Chapter 155

Chapter 155
Carlo

The days leading up to the wedding felt like a blur of excitement and nerves. Mila was calm, as always, but even she had a joyful sparkle in her eyes that made my own heart race. Our garden ceremony was just around the corner, and everything was finally in place.
Ava had been amazing, helping Mila with every detail. She made sure the flowers were perfect, the food was exactly what we wanted, and even designed the small programs for the guests. She seemed to pour all her bright energy into making sure everything was beautiful. It made me realize how much this wedding meant to her too, a symbol of new beginnings for our whole family.

Even Dimitri seemed less burdened, though his usual watchfulness never fully disappeared. He had handled that problem with the garden venue quickly, just as he said he would. It was a relief, knowing he always had our backs, even for something as personal as a wedding.
The day before the wedding, I was at the tailor, picking up my suit. It was a simple, well-made suit, nothing flashy, but it felt right. As I was leaving, my phone buzzed with a message from an unknown number. I almost ignored it, but something made me open it.

It was a picture. An old, grainy photo of me as a child, standing next to my father, Antonio. Underneath, a short, typed message: "Some ties can never be broken. Even from a distance. He remembers."

My heart gave a quick, cold thump. It was Antonio. Still trying to reach out from jail, still trying to get inside my head. He wasn't trying to cause a big public scene anymore, not like with the garden. This was personal. A quiet jab, a reminder of the past, right before the biggest step of my future.

My first thought was to get angry. To throw my phone. To call Dimitri and demand he stop Antonio for good. But then I looked around. People were walking by, laughing, living their lives. The sun was shining on Axton City. And I thought of Mila, waiting for me, calm and full of light.
Antonio wanted to make me nervous. He wanted to remind me of the dark parts of my past, the family I was born into. But I wasn't that person anymore. I wasn't just my father's son or Dimitri's carefree brother. I was Carlo, soon to be Mila's husband.

I took a deep breath. My fingers hovered over the delete button, but I stopped. No. I wouldn't let him control me, not even with a small, nasty message. I wouldn't delete it; I wouldn't pretend it didn't exist. I would simply acknowledge it and then dismiss it. It had no power over me anymore.
I put the phone back in my pocket and walked out into the sunlight. The old photo, the creepy message—they were just shadows. They couldn't touch the real joy I felt, the new life I was building.

That evening, we had a small dinner at Dimitri and Ava's house with just our closest family. Mila’s parents were there, quiet and kind. Liam was running around, excited for the "party." Ava had made a beautiful cake, and Dimitri was more relaxed than I’d seen him in a long time.
He pulled me aside at one point. "Everything alright, Carlo?" he asked, his eyes sharp, as if sensing the message I'd received.

I hesitated. Should I tell him? No. This was my fight, my personal response. "Everything's perfect, Dimitri," I said, a genuine smile on my face. "Just ready for tomorrow."
He looked at me for a long moment, then nodded, a knowing look in his eyes. He didn't ask for more. He seemed to understand that I was handling something on my own, in my own way.

Later, I sat with Mila for a few minutes, just the two of us, after everyone else had gone to bed.
"Are you nervous?" she asked, her voice soft, holding my hand.
"A little," I admitted. "It's a big step. The biggest." I looked at her, her face calm and loving. "But it's the easiest 'yes' I've ever said."
She smiled, a beautiful, gentle smile. "Me too, Carlo."

I thought about my old life, all the noise and emptiness. And then I thought about this moment: sitting with Mila, feeling her hand in mine, ready to start a new life. It wasn't about avoiding problems. Problems would always be there, like Antonio's shadow. But it was about choosing what truly mattered, choosing the light. My personal growth wasn't about changing who I was but about finding what made me truly happy and holding onto it.
Tomorrow, I would marry Mila. And that was all that mattered. That was the victory.

Ava

The wedding day dawned bright and clear in Axton City. Sunlight poured through our windows, promising a perfect day for Carlo and Mila. The air in the house was buzzing with a happy, nervous energy. Liam was already up, running around in a tiny suit, excited about "Uncle Carlo's big party."
I had poured so much of myself into helping Mila plan this day, and seeing it finally arrive, so beautiful and full of promise, made my heart swell. This wasn't just a wedding; it felt like a declaration of hope, a new, bright chapter for our family that was so different from the dark, old ways.

As I helped Mila with the last touches of her dress, she looked like a dream. Simple, elegant, and full of grace. Her eyes, usually so calm, held a sparkling joy.
"Thank you, Ava," she whispered, squeezing my hand. "For everything. For making this perfect."
"It's going to be beautiful, Mila," I promised, a little teary-eyed myself. "Just like you."

The private garden venue in Axton City looked breathtaking. The flowers we had chosen were in full bloom, their colors soft and inviting. The chairs were set up simply, facing a flower-covered archway. Everything was exactly as Mila had dreamed.
Dimitri was there, of course, standing near the back. His eyes were constantly moving, taking in every detail, every corner of the garden. He was still watching, still guarding, even on a day like this. But when his gaze met mine, his lips curved into a soft, rare smile that told me he felt the peace too. He had made this moment possible by handling Antonio’s attempts to cause problems, quietly pushing back the shadows so the light could truly shine.

Then, it was time. The music started, a soft, gentle melody. Liam, dressed in his little suit, walked down the aisle first, carrying a tiny basket of petals, scattering them with great seriousness. He made everyone smile.

Then, Mila began her walk. She was breathtaking. Carlo, waiting at the archway, watched her with an expression I had never seen on his face before. Pure, open adoration. His usual carefree smile was replaced by something deeper, more serious, and more committed. He looked like a man who had truly found his way home.