Chapter 76 Chapter Seventy-six

Chapter 76 Chapter Seventy-six
Chapter 76

Damian leaned in, reaching over to turn to a fresh page in the notebook. "I've been giving the location some thought. What do you think about New York?"

"New York City?" Aria asked, her interest piqued.

He nodded. "A few months ago, you were talking to Lucy in the kitchen. You mentioned that if you ever had a dream wedding, you always pictured it happening somewhere with crisp autumn air."

Aria frowned, trying to recall the conversation. "I said that? I don't remember telling Lucy that."

"You didn't," Damian smiled wickedly. "You were talking in your sleep a few weeks ago."

Aria's mouth fell open in utter mortification. She dropped her head into her hands. "Oh my god. I do not talk in my sleep."

"You absolutely do," he countered, his smile widening. "You have entire conversations with the pillows. You said Central Park was beautiful when the leaves turned color."

She groaned loudly into her palms. "This is terrible. What else did I say?"

"Something about little white flowers," he murmured softly, his hand reaching out to pull her hands away from her face so he could look at her. "I remember everything you say, Aria. Even when you're dreaming."

She looked at him, her heart aching with a profound sense of gratitude. She squeezed his fingers tightly. "So... New York?"

"I want whatever makes you happy," he said simply. "If you want a small beach in Maui or a grand hall in Europe, we'll do that. But I thought New York in October would be perfect."

Aria looked thoughtful, looking out over the marina water. "I've never actually been to New York. I've only ever seen it in movies."

"Then we'll make sure your very first visit is unforgettable," he promised.

Aria hesitated for a brief moment, her old habits of financial worry briefly rearing their head. "But... isn't planning a wedding in Manhattan incredibly expensive? Logistically, flying everyone out there, booking a venue in the middle of the city..."

Damian simply stared at her, deadpan, waiting for her to realize what she had just said.

Aria froze, then burst into a fit of giggles, covering her mouth. "Right. Sorry. I completely forgot who I married for a second."

He smiled, shaking his head in mock disappointment. "Exactly. Let me worry about the bank accounts, Mrs. Cross. You just focus on what you want."

By the time evening settled over the city, they made their way back to the Cross estate.

Lucy was waiting for them in the main living room, curled up on one of the large sofas with a magazine. The moment Aria walked through the door clutching the small leather notebook to her chest with a massive grin on her face, Lucy’s eyes narrowed in instant suspicion.

She stood up, tossing the magazine aside. "Alright, what are you two hiding? You both look like you just successfully pulled off a bank heist."

Aria tried to look innocent, but she couldn't suppress her grin. "We're just planning a few things."

Before Aria or Damian could stop her, Lucy lunged forward with lightning-fast reflexes and snatched the notebook right out of Aria's hands. She flipped it open, her eyes darting across the handwritten pages. Aria watched as her friend's eyes grew progressively wider, her mouth dropping open a fraction of an inch with every page she turned.

"Oh my god..." Lucy gasped, looking up at Damian, then at Aria, then back down at the sloppy sketches of the floral arrangements. "Are you... are you two doing what I think you're doing?"

Damian gave a single, slow nod. "We're having another ceremony."

Lucy didn't just gasp this time, she screamed.

"What happened?" the butler asked, looking around frantically. "Is everyone alright?"

Lucy turned around to face the gathering staff, her eyes bright with unshed tears of absolute joy. "They're having a real wedding! A proper one!"

Aria laughed until tears formed in the corners of her eyes, overwhelmed by the outpouring of love. "I honestly didn't expect everyone to get this excited over it."

"Are you kidding?" Lucy whispered loudly, throwing her arms around Aria's shoulders in a tight hug. "They absolutely adore you, Aria. This house has been a graveyard for years. You're the best thing that ever happened to it."

Before Aria could respond to the sweet compliment, a sharp, familiar voice cut through the celebration from the grand staircase.

"A wedding?"

The entire room fell into an immediate, dead silence. The maids quickly stepped back, smoothing down their aprons, and the butler cleared his throat, stepping to the side.

Evelyn Cross stood halfway down the sweeping marble staircase. She was dressed elegantly, as always, her posture perfectly rigid. She looked down at the gathering, her sharp eyes moving deliberately from her son, to Aria, and finally settling on the notebook still clutched tightly in Lucy’s hands.

"You two have already been legally wed," Evelyn stated coldly, her voice echoing in the quiet room. "The paperwork is filed. It's official."

Damian stepped forward, placing a protective hand on the small of Aria’s back. He met his mother's gaze without an ounce of fear or hesitation. "We know it's official, Mother."

"Then why on earth would you subject the family to another ceremony?"

Damian’s voice was entirely calm, but it held an unshakeable strength that resonated through the room. "Because the first wedding was about protection. It was handled in a rush because we had to survive." He paused, turning his head to look down at Aria, his eyes full of warmth. "The next one will be strictly about love."

Another heavy silence filled the foyer.

Finally, Evelyn shifted her gaze to Aria. The silence stretched for a long, agonizing moment before she spoke again, her voice slightly softer than before. "When are you planning this event?"

Damian answered for them. "Autumn. In New York City."

Evelyn remained quiet, her hand resting on the marble banister. The staff held their breath, waiting for the inevitable critique or disapproval. But to everyone's absolute astonishment, Evelyn didn't scoff. Instead, she gave a single, very small, dignified nod of her head.

"I suppose..." Evelyn began, her eyes locking onto Aria's with an unreadable expression. "...every bride deserves at least one day that is entirely her own."

It wasn't an apology. It wasn't an explicit plea for forgiveness for the cruelty of the past week, and it certainly wasn't a sudden transformation into a doting mother-in-law. But as Evelyn turned and quietly walked back up the stairs, disappearing around the corner of the upper landing, Aria knew exactly what it was.

It was the closest thing to true acceptance she had ever received from the matriarch of the Cross family.

Lucy leaned in close to Aria’s ear, breaking the silence with a wide smirk. "Wow. I think that actually counts as major progress in Evelyn-speak."

Aria watched the empty staircase where Evelyn had vanished, a genuine, warm smile spreading across her face. "Maybe it is, Lucy. Maybe it is."