Our mother died when I was twelve, and Julian was twenty-two, and I rarely think about what she’d say about my life choices because she’s been gone too long. But standing here in a wedding dress about to marry a man from a family she probably considered enemies, I wonder if she’d approve or be horrified.
“Do you think she’d like him?” I ask. “Cassian?”
“I think she’d see what I see. A man who loves her daughter enough to tear apart an entire criminal organization to get her back. A father who sits on the floor building robots with five-year-olds and actually listens when they talk. Someone who makes you happy in ways you’ve never been before.” He crosses the room and adjusts my veil with surprising gentleness. “Yeah. I think she’d like him.”
“Thank you for this. For helping plan everything, for supporting us, for the alliance.”
“You’re my sister. This is what family does.”
Music starts playing downstairs, signaling that it’s time. Julian offers his arm, and I take it, letting him lead me out of the room and toward the staircase.
We’re having the ceremony at the estate because the thought of having it anywhere else felt wrong. This is where the boys live, where Cassian has essentially moved in over the last few months, where both families gather now for dinners and celebrations. Making it official here made sense.
The main sitting room has been transformed. White chairs are arranged in rows, flowers everywhere, an arch at the front where Cassian is standing with Declan beside him as best man. The boys are already at the front with Nadia, both of them trying to stand still and mostly succeeding.
Every seat is filled. Vance family on one side, Rourke family on the other, and representatives from a dozen other organizations scattered throughout. I recognize faces I’ve only seen in intelligence files—the Italian underboss, the Irish lieutenant, the Chinese broker who handles most of the territory negotiations in Chinatown.
They’re all here watching former enemies unite through marriage and alliance, and the symbolism isn’t lost on anyone.
And then I’m only looking at Cassian.
He’s in a black suit that fits him perfectly, hair styled but still slightly messy in that way that makes him look dangerous and refined at the same time. When our eyes meet, everything else disappears. All the guests and the politics and the weight of what this moment means.
It’s just him, waiting for me at the end of the aisle.
Julian walks me down slowly, and I can feel every eye in the room tracking our progress. When we reach the front, he places my hand in Cassian’s and steps back to stand with Nadia and the boys.
“Hi,” Cassian says quietly, just for me.
“Hi.”
“You’re beautiful.”
“You clean up okay yourself.”
His mouth curves into that smile I love, the one he only gives me and the boys when he’s genuinely happy instead of putting on the cold mask he shows the rest of the world.
The officiant begins speaking about love and commitment and building lives together, but I’m barely listening because Cassian’s holding both my hands and looking at me like I’m the only person who exists.
When it’s time for vows, he goes first.
“Six years ago, I met you on a plane and thought I knew what I wanted. One night, no complications, just attraction and chemistry. Then you disappeared, and I spent six years searching because I couldn’t let go of something I barely had.” His grip on my hands tightens. “Then I found you again and discovered you’d been raising my sons, and I was furious. Felt betrayed. But you