Chapter 63 Finally Married
After Adeline told Julian that he did not look too bad himself, Julian let out a soft laugh under his breath while still holding her hand carefully in his. For a few seconds, neither of them said anything else. They simply stood there looking at each other while the wedding song slowly faded into the background. Around them, the church remained quiet except for the occasional sound of cameras clicking softly from the reporters seated near the back.
Adeline could still feel everyone staring at them, but strangely enough, she no longer felt as nervous as she had earlier. Standing in front of Julian somehow made the rest of the church disappear a little. Maybe it was because he looked just as nervous as she felt, or maybe it was because he kept looking at her like she was the only thing he could see in the room.
Either way, it made her chest feel strange.
The officiant finally cleared his throat softly before beginning the ceremony properly, immediately pulling both of them out of their thoughts. Julian reluctantly let go of Adeline’s hand only for the officiant to begin speaking about marriage, partnership, loyalty, and trust. Honestly, Adeline barely listened to most of it. She had heard similar speeches during her first wedding to Patrick, and back then she had not cared enough to pay attention either.
Still, this time felt different. Back then, she had stood through the ceremony feeling emotionally detached from everything happening around her. She had married Patrick because her father wanted it, because it benefited the family, and because at the time she had convinced herself that marriage did not need love to survive.
Now, standing beside Julian, she suddenly found herself listening more carefully than she wanted to admit.
Beside her, Julian also stayed unusually quiet while the officiant spoke. He kept his expression calm and composed, but internally his mind was a complete mess. Every now and then, his eyes drifted toward Adeline again without him even realizing it. The outfit made from his mother’s wedding dress still looked surreal on her, and every single time he looked at her properly, his chest tightened all over again.
He hated how beautiful she looked, or maybe "hated" was not the right word because the truth was that he liked it far too much.
The officiant eventually smiled warmly before turning toward Julian first. “Please read your vows.”
Immediately, the church grew even quieter.
Julian took a slow breath before accepting the paper handed to him. He had originally planned on keeping the vows simple and formal, just enough to satisfy the guests and reporters without making things overly emotional. Yet now, standing beside Adeline while she watched him closely, even the simple words suddenly felt heavier than they were supposed to.
He cleared his throat softly before finally speaking.
“Adeline,” he began, his voice calm but steady enough to carry across the church, “from the moment I got to know you years ago, you have challenged me in every possible way. You’ve pushed me, frustrated me, impressed me, and somehow always managed to stay one step ahead of everyone around you.”
A few quiet chuckles echoed softly around the church, especially from some of the reporters already typing away on their phones.
Julian glanced at Adeline briefly before continuing.
“You are one of the strongest women I have ever known, and even when the world misunderstands you, I know how hard you fight for the people and things you care about. Today, I promise to stand beside you no matter what comes our way. I promise to support you, protect you, and remind you that you never have to carry everything alone.”
Adeline’s eyes widened slightly at some of his words because somehow, despite knowing this marriage was just an arrangement, Julian still sounded sincere, dangerously sincere.
Julian looked down at the paper again briefly before finishing quietly, “And no matter what happens between our families, our companies, or the rest of the world, I promise that from today onward, you will never face any of it alone again.”
The church immediately filled with soft applause after he finished speaking.
Adeline stared at him for a second longer than she probably should have. Honestly, she had expected something colder, more rehearsed, and less personal. Instead, Julian sounded genuine enough to fool almost anyone listening. Maybe even herself.
The officiant smiled before turning toward her next. “Your vows, Miss Carter.”
Adeline accepted her own paper carefully while trying to steady herself. Public speaking had never frightened her, but for some reason this moment suddenly felt more intimate than standing in front of reporters ever had.
She looked down briefly before speaking. “Julian,” she began softly, “if someone had told me years ago that I would one day stand at an altar with Julian Hale, I probably would have laughed directly in their face.”
This time the church laughed louder, including Julian himself.
Adeline smiled slightly before continuing. “You have always been stubborn, arrogant, frustrating, and annoyingly confident in yourself.”
