Chapter 258

Chapter 258
Emma

I nervously adjusted my collar as Noah and I stood outside City Hall. The imposing limestone building loomed before us, and my stomach was doing somersaults. Three days had passed since Noah had proposed remarrying me, and today we were here to make it official—at least on paper.

God, was I actually nervous?

"Stop fidgeting," Noah said, his hand finding mine. His thumb traced gentle circles on my palm. "You look beautiful."

"I'm not nervous about how I look," I muttered, though I'd spent an hour deciding what to wear this morning, tossing outfit after outfit onto our bed in frustration. "It's just—this feels different than last time."

"You mean because this time I'm actually looking at you instead of the paperwork?" he asked, his voice softening. He lifted our joined hands and kissed my knuckles. "Or because this time I'm marrying you because I want to, not because I have to?"

The first time we'd done this, it had been cold and clinical. A business arrangement with witnesses and lawyers, not a single photograph to commemorate the occasion. Noah had barely looked at me as we'd signed the papers. I'd gone home afterward and cried in the shower where no one could hear me.

"It is different," he continued, his voice dropping to that intimate tone reserved just for me. "This time, I'm going to give you the wedding you deserve. And this time, I'm actually smart enough to realize how lucky I am."

"You're getting soft on me, York," I said, trying to mask how much his words affected me.

"Only with you," he replied, leaning down to kiss my forehead. "Don't tell anyone. I have a reputation to maintain."

I glanced up at him, searching his face. There was a tenderness there that still surprised me sometimes. Noah York, ruthless CEO and financial genius, looking at me like I was his entire world. Part of me still couldn't believe this was real—that after everything, we had somehow found our way to each other.

Parker stood several yards away, keeping a watchful eye on the perimeter while pretending to be engrossed in his phone. Noah had insisted on security, though he'd agreed to keep it minimal. "Just in case," he'd said. Just in case Lucy had allies who wanted revenge. Just in case Chronos wasn't truly gone. The thought made my skin crawl. Would we ever truly be free of the shadows?

"Ready to make an honest man of me? Again?" Noah asked, offering his arm with a smile that made my heart skip.

"I'm not sure that's possible," I teased, taking a deep breath before linking my arm with his. "But I'm willing to try."

Damn, my hand was actually shaking. When did I become such a sentimental mess? As we walked toward the entrance, I noticed something odd—Noah's hand was trembling slightly. I'd seen him face down armed kidnappers with less anxiety than he was showing now.

"Are you okay?" I whispered, suddenly concerned. "Your hand is shaking."

"Is it?" He looked down, seeming genuinely surprised. "I hadn't noticed."

"Noah York, are you nervous about getting married?" I couldn't help the smile spreading across my face. "To me? Again?"

"Never better," he replied too quickly, then caught himself. He let out a small laugh, shaking his head. "Fine. Maybe I am a little... concerned."

"Concerned?" I raised an eyebrow.

"That I'll mess it up somehow," he admitted quietly. "I don't exactly have a great track record with making you happy. I just want this to be perfect for you. For us."

I stopped walking, turning to face him fully. "Hey," I said, reaching up to touch his cheek. "You're not going to mess it up. We've already survived the worst. Everything from here is just... bonus rounds."

"Bonus rounds," he repeated, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "I like that."

The registration hall was bustling with couples in various states of formal dress. Some in full wedding attire, others in jeans. My eyes were drawn to a young woman sitting alone on a bench. She wore a simple white dress, her hands folded in her lap, her expression a mixture of devastation and determination. Something about her seemed familiar, and then it hit me.

"That's Grace Harrison," I whispered to Noah, recognition dawning. "Harrison's granddaughter."

Noah's eyes widened slightly. "What's she doing here alone?"

Without waiting for his response, I walked over to her. My heart ached seeing her there, so clearly abandoned on what should have been her special day.

"Grace?"

She looked up, her eyes red-rimmed. "Emma?" She attempted a smile that didn't reach her eyes. "What a coincidence."

"Are you alright?" I asked, sitting beside her. Stupid question, Emma. She's wearing a wedding dress and crying alone at City Hall. Of course she's not alright.

Grace glanced down at her white dress. "I was supposed to get married today. But James..." Her voice cracked. "His family pressured him to back out. Said I wasn't good enough for their legacy." She laughed bitterly. "So I came anyway. I don't know why. Stupid, right?"

I exchanged a look with Noah, who had approached silently. The familiar pain of rejection washed over me as I saw my own past reflected in her words—the feeling of not being enough, of being an outsider to a powerful family. How many times had Elizabeth York made me feel exactly like this?

"It's not stupid at all," I said softly. "Sometimes showing up for yourself is the bravest thing you can do."

Noah sat on Grace's other side. "Your grandfather speaks very highly of you. He says you're finishing med school?"

Grace nodded, wiping away a tear. "Top of my class."

"Your boyfriend is an idiot," Noah said bluntly, making Grace laugh despite herself.

"Would you like us to call Harrison?" I asked. "Or we could—"

"No," Grace said, straightening her shoulders. "Thank you, but no. I need to handle this myself. I just needed a moment."