Epilogue

**One Year Later**

Natalia looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. She was standing on her own two feet and could walk as though nothing had ever happened. She still had a few scars, but they were in places that no one other than Hayden could see. Her heart raced when she thought of his name. Their love had grown so strong that she could barely breathe when he wasn't around.

"You look incredible." Natalia turned and saw Krista standing in the doorway.

"Thank you, so do you." They looked at their reflection in the mirror and smiled. Today was Natalia and Hayden's wedding day. After everything they had been through, the time had finally come to commit to each other forever.

Natalia was wearing a long, simple, off-the-shoulder white gown that clung to her tall figure, showing off all her best assets. There was no decoration or anything on it, but the simplicity of the soft silk made it look like a jewel itself. She wore her hair up in a twist with a few curls framing her face. She had no veil, just a decorated headband. Krista was her maid of honor and was wearing a knee-length sleeveless green dress that looked like she was going out to dinner rather than a wedding.

They were getting married in the park where their romance had first begun when she and Hayden had run into each other. Hayden had rented the entire park so it could be blocked off, and a couple of tents were brought in. Krista, Dorian, Dennis, Andy, Dorian's men, and a few people from the office were the only guests.

NC and Sumner Enterprises had merged to make NC/Sumner. They moved their offices to one much larger so they could all work together. Now that they were combined, their businesses were doing astronomically well to the point Hayden and Natalia had just been named the wealthiest couple in the world.

Hayden's parents never came around to accepting Natalia, so he pushed them out of the company. They were now busy trying to figure out how to pay for the lifestyle they had gotten used to.

After Jon was killed, the police investigated for a while. No one was too enthusiastic about it, so it faded to the wayside. Due to the number of victims he had, the suspects were too many to count. Colby prided himself in getting away free with no witnesses. He had made sure to hit his target without putting anyone else in danger. It only took one shot, and then he disappeared like a ghost.

Dorian and Krista were still going strong, and Natalia expected to hear wedding bells soon. They had accomplished Krista's dream of building a firewall that was able to keep even some of the most skilled hackers out. Including Dorian and his team. She had made a national name for herself. With Natalia and Hayden backing her, she started her own business. She and Dorian had found their own apartment not far from Hayden and Natalia's new townhouse.

"Are you ready?" Krista asked her best friend. She and Natalia were like sisters now.

"Yes, just waiting for my escort." Natalia looked toward the door of the tent when she saw movement. Dennis was standing there with his face red. She had asked him to walk her down the aisle because of everything he'd done for them, and she had no one else to do it.

"I'm here. Sorry I was having trouble with my tie." Dennis said, still fussing with the crooked bowtie with one side smaller than the other. Natalia bit her lip to hold in her giggle. She could tell he was out of his element, wearing a tuxedo. She reached over and straightened his tie with a small smile that made him turn even redder.

"Thank you for doing this, Dennis." Natalia kissed his cheek, and Krista couldn't help her laugh that escaped when the older man looked like he was going to pass out.

"It's my pleasure." Krista left and met up with Dorian, who was Hayden's best man. After they were gone, she heard the wedding march and knew it was time. Dennis led her out of the tent, and they began the walk to the altar.

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Hayden felt like he was going to burst from the anxiety of waiting for Natalia. He knew there was no way she wasn't coming, but until he saw her walking toward him, he couldn't relax. Only a handful of people were there to witness their big day, but that's how he and Natalia wanted it. They both hated the fake people who only wanted to be around them because they had money.

They had hired an up-and-coming photographer to take all the pictures. Even though not many people were there, they wanted to remember this day for the rest of their lives. When he heard the music begin and saw Krista and Dorian walking down the aisle, he knew it was almost time. He looked past them, eagerly waiting for Natalia to make her entrance. When the wedding march began, he held his breath.

As Natalia walked out on Dennis' arm, Hayden felt a tear run down his face. She was so beautiful it took his breath away. Seeing her walk without pain or a limp made him want to cry. She walked toward him with a smile, looking into his eyes. Hayden was in a trance watching her and almost missed the moment Dennis put her hand in his. Everything and everyone fell away as they stared at each other. Before he could stop himself, Hayden leaned forward and kissed Natalia as she and the spectators laughed.

"You're stunning," He said as he pulled away. Natalia looked him up and down with a smirk.

"You're not so bad yourself there, handsome." Hayden took her hands in his, and they turned toward the minister officiating their wedding. They just wanted to go with the traditional vows, so they didn't write their own. When they were done, they headed to the tent set up with food. Natalia threw her bouquet, and Aimee, who blushed when looking at Will, caught it. Dorian caught the wedding garter and turned bright red, much to Krista's delight.

After the party winded down and the clean-up crew came, Hayden and Natalia called the car service to take them home. They'd bought a three-story four bedroom townhouse that gave them plenty of room to grow. Natalia wasn't ready to have children yet, but they would have the space when needed. They had just gotten back from a month in Italy, so they opted out of a honeymoon to stay at home.

"As beautiful as you look in that dress, I can't wait to get it off of you," Hayden said as he unzipped her, letting the dress fall from her top half. He pulled her back to his front and kissed her neck.

"Are you happy?" She asked as he nibbled on her earlobe, making her knees feel weak as desire pooled in her belly. She would never tire of the effect he still had on her.

"Are you kidding? I feel like I'm floating on air. You have made me the happiest man in the world by agreeing to be mine forever." Hayden turned her around so he could see her face. He continued pulling her dress off so she was wearing nothing but her white lace lingerie. His throat felt like it was closing up, and his pants were getting uncomfortable. When she smiled, it intensified everything to the point he wanted her now.

"I know we went through a lot to get where we are, but I could not have asked for a better man to be by my side. I'm sure we'll have a lot of obstacles to overcome, but they're worth it to be with you. I love you, Hayden, and nothing will ever change that." Natalia began removing his tuxedo as he stared at her. She reached for the waistband when he was down to nothing but his boxers, but he stopped her.

"I love you too, my beautiful wife. Now let me take care of you and show you how much I appreciate being your husband." Hayden lifted her up and carried her to the bed. They made love until the early hours of the morning when they were too exhausted to move. More hurdles would be thrown their way over the years, but their love would help them overcome it all.