Julian looked offended immediately, making her fight back another smile.
“But,” she continued, her voice softening slightly, “you have also always been dependable in ways most people probably don’t notice. Even when we fought, competed, or drove each other insane, I always knew exactly the kind of person you were.”
Julian’s expression slowly changed again.
Adeline swallowed lightly before continuing. “Today, I promise to stand beside you as your partner. I promise to trust you even when it’s difficult, and I promise to face whatever comes next with you instead of against you.”
The words surprised even herself a little because somehow, despite everything, she meant them. At least partly.
“And,” she added finally while looking directly at him now, “I promise that no matter how much we annoy each other in the future, I’ll still choose you at the end of the day.”
This time even more laughter spread through the church along with warm applause. Julian stared at her quietly while something uncomfortable but warm settled inside his chest again.
The officiant smiled warmly once the applause faded before moving on to the ring exchange.
A small box was brought forward immediately. Julian accepted Adeline’s ring first, and for a brief second his fingers brushed against hers again while sliding the ring on her finger slowly.
The diamond sparkled beautifully under the church lights. Then Adeline took Julian’s ring next. Her hands were steady despite the nervousness twisting inside her chest. She slid the ring carefully on his finger while the reporters snapped picture after picture from the back.
The officiant finally looked between them both with a smile. “By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife.”
Immediately, soft applause started spreading through the church again.
“You may kiss the bride.”
Adeline almost rolled her eyes slightly at the sentence, but before she could even react properly, Julian’s hand was already gently resting against her waist as he leaned closer.
For one second, she forgot about the church entirely again.
The kiss itself was soft. Julian kissed her carefully, almost like he was afraid to push too hard, and Adeline found herself kissing him back without thinking too much about it.
The applause around them became louder immediately. When they finally pulled apart, both of them looked slightly startled by the kiss, especially Julian.
The officiant congratulated them while the guests continued clapping warmly around the church. Reporters hurried to take more pictures while family members watched from their seats with different expressions ranging from irritation to forced happiness.
Jonathan Carter looked like he was trying very hard not to grind his teeth into dust, and Edward Hale looked no better. Still, both men clapped politely for appearances.
Adeline noticed it immediately and almost laughed. Soon enough, the ceremony officially ended, and the music started playing again while the guests slowly began standing from their seats. Julian offered Adeline his arm instinctively, and after only a second of hesitation, she accepted it.
Together, they started walking back down the aisle as husband and wife, and the applause around them grew even louder now.
People smiled, reporters snapped endless photographs, and some guests even stood fully just to clap for them properly as they passed by. The entire atmosphere inside the church suddenly felt much lighter than before.
Adeline kept smiling despite how surreal everything felt. She was married again, married to Julian Hale of all people.
The thought still felt unbelievable.
Beside her, Julian looked calmer now than he had before the ceremony started, though every now and then he still glanced toward her like he was checking to make sure she was actually there beside him.
As they finally stepped outside the church, the bright sunlight immediately hit them both along with even more camera flashes waiting outside. Reporters who had not been allowed into the church immediately started shouting questions while security carefully held them back.
The limousine waiting for them stood parked directly outside the church entrance.
Guests continued applauding as Julian guided Adeline carefully down the church steps. She held onto his arm tightly, mostly because of her heels, though Julian secretly liked the feeling more than he should have.
“You survived,” he whispered quietly to her with a teasing smile.
Adeline let out a dry laugh. “Barely.”
Julian chuckled softly beside her.
The limousine driver quickly opened the door for them while more cameras flashed around them nonstop. Adeline looked back briefly toward the church entrance where guests were still pouring outside slowly behind them.
For one strange moment, everything almost looked normal, like this really was just a happy wedding between two people deeply in love.
The thought should have amused her, but instead, it strangely made her chest ache a little. Julian placed one hand against her lower back gently before helping her into the limousine first. Then he climbed in beside her while applause and shouting continued outside around them.