Chapter 203 Hidden Helper

Chapter 203 Hidden Helper
Serena’s POV

Everything blurred away around me.

The voices.

The music.

The movement… it all faded into nothing.

I was standing there, right in front of him—right in front of what should be Dante—but suddenly…

It wasn’t him I was seeing. It was Marco.

His face, clear as day and right in front of me.

My breath didn’t hitch and my heart didn’t race.

I just… stared.

And then—

The images flashed and a sharp crack echoed in my mind. The sound of a gunshot.

I looked and saw the bullet. Right there, driving straight into his head.

Time stood still for that long bloody moment.

His body didn't jerk, it just slowly made its way back, tipping over till I spotted figures behind me. Men with guns, ready to shoot.

His eyes had rolled back and just like that, everything slipped away.

Then my gaze dropped to my hand, raised and holding the gun.

Even though I could feel my hand resting by my side—I saw it.

Steady, not shaking one bit.

The weapon felt warm in my grip.

The same moment.

The same choice.

The same ending.

It replayed once. Then again. Then again—

And I didn’t flinch. I didn’t look away. I didn’t regret one bit of it.

Because for the first time since that very moment, I wasn’t running from it.

I wasn’t drowning in it. I wasn’t questioning it.

I just… accepted it.

Every part of it. Every consequence that followed, every version of me that led to that moment and developed since then.

All of it brought me to this moment.

A slow smile touched my lips as everything disappeared and the silence shattered with sounds rushing back in all at once.

The murmur of the crowd.

The voice of the officiant.

The faint rustle of movement around me.

Reality snapped back into place with Dante standing in front of me again.

Only Dante.

His brows were slightly drawn while his eyes scanned my face like he was trying to read something in me.

“Serena…” he murmured under his breath.

And I blinked once. Then smiled. “I’m here.”

His expression eased off immediately. Then, without breaking eye contact, he reached forward and gently lifted the veil from my face.

I smiled as I saw his pretty handsome face clearly now.

The officiant cleared his throat slightly. “May we proceed with the rings?”

A small movement followed around me then men brought forward two boxes.

One placed in Dante’s hand. The other in mine.

I glanced down briefly at the box in his hand, it was smaller, but quite similar to the one in my hand which was bigger.

My fingers tightened subtly around it as I questioned its content, but said nothing.

The officiant turned towards Dante.

“Do you, Dante Russo, take Serena Marcetti to be your wife, to love and to cherish, in all circumstances, for as long as you both shall live?”

Dante didn’t hesitate. “I do.”

Simple and firm, like he had no doubt in the world.

The officiant gestured between us and Dante opened the small box and pulled out a gold ring.

Smaller, but unmistakable. A similar copy to the one he had been given at the court.

I gasped softly and looked up at him instinctively.

“How?” I muttered under my breath.

But Dante only gave a small shrug as the corner of his lips lifted faintly.

Like it wasn’t a big deal. Like it was nothing.

But it wasn’t nothing. Not to me.

He took my hand gently and carefully slid the ring onto my finger.

It fit perfectly. Like it had always belonged there.

The officiant then turned to me. “And do you, Serena Marcetti, take Dante Russo to be your husband, to stand by him, to honor him, and to remain by his side for as long as you both shall live?”

Silence fell again. But this time—

It wasn’t empty. It was filled to its brim.

Filled with everything I had been. Everything I had survived. Everything I had become.

I looked at him, but not as the man who had once taken me hostage from the back of the church.

Not as the Don everyone feared. Not as the protector who stood between me and the world.

But as—

Mine.

My chest rose slowly and a smile spread across my lips.

“For the first time in my life…” I began softly with my voice steady.

“I don’t have to think twice.”

A small pause.

Then—

“Yes,” I added with a wider smile. “Fucking yes.”

A ripple of laughter and cheers went through the crowd while they applauded.

Dante’s head dipped slightly as he let out a quiet breath, clearly amused by my antics.

I opened my box and inside was the ring he had been given in court.

For a second, I just held it in my hand, feeling the weight settle into my palm.

It was certainly heavy.

Then I reached for his hand and slid it onto his finger perfectly.

The officiant smiled faintly. “Well then,” he started and paused.

