Chapter 32 DO YOU?
\~~~DAMIEN.
I watched her walk down the aisle, and for a moment, I didn’t see her face. It was hidden beneath the veil, but even like that, she was breathtaking.
Every step she took seemed to pull the air around her closer like the world itself wanted to follow her.
Serena Evans, the woman I would be marrying in a matter of minutes. The woman who would take my ring, my name, and my possessions in every way the law allowed.
I didn’t see her face yet, but I didn’t need to. I knew the shape of her, the way she carried herself, the dangerous mix of strength and vulnerability that made her impossible to ignore.
Ethan stood behind me, as calm as ever, but I could feel his tension. He had been my right hand for years, the man who could tell me I was wrong and live to tell the tale. Today, though, he looked uneasy. And why wouldn’t he? He was about to watch me bind myself to someone I shouldn’t.
The woman he had outrightly reminded me of was supposed to remain ‘a no-go zone’ because she used to be my nephew's girlfriend.
Ryan, on the other hand, looked like he had aged a decade since the wedding preparation began. He was our officiant for the day, and literally everyone knew he hated it.
He didn’t even try to hide it as his face was red, his jaw remained tight, and the way he kept shifting weight from one foot to the other. He was not happy and I could only smirk slightly at that.
The music played softly, the murmur of the guests faded into the background, and then she appeared fully at the end of the aisle, her hand in her mother’s. I could see the fear and worry in her mother’s eyes as she gently held Serena’s arm. For a moment, our eyes met, and I nodded once, just enough to tell her silently that she’s in safe hands.
Serena’s friend followed behind, carrying the train of her dress and making sure every detail of her gown stayed perfect. The dress itself was exquisite. It was white silk and lace, with delicate beadwork catching the light with every step, fitted just right at the waist and flaring softly into a long, flowing skirt. A gown that could make any bride feel like a fairy-tale princess, and yet, Serena’s anxiety made her look smaller, more human, and fragile.
Oh, but dangerous, still very dangerous.
When she reached the altar, I took her hands in mine and immediately, I felt them shake. The tremor was small but insistent. She was scared, and I knew it. I didn’t need words.
“Anything wrong?” I whispered, keeping my voice low so only she could hear.
She shook her head slightly. “Uhm hm.”
“You can talk to me.”
Her lips pressed into a thin line, and finally, she whispered, almost against her will, “Trust me, you won’t want me to .”
I didn’t flinch, didn’t move. I held her gaze. “If you do not want to push through with this anymore, all you have to say is the word.”
“You don’t mean it.”
I did. I always did.
But I also knew something else. I would never let her go, not completely. She could say no, she could call this off and I would agree but she would never leave me. I would spend years convincing her if I had to.
“Try me,” I murmured.
Her eyes flicked to mine again, vulnerable under the veil, and then Ryan’s voice cut through the tension.
“Ladies and gentlemen, we are gathered here today to witness the union of Damien Thorne Hale and Serena Evans…” Ryan began, his tone stiff, unenthusiastic.
He read the opening words, and I could feel the tightness in his shoulders as he shuffled through the ceremony.
The usual words of promises of love, support, loyalty, and honor followed but I barely heard them. My focus stayed on Serena. Every tiny movement, the way she held her bouquet, the way her fingers pressed into mine, and even the small rise and fall of her chest.
Her hands were clammy against mine, trembling, yet she didn’t pull away. That alone told me everything I needed to know. She was scared, anxious and she had doubts. But she was still here, standing with me and choosing this.
I squeezed her hands slightly, just enough to reassure her, just enough to let her know that I was fully present, fully aware, and fully hers.
Ryan continued the ritual, reading aloud vows and ceremonial words. “Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish each other, in sickness and in health, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, until death do you part?”
I watched her lips move in silent assent. I didn’t need her voice to tell me anything. Her eyes, her posture, and the way she was gripping me already said it all.
And then came the moment. The words that demanded my choice, my decision, and my absolute commitment. Ryan’s voice broke slightly, and I felt the tension spike in the hall.
“Do you, Damien Thorne Hale, take Serena Evans to be your wife, to hold and to…to have, to honor, to love, and to cherish, from this day forward, for as long as you both shall live?”
Time seemed to slow and I glanced at Serena again. Her hands were tight around mine, her veil hid her expression, but I could feel the tiny shivers of fear running through her body.
And I thought back.
Four years ago, I first saw her. The moment she walked into my life, everything shifted.
Her presence alone demanded my attention. I didn’t know it then, but I knew it.
I knew she would be mine.
Even now, standing here, about to speak the words that would bind us forever, I felt the same certainty. Nothing mattered. Not the ceremony, not Ryan’s disgusted tone, and definitely not the hundred eyes watching.
She was mine.
So, hell, yes, “I do.”
The words left my lips, calm, and steady.
Her eyes flicked up at me, and for a brief second, I saw relief, fear, excitement, and surrender all mixed into one. I tightened my grip on her hands, grounding us both.
Ryan cleared his throat again, and the room held its breath. “Do you, Serena Evans, take Damien Thorne Hale…”
I ignored the rest as my focus remained on her.
And just like that, she was mine. Not because of vows or laws or rings. But because she had come all this way, walked down this aisle, and let me take her hand. She had chosen me.
So finally, Serena Hale is mine.