Chapter 213 Ridge is my peace
Chapter 213 Ridge is my peace
As Theodore walked her down the grand carpeted corridor toward the flower-draped archway at the end of the hall, Elisa kept her eyes fixed forward. The few specially invited guests seated on either side turned to look, their faces glowing with warm smiles.
Among them, seated near the front row, Elisa’s eyes caught a familiar, comforting sight.
Chi Chen.
The older man,who had been a mentor, a protector, and far more of a true father to her than Theodore ever managed to be,sat with his hands clasped over his knee. His wise, kind eyes met hers, and a proud, gentle smile spread across his weathered face. Elisa smiled back, a wave of deep, grounding warmth washing over her heart.
And then, she saw him.
Standing at the altar beneath an arch of white roses and soft candlelight was Ridge.
He was dressed in a sharp, bespoke black tuxedo that accentuated his powerful, commanding frame. But the moment his dark eyes locked onto hers across the aisle, all the ruthless, terrifying enforcer persona melted away entirely.
Ridge gave her that golden smile. It wasn't the cold, calculated smirk he flashed his corporate rivals. It was a raw, unfiltered smile that reached straight to his soul,a look of such fierce, consuming adoration that it instantly shattered every lingering doubt, every paranoid whisper, and every shadow the stranger had tried to plant in her mind.
He loves me, her heart echoed triumphantly. He is mine, and I am his.
Theodore walked her the final few steps to the altar. He hesitated, his jaw clenching tightly as he looked between his daughter and the formidable billionaire waiting to claim her. For a second, his grip on Elisa’s hand tightened, as if he wanted to pull her back. But with a slow, reluctant exhale, Theodore placed Elisa’s hand into Ridge’s warm, calloused palm.
Ridge’s fingers closed around hers instantly, gripping her hand as if he would never, ever let go. He didn't break eye contact with her even as Theodore stepped back to take his seat.
The priest smiled warmly, beginning the sacred liturgy, but to Elisa and Ridge, the rest of the world dissolved into total silence.
When the time came, their voices were steady, clear, and absolute.
"I, Ridge, take you, Elisa… as my lawfully wedded wife in sickness and health, till death do us apart"
"I, Elisa, take you, Ridge… as my lawfully wedded husband, in sickness and health, till death do us apart.”
“If there's anyone here who's against this beautiful couple tying the knot today, speak now or remain silent forever.” The priest said waiting a little for objection from any angle but when none came, he continued.
The rings slid onto their fingers, smooth, cold gold warmed immediately by their skin.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest declared softly. "Ridge, you may kiss the bride."
Ridge didn't wait. He pulled Elisa fiercely into his arms, crushing her against his broad chest, and crashed his lips down onto hers in a deep, searing, passionate kiss. It wasn't a polite, gentle peck for the audience; it was a desperate, emotional collision of two souls who had fought through fire, blood, betrayal, and death to reach this exact moment. Ridge poured every ounce of his pent-up protective instincts, his fierce loyalty, and his overwhelming love into the kiss, swallowing her breath as if she were the only air he had left to breathe.
Elisa melted into him, wrapping her arms around his neck, kissing him back with equal fervor. The small gathering of guests erupted into thunderous applause and cheers, but neither of them heard a thing. They were locked in their own universe, sealing their vows with a fire that nothing could ever extinguish.
Miles away from the romance, the candlelight, and the celebration, deep in the obscure, industrial underbelly of the city, the atmosphere was a stark, freezing contrast.
Inside a high-tech, heavily fortified surveillance room, glowing computer monitors cast an eerie blue light across the concrete walls.
Two men stood watching a live, unauthorized feed being streamed from a hidden micro-camera planted near the Lockhart estate’s perimeter.
Damien crossed his massive arms over his chest, his scarred face twisted into a dark scowl as he watched the digital playback of Ridge and Elisa kissing at the altar. "They actually pulled it off. The bastard gave her a fairy-tale wedding right under our noses."
Vicenzo leaned back in his leather ergonomic chair, a slow, venomous chuckle rumbling deep in his throat. He tapped a long, manicured finger against the edge of his desk, his eyes gleaming with malicious delight.
"Let them play house, Damien," Vicenzo purred, his voice smooth and toxic as liquid arsenic. "A grand wedding makes the subsequent fall all the more spectacular."
Damien narrowed his eyes, glancing down at the control panel. "What are you talking about? You think crashing a private estate with guns is going to work? Ridge has an army of guards."
"We aren't crashing anything with guns, my dear brute," Vicenzo smiled, revealing teeth too white to be natural. "Bullets are far too quick and merciful for a Lockhart."
Vicenzo leaned closer to the monitor, zooming in on the face of Ridge Lockhart smiling down at his new bride.
"I bet she doesn't even know yet," Vicenzo whispered, a cold, predatory thrill spiking in his chest, "that Ridge is only marrying her out of deep, agonizing pity. Deep down, beneath all those flowers and wedding vows, he still harbors a dark, consuming doubt about the paternity of that newborn child. He wonders every single day if the baby really belongs to him, or if she brought a piece of her past into his bed."
Vicenzo threw his head back, letting out a sharp, booming roar of laughter that echoed off the cold concrete walls.
"Let them celebrate their little union," Vicenzo smiled darkly, his eyes flashing with cruel anticipation. "Enjoy the cake, Mrs. Lockhart. Because an absolute masterpiece of a wedding gift is waiting patiently for you the second the music stops. And when it arrives, it’s going to tear that happy little family apart from the inside out."