. But she did appreciate Otto's generosity and openness.
With his guidance, her theoretical knowledge deepened rapidly. She found herself refining ideas, correcting calculations, and even brainstorming new methods of energy containment.
One afternoon, Otto extended a formal invitation.
"Come to my public demonstration," he said. "A month from now, we're unveiling the artificial sun prototype to the world."
The invite would include investors, media personnel, and executives like Harry Osborn, the current head of the Osborn Group.
If successful, the experiment could revolutionize the energy industry, bringing near-limitless clean power to the world.
Dr. Otto was confident.
Too confident.
Bella smiled politely as she accepted the invitation, but a flicker of unease passed through her.
She knew this event marked the beginning of tragedy.
She remembered clearly—this was the moment Otto's life spiraled out of control. The birth of Doctor Octopus. The failed experiment. The mechanical arms. The grief. The madness.
Gently, she tried to warn him.
"There may be… variables in your design," she hinted.
But Otto just smiled and waved it off.
"The calculations are airtight," he said with pride. "This will change the world."
And maybe it would.
Bella didn't push. She knew better than to argue with someone in love with their own dream. But deep inside, she made a quiet vow: if anything went wrong, she'd be there to stop it.
Whether out of curiosity or compassion, she wanted to be present.
Not just for Otto's sake.
But because this experiment might offer her the insight she needed—to shape power, bend light, and maybe, just maybe, create her own sun.
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