Chapter 206: The Wedding of the Century

The sun had barely risen when the chaos began.

Three weddings.

One day.

A house full of ex-assassins, intelligence operatives, and former mercenaries trying to pull it together long enough to get married.

No one knew if it was going to be beautiful or an absolute disaster.

Probably both.

"You’d think we were going into battle," Zayn muttered, standing in front of a mirror, adjusting his tie.

"You’ve never looked this nervous before," Liam smirked, buttoning up his shirt. "Not even when we were being shot at."

Dominic, already fully dressed, calm as ever, watched them from the corner of the room.

"That’s because getting married is harder than dodging bullets," Zayn grumbled.

James, sitting nearby, sipping coffee, grinned.

"Good to know your priorities are in order."

Zayn glared at him. "Shut up, Carter."

James chuckled. "Too late."

Damon walked in, looking far too amused for someone who had spent the last few months dealing with this insanity.

"You three ready?" he asked.

Dominic nodded. "Always."

Zayn let out a slow breath. "Yeah."

Liam, grinning, ran a hand through his hair. "Guess we’re really doing this."

James smirked. "You better hope the girls actually show up."

Zayn froze. "What?"

Damon laughed. "Relax. They’re getting ready."

But Zayn still looked slightly pale.

James grinned wider. "Wow. Never thought I’d see the day where Rivera actually looked terrified."

Zayn muttered something under his breath and finished adjusting his cufflinks.

Because, honestly?

He was terrified.

Not because he had doubts.

But because he had never wanted anything more than he wanted Tessa Quinn.

And in a few hours, she was going to be his.

Forever.

"Why do I feel like I’m about to get ambushed?" Tessa muttered, staring at herself in the mirror.

"Because you’re about to willingly marry Zayn," Seraphina said, adjusting Tessa’s veil. "That’s a dangerous decision."

Tessa scowled. "Wow, thanks for the vote of confidence."

Seraphina smirked. "Just saying. You’re stuck with him now."

Elena, sitting nearby, sighed.

"I still don’t understand how we let them trick us into a triple wedding."

Alexandra shrugged. "Less work for us."

Elena shot her a look. "You say that like today isn’t going to be absolute mayhem."

Tessa grinned. "It’s fine. If things go south, we can just escape through the back."

Seraphina rolled her eyes. "You’re not running."

Tessa huffed. "Fine. But if Zayn plays something stupid as I walk down the aisle, I’m killing him on the spot."

Seraphina smirked. "At least you’d be married first."

Alexandra chuckled. "You do realize that, after today, we are officially Apex’s first generation of wives?"

Elena snorted. "And somehow, that’s terrifying."

But none of them moved.

None of them ran.

Because, as much as they joked about it—

They wanted this.

They had spent years in a world that didn’t let them dream about things like this.

And now?

Now, they were about to get it.

By the time the guests were seated, by the time the final details had fallen into place, the Hale estate was transformed.

Lights hung across the garden, twinkling in the late afternoon glow.

Rows of chairs faced the altar, a simple yet elegant setup overlooking the vast landscape.

And as the music started—

Everything finally settled into place.

**First Down the Aisle: Alexandra and Liam**

Liam Carter had never been a man who got nervous.

But when Alexandra stepped into view, dressed in an elegant yet simple white gown, her hair pinned back, her eyes locked onto his—

He forgot how to breathe.

James, standing beside him as his best man, grinned.

"You good, Carter?"

Liam exhaled.

"Yeah," he murmured. "I’m good."

And as Alexandra walked toward him, as she smiled in that quiet, confident way that always drove him insane—

Liam knew.

This was the best decision he had ever made.

**Next Up: Elena and Dominic**

Elena Steel had never been one for tradition.

But as she stepped toward the altar, Dominic Hale waiting for her, completely still, completely steady—

She felt something shift.

Something she hadn’t let herself feel in decades.

Because this wasn’t just a wedding.

This was thirty years of history finally finding its way back to them.

Dominic, watching her approach, felt the weight of all of it.

He didn’t smile.

Didn’t move.

But as Elena stopped in front of him, as she looked up at him with the same fire, the same defiance, the same goddamn soul he had fallen in love with all those years ago—

He reached for her hand.

Squeezed once.

And that?

That was enough.

**Last (But Not Least): Tessa and Zayn**

Zayn Rivera had seen Tessa Quinn in a hundred different ways.

Covered in dirt, bruised from training, dressed in tactical gear, furious at him, annoyed at him, ready to kill him.

But he had never seen her like this.

And for the first time in his life—

He was speechless.

Tessa, walking toward him, rolled her eyes.

"Why do you look like you’re about to faint?" she whispered when she reached him.

Zayn smirked, though his grip on her hands tightened.

"Because you look ridiculous."

Tessa arched a brow. "Excuse me?"

Zayn leaned in.

"Ridiculously perfect."

Tessa blinked.

Then—"You’re such a sap."

Zayn grinned.

"And you’re stuck with me."

Tessa shook her head.

But she didn’t let go.

None of them had prepared vows.

Because, honestly?

They weren’t the type.

So instead, it was simple.

"Do you, Liam Carter, take Alexandra Moore—"

"Obviously," Liam smirked.

"Do you, Dominic Hale, take Elena Steel—"

"Not asking," Dominic muttered, making Elena snort.

"Do you, Zayn Rivera, take Tessa Quinn—"

Zayn grinned. "Like you even have to ask."

And just like that—

It was done.

The ceremony was beautiful.

But the real chaos?

The reception.

James got drunk first.

Liam and Zayn got into a drinking contest (Liam won).

Dominic refused to let anyone touch his grill.

Tessa stole Zayn’s tie and used it as a headband halfway through the night.

Damon, watching from the balcony with Seraphina, smirked.

"Well," he murmured. "They actually pulled it off."

Seraphina leaned into him, watching their friends laugh, fight, celebrate.

"Yeah," she whispered. "They did."

And in that moment—

Everything was exactly as it was meant to be.