Chapter 171

Chapter 171
Dante’s POV

I had faced armed men without my pulse quickening.

I’d negotiated with enemies who would have gladly put a bullet through my head.

I’d stood in a courtroom waiting to hear a sentence that would steal years of my life.

But none of it compared to waiting for my wedding.

Again.

“You’ve adjusted that tie six times.” Adam’s voice pulled me from my thoughts.

I looked down. “I have?”

“You’ve also checked your cufflinks four times.”

A reluctant smile tugged at my lips. “I didn’t realise.”

“Clearly.”

He walked over, straightened my tie with one practiced tug, then stepped back to inspect his work.

“There.”

“Better?”

“Much.”

I let out a slow breath, glancing at my reflection. The man staring back at me barely resembled the one who had stood at the altar years ago.

That man had been driven by revenge. This one was driven by gratitude.

A knock sounded at the door before I could lose myself in the thought.

Mrs. Peters peeked inside, smiling warmly. “I thought you’d like an update.”

“How are my girls?”

A soft laugh escaped her. “Bella is insisting everyone admire her flower basket every five minutes.”

I chuckled. “That sounds about right.”

“And Elena…” Mrs. Peters’ smile deepened. “She’s beautiful.”

My heart skipped. “Is she nervous?”

“Oh, she’s trying very hard not to be.”

Adam folded his arms with a grin. “That’s because her groom is using all the nerves for both of them.”

Mrs. Peters laughed. “I’ll leave you boys to it.”

As she closed the door behind her, Adam looked at me for a long moment.

“You know,” he said quietly, “I’ve seen you fight for power, fight for your family, even fight for your freedom.”

He smiled. “But this…” He gave my shoulder a firm squeeze. “…this is the first time I’ve seen you fight so hard for your own happiness.”

Emotion caught in my throat. “I almost lost it.”

“But you didn’t.”

A slow smile spread across my face. “No.”

I looked toward the closed door, where Elena waited somewhere beyond it.

“This time…” I murmured more to myself than to anyone else. “I’m going to meet my wife because she chose me.”

The music began softly, drifting through the garden like a gentle promise.

Every conversation faded as every head turned toward the aisle.

I stood at the front, my hands clasped together, trying to steady the nervous rhythm of my heart.

Then Bella appeared. She took exactly three confident steps before stopping in the middle of the aisle.

I smiled to myself. She looked down at the basket hanging from her arm, scooped up an enormous handful of petals and tossed them triumphantly into the air.

Instead of falling neatly onto the path, they floated everywhere.

Guests laughed warmly while Bella grinned, clearly deciding she’d done an excellent job.

She continued walking, pausing every few steps to throw another enthusiastic handful until she reached me.

“You did beautifully, Princess,” I whispered.

She beamed. “I know.”

Mrs. Peters gently took her hand and led her to the front row.

The music changed and my breath caught. Elena stepped into view.

Time seemed to stand still.

She wore ivory, the delicate lace catching the afternoon sunlight as it shimmered around her. Her veil danced softly in the breeze, but I barely noticed any of it.

All I could see was her.

The woman I had once married for all the wrong reasons.

The woman I now loved with every broken, healed and hopeful piece of my heart.

She looked at me, and the corners of her lips curved into the smallest smile.

It was enough, because the nerves disappeared. The doubts I’d once carried no longer existed.

As Elena walked towards me, I realised I wasn’t waiting for a ceremony to begin. I was watching the rest of my life walk down the aisle.

The officiant smiled warmly as Elena slipped her hand into mine.

“We are gathered here today,” he began, “to celebrate not only a marriage, but a love that has endured, forgiven and found its way home.”

I never took my eyes off Elena. She smiled through the tears shimmering in her eyes, her fingers tightening around mine.

The ceremony had barely begun when hurried footsteps echoed from the back of the garden.

A young member of staff approached one of the coordinators, whispering something that immediately drained the colour from her face.

She glanced towards us before hurrying away. A ripple of murmurs spread through the guests.

Adam’s posture stiffened almost instinctively, mine did too.

Old habits from years of looking over my shoulder.

