Chapter Sixty-Two

The dinner-turned-party went on into the late hours of the night, with the Montegomerys putting off their departure until the following morning. The children had long been put to sleep, and all couples visiting the Rossi Mansion who were not able to go back home were assigned rooms for the night. 

So, the Rossi Mansion, with its over a hundred-year history, was bustling with activities and excitement, with guests all wondering what kind of wedding would be held by these illustrious families.

Alless and Scarlet were the heirs to huge empires, so society expected more than an ordinary arrangement, and because of this, the whole place was abuzz with excitement.

Photos of Alless and Scarlet’s public engagement were all over social media. The posts were reposted over and over again.The traffic generated on social media was so great that Twitter and Facebook began to experience technical glitches.

For Alless and Scarlet, their re-engagement did not add any special glow to their already perfect relationship. Their joy can never be reduced by any circumstances; their love was eternal, for all lifetimes. 

Antonio and Carla were overjoyed at their children’s decision to get remarried. They were excited for them, though their first marriage was binding to them. They agreed with them that societal expectations should be met so that they could continue to hold their positions in society.

On the other side of the mansion, Diego, the chief guardian of the Montegomerys, was already in bed with his wife Nana after a long time. They had not shared any marital relations for almost two months. So their coming together today was so tumultuous that they were both left gasping for breath. Even in their advanced age, their love for each other has never waned; they loved each other because they were soul mates and could not do without each other. For their clans, their love for their mate was eternal and for all lifetimes.

Edwardo and Sabrina had tried to hash things out after the party. Sabrina had been sad rather than angry. Sad for herself when she saw how much Scarlet and Alless loved each other. They had so much going for them and were even planning a second wedding, while she had no idea of the direction of her relationship with Edwardo. What was she to do? Leave forever and never come back.? Was she strong enough to leave without looking back? 

And here, Edwardo was begging her to forgive him for not keeping his promise of coming back to see her. He had given her enough reasons to convince her. 

“Forgive me, Sabrina; it was not deliberate. I had every hope of coming back because there was something important I needed to tell.” Edwardo told Sabrina in a pleading voice, releasing all his charms.

“So why didn't you come back? Not even a phone call, Edwardo? Do I matter so little to you?” Sabrina asked, almost in tears.

“You matter so much that there are not enough words to tell you, how. This is what I have been telling you all this time. Alless will always come first in my life. I was born for him. If you understand that, then there may be a chance for this relationship to work.” Edwardo explained it patiently but firmly. 

Sabrina stood with her arms crossed over her chest, looking puzzled.

“Just give me some time. Just a little bit of time until after the wedding. I will put all the cards on the table, and then we will decide if we should take this forward or not. For now, could you just give me a hug? I will be needing you as we may not get to see each other like this till after the wedding.” Edwardo said, stretching out his arms for a hug, looking all the while like a lost puppy. 

A very big one. Sabrina could not resist the handsome guy and walked into his arms, and the rest, as they say, is history. 

Leonardo and Marion shared a room, and the excitement in the atmosphere seemed to be contagious as the father and son began to make elaborate plans for Scarlet and Alless’ wedding without even knowing the date since the people involved had not fixed a definite date.

Leonardo, a proud father, was eager to show off his beautiful daughter. He wished—he just wished—that his wife, Estelle, was beside him. How he missed her in times like these.

Alless and Scarlet were in their own world entirely. With their children safely put away for the night, they felt like celebrating. They had been through so much together, but as long as they had been together, their love had remained unshaken. They could not believe they had found each other again after a century.

“Did you ever wonder what it would have been like if we had not found each other again? Maybe we would have been married to other people by now.” Scarlet asked. Rolling the sparkling red wine in her glass. They had had their baths and were wearing matching bathrobes. They were sitting on a couch, hugging each other, and reminiscing about the dinner party.

“Not a chance, Helena. Even though I could not recognize you immediately, I have always known you and felt like I was waiting for someone for so long. It never felt right for any other woman. I always had this empty feeling after everything, and gradually I started avoiding women. Alles told Scarlet.

“The minute I laid my eyes on you, everything felt right—everything. Your beautiful green eyes made me feel like I had found the one I had been waiting for so long. Now I know why.” Alless said, looking his wife in the eye.

"But, Alless, you have been with other women. And for that, I will always be jealous.” Scarlet said it with a sad look in her eyes.

“Sorry, Scarlet, if my memories had come earlier, I would have remained celibate even if we never met in this lifetime. But for the rest of my years in this lifetime and for eternity, I promise, I will never forget you.” Alless vowed, his eyes changing to burning coals and thus bringing an echoing change in Scarlet, whose eyes immediately turned completely amber. 

The celebration of their engagement night was something they would always remember. During the love, they renewed their vow to love each other for all their lives.