Chapter 9 - The Wedding of the Underworld
Sophia didn't hesitate this time.
The fear and uncertainty that had defined her life a year ago were entirely gone, replaced by an absolute, unshakable certainty. She reached out, took the ring from the box, and slid it onto her left ring finger, where it fit with miraculous perfection.
"Yes," Sophia whispered, her voice thick with emotion. "Yes, Roman. A thousand times yes."
Roman pulled her into his arms, kissing her with a fierce, possessive tenderness that made her heart soar. The past—the debts, the beatings, the terrifying night in the Manhattan skyscraper—felt like a lifetime away. They had survived the fires of the underworld together, and out of the ashes, they had built something unbreakable.
Three months later, the wedding took place on the sprawling lawns of Roman’s Hudson River estate.
It was an event that sent shockwaves through the upper echelons of New York society and the shadowy syndicates of the underworld alike. Powerful politicians, elite business magnates, and cautious mafia bosses mingled under a magnificent white marquee overlooking the river, all of them eager to pay their respects to Roman Vale and his new bride.
Victor Caruso was nowhere to be found; stripped of his territories and discredited by the commission, he had fled to Europe months earlier, a forgotten relic of the past.
Eric was there, standing near the back of the garden in a sharp, tailored suit. He looked healthier, his shoulders broader, his expression humbled. When Sophia walked down the aisle on the arm of a trusted family friend, locking eyes with her brother for a brief second, she gave him a small, forgiving nod. Eric smiled back, tears glistening in his eyes, knowing he had been given a second chance at life—all because of the fierce, unyielding loyalty of the sister he had once nearly destroyed.
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At the altar, Roman stood waiting in a bespoke charcoal tuxedo, his dark eyes fixed entirely on Sophia as she approached. When she reached his side, he took her hand in his—the same large, scarred, powerful hands that had once caught her as she collapsed on a polished hardwood floor.
The vows were simple, solemn, and absolute. When the officiant pronounced them husband and wife, Roman pulled Sophia into his arms and kissed her in front of the assembled world, sealing a bond that nothing could ever break.