The officiant paused politely, waiting for the disturbance to pass.

For one brief moment, my mind travelled to the darkest possibilities. Then, laughter floated through the air.

A tiny voice called out happily. “I find it!”

Every head turned. Bella came trotting back towards us, clutching a single white rose almost as big as her arm. Mrs. Peters followed behind her, trying—and failing—to look stern.

“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Peters said between quiet laughs. “She wandered over to the flower arch because she said Mommy needed one more pretty flower.”

Bella reached us and proudly held the rose up to Elena.

“For you.”

Elena accepted it with watery eyes. “It’s beautiful, sweetheart.”

Bella nodded, completely unaware she’d interrupted an entire wedding.

“I help.”

The guests chuckled warmly as Mrs. Peters guided her back to her seat.

The officiant smiled. “I believe we’re ready now.”

I looked at Bella, then at Elena, and couldn’t help smiling.

Perfect ceremonies were overrated. Ours already felt exactly right.

The officiant looked at us with a gentle smile before turning to me.

“Dante, you may say your vows.”

I took a slow breath. Every vow I’d rehearsed disappeared the moment I looked into Elena’s eyes.

“I once stood in front of you and asked you to become my wife,” I began quietly. “That day, I gave you a ring… but I didn’t give you myself.”

A tear slipped down Elena’s cheek.

“I thought revenge would heal me. Instead, it almost cost me the greatest gift I’d ever been given.”

My fingers tightened around hers. “I can’t erase the man I was. I can’t give you back the years we lost or undo the pain I caused.” My voice caught. “But I can promise you the man I’ll be from this day forward.”

I smiled through the emotion threatening to overwhelm me.

“I promise to choose you every day, even on the days when it’s difficult.”

“I promise to speak when I’m hurting instead of carrying the weight alone.”

“I promise that if I ever lose my way again, I’ll let you help me find the road home.”

A soft laugh rippled through the guests as Bella whispered proudly,

“I help too.”

The laughter faded into quiet tears. I looked briefly towards my daughter before turning back to Elena.

“And I promise to spend the rest of my life being the father Bella already believes I am.”

My eyes never left hers.

“I don’t deserve the love you’ve given me.” A faint smile touched her lips. “But if you’ll keep loving me anyway…” I gently lifted her hand to my lips.

“I’ll spend forever proving that saying yes to me… was the best decision either of us ever made.”

Elena was already crying by the time the officiant turned to her. She smiled through her tears, shaking her head softly.

“I had a speech prepared,” she admitted, her voice trembling. “But then you spoke… and now I’ve forgotten every word.”

Gentle laughter rippled through the guests. She reached for both of my hands.

“So I’ll just speak from my heart.” She drew a slow breath. “I forgive the man you were because I fell in love with the man you chose to become.”

My chest tightened.

“I don’t need perfection from you, Dante.”

“I never did.”

“I just need honesty.”

She smiled, her thumb brushing gently across my knuckles.

“So I promise that when life becomes difficult, I won’t let you carry it alone.”

“I promise to remind you that this family isn’t a burden you have to protect from yourself.”

“It’s the place where you belong.”

Tears blurred my vision.

“And I promise,” she whispered, glancing towards Bella, “that no matter where life takes us, we’ll always find our way home… together.”

The officiant smiled warmly. “By the authority vested in me, it is my great honour to reaffirm your marriage.”

He looked at me with a knowing grin. “You may kiss your wife.”

I didn’t rush. I cupped Elena’s face as though she were the most precious thing I’d ever held.

“Mrs. Moretti,” I whispered.

She laughed softly. “I’ve always been Mrs. Moretti.”

“Not like this.”

She nodded, understanding exactly what I meant, then she closed the distance between us.

Our kiss was slow and unhurried, greeted by applause, cheers, and the unmistakable sound of Bella clapping louder than everyone else.

“We married!” she announced proudly while running into the arms of Mr Carter who wore a big smile on his face. 

Holding Elena close, I looked at our family, our friends, and the life waiting for us beyond this day.

And in that moment, I wasn’t wondering what tomorrow might take from me. I was simply grateful for everything it had given.