“With the power vested in me, I pronounce you both husband and wife, The Darena family!” He cheered and everyone clapped.

“You may—”

He didn't get to finish as Dante stepped forward at once, pulling me to him.

“This is the part I’ve been waiting for all day,” he muttered low enough for only me to hear.

And then—

He kissed me, planting his lips on mine in a deep and claiming way, the kind that screamed ‘I love you’ in the way words couldn't.

His hand wrapped firmly around my waist, pulling me closer, while mine slid up to his shoulders, gripping onto him like the rest of the world had ceased to exist.

And maybe it had.

Because I couldn’t hear anything. Couldn’t feel anything beyond him, beyond our lips against each other.

The kiss stretched longer than I think it should have gone as even the crowd stopped clapping and started whistling.

But neither of us cared that there were hundreds of people watching at that moment cause it belonged only to us.

After a few more seconds of tasting his desire, I smiled against his lips before lightly tapping him and pulling away.

“We still have a wedding to finish, Don,” I murmured softly.

He huffed out a quiet breath against my mouth before finally pulling back fully, very reluctantly.

The crowd erupted around us with cheers and claps.

Voices rose all around us. But I barely heard any of it, cause his hand found mine again.

And he didn’t let go.

He raised our joined hands together and the clapping just went above the roof.

He pulled me to go, then I remembered something.

“Wait, I've always wanted to do this,” I muttered and stood properly on the stage, staring down at a small group of ladies including those in uniform.

I pulled a flower from the vase nearby, then teased them a bit before tossing the bouquet down and watching them scramble for it before one brunette came out with it raised.

I smiled and moved to Dante at once, sliding my hand into his as he led me away.

The rest of the event flowed like a dream.

We walked out together. Hand in hand while the noise followed us, wrapping around us like a storm of celebration.

The reception started immediately with loud music, party lights and an endless stream of people.

We ate, danced, and smiled more than I thought was humanly possible.

Juliana pulled me into a hug so tight I almost lost my breath when I finally saw her.

And when Valentina found me, she burst out in tears. I was expecting that.

I spent about five minutes patting her back and getting her to calm down.

Then when my mother finally came around, my chest tightened slightly at the sight of her.

She looked happy, genuinely happy.

And that alone made everything worth it.

At some point, Dante and I found a moment to ourselves between it all.

I glanced down at the ring on my finger again.

“You still haven’t told me how you did it,” I said, lifting my hand slightly.

He followed my gaze. Then shrugged lightly.

“When I called Shawn,” he said calmly, “and he accepted… I asked him for a favor.”

I shook my head slightly as a smile slipped through. “You’re such a romantic husband,” I chimed.

That would need some getting used to.

He scoffed quietly. “I try when I try.”

That pulled a soft laugh from me.

And as the night stretched on, I found myself watching him.

Not the way I used to.

Not with caution. Not with carefulness, not with fear.

But with peace.

I wasn’t looking at a Don. I wasn’t looking at a man the world bowed to.

I wasn’t even looking at the man who had once changed my life by force.

I was looking at—

My husband.

The man I had chosen.

The man I would choose again over and over again.

And when we finally slipped out of the party, I appreciated the cool air against my skin.

We walked side by side, slowly with our hands still loosely intertwined.

For a moment, neither of us said anything. Till a figure stepped forward, blocking our path.

I blinked slightly before recognizing him.

“Oh,” I said, a small smile forming. “I didn’t see you after the war… you just disappeared.”

I tilted my head slightly. “How are you? I didn’t even get to thank you properly.”

The man stood still. The robot guy but without his Russian men.

He remained silent for a while. Then—

“I’m sorry I missed the wedding,” he said in that same distorted, mechanical voice. “I had to get permission to be here.”

I frowned slightly.

“But I’m happy for you,” he continued. “I thought I would never see this day.”

That didn't come out well. The fuck?

I glanced at Dante briefly, then back at him. “Sorry… but, do we know each other from somewhere before now?”

A small pause. Then—

“Oh, right. I’ve still got this mask on.”

I pulled my brows together. “I don’t understand—”

But swallowed the words as he reached up and slowly pulled off the mask.