Chapter169 Ready, Mrs. Astor?

Chapter169 Ready, Mrs. Astor?
Chloe

The ceremony ended with another soft kiss, and the small crowd clapped politely while the ocean breeze tugged at my veil. Julian kept one arm around my waist, his thumb tracing on my hip as if he still could not believe I was actually there.

I leaned into him for a second when Tiffany made a choked sound beside me.

“Oh my god,” she whispered.

I followed her gaze down the petal-strewn aisle. Lena walked toward us, arm linked firmly with Ryan’s.

They looked surprisingly good together—her in a pale blue dress, him in a light gray suit that actually fit. My stomach did a weird flip. Julian’s hand tightened on my waist.

Tiffany, Marcus, and I all stared in open shock.

Lena stopped a few feet away, smiling like nothing was weird at all. “Congratulations,” she said, voice bright. “You two look really happy.”

I recovered first. A faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugged at the corner of my mouth before I smoothed it out.

“Thanks,” I managed, though my tone stayed carefully neutral.

“Julian invited us,” Ryan said, glancing between the three of us. “We figured it was time to stop acting like strangers.”

I caught the quick flash of satisfaction in Julian’s eyes and suddenly understood. All those times I had pestered him about who Lena’s boyfriend was, all those times he had refused to answer with that infuriatingly calm expression. He had invited them. The realization hit me like a soft, unexpected nudge.

Julian’s gaze flicked to me for half a second, and I saw it clearly then: the quiet triumph of a prank that had landed perfectly. But beneath the amusement, there was something gentler.

He knew how much I loved my work, and how easily pregnancy, maternity leave, and the baby could have pulled me away from the office and the people there after everything changed. He had done this so I would not feel cut off, so the life I had built outside our family would still have room to breathe.

Lena nodded and held out a small wrapped box. “This is from both of us. Nothing crazy, just something we picked out together.”

I took the gift because it felt rude not to, still trying to process the surprise. “Thanks. Um. You guys look good.”

Lena’s smile softened. “We’ve been talking. A lot. Turns out we have more in common than we thought.”

Ryan rubbed the back of his neck. “We’re taking it slow. Really slow.”

Julian let out a short laugh that sounded half relieved, half amused. “Well. That’s one way to end a feud.”

Lena looked at me. “I know things got messy. I just wanted to say I’m happy for you. Both of you.”

“Thanks,” I said, and I actually meant it. The surprise was still sitting in my chest, but it did not feel bad.

She stepped forward and gave me a quick, careful hug. “Enjoy your night. We’re not staying long—just wanted to drop the gift and say congrats.”

Then they were gone, walking back down the aisle hand in hand while the rest of us watched in silence.

I looked down at the small box in my hands and felt a tiny smile tug at my mouth. “The wedding keeps getting more interesting.”

The officiant gestured toward the photographer waiting near the water. “Shall we get some pictures before the light changes?”

Tiffany clapped once. “Right. Pictures. Then cake. Then you two can disappear and do whatever it is newlyweds do when no one’s watching.”

Julian’s ears turned pink. I bit back a laugh and let him lead me toward the photographer, the unexpected visit still buzzing in the back of my mind, but now wrapped in a quiet, grateful warmth.

We posed for what felt like a hundred shots—some serious, some silly, one where Julian dipped me so low I shrieked and grabbed his shoulders. The whole time his hand stayed on my lower back like he was afraid I would float away if he let go.

When the photographer finally gave us a thumbs-up, the sun was starting to dip toward the horizon.

Kim appeared with a small stack of envelopes. “These came while you were doing photos. Most of them are cards, but a couple look like actual gifts.”

Julian took the stack and flipped through them quickly. One envelope made him pause. “This one’s from Ivy.”

I leaned closer. “She didn’t come?”

He shook his head. “Her mother’s still in prison. Ivy said she didn’t feel right celebrating while her mom’s dealing with all that.”

“That makes sense,” I said quietly. “Poor kid.”

Julian tucked the envelope into his jacket. “I told her I’d look out for her. She shouldn’t have to pay for what Vivienne did.”

“Your mom didn’t come either, right?” I asked, keeping my voice light even though I already knew the answer.

He shrugged like it did not matter. “She sent a gift. That’s enough.”

I studied his face for a second. “You okay with that?”

Julian met my eyes. “I’ve been okay with it for years. I have the family I chose now. You and Liora—that’s all I need.”

The words hit me harder than I expected. My throat got tight, and I had to blink a couple times before I could answer. “You’re going to make me cry in front of everyone.”

He smiled and brushed a thumb under my eye. “Save the tears for later. We still have to walk down this aisle like respectable people.”

Kim appeared again, veil in hand. “Ready, Mrs. Astor?”

I took a deep breath and nodded. The photographer waved us toward the waterline for a few final shots while the guests began drifting toward the small reception area set up farther down the beach.

Little Liora lay in her cradle near the front row, wide awake and quiet, taking everything in like she knew something important had just happened.

Julian’s gaze moved from me to her and back again, and the look on his face made my chest ache in the best way. I reached for his hand, and he took it without hesitation, his fingers warm and steady around mine.

This was our family. Messy, unexpected, and completely ours.