Chapter 9 - The Autumn Wedding
One crisp October afternoon, fourteen months after Dominic had first kicked Elena out of his kitchen, the iron gates of the Long Island estate were thrown wide open.
There were no guards hiding behind trees pretending not to be guards. Instead, the stone driveway was lined with white autumn flowers. String lights hung from the branches of the ancient oak trees, casting a warm, golden glow over the lawn.
In the grand garden behind the mansion, a small altar stood decorated with white roses and lilies.
Marco stood near the front in a sharp tuxedo, holding the velvet ring box with a grin stretching from ear to ear.
And then the music began.
It wasn't a sad song, nor a dramatic march. It was Isabella’s song—the soft, cheerful tune Elena used to hum while baking in the kitchen.
Down the stone pathway walked Lucia, Valentina, and Mia, wearing matching white dresses with flower crowns in their dark curls. They scattered pink petals across the path with bright, glowing smiles.
Behind them walked Elena.
She wore a simple, elegant lace wedding dress that hugged her figure perfectly. Her hair was half-up, adorned with small white flowers, and her eyes shone with unshed tears of pure happiness.
At the end of the aisle stood Dominic. He wasn't wearing his usual cold armor of power; he wore a soft smile, his brown eyes filled with an adoration so deep it made the guests hold their breath.
As Elena reached the altar, Dominic took her hands in his, pressing a tender kiss to her knuckles.
"You look breathtaking," Dominic whispered.
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"You clean up nice for a billionaire," Elena whispered back, making him chuckle.
The officiant smiled, beginning the ceremony that would legally unite their lives, but in truth, their hearts had been bound together the moment the silence in that kitchen finally broke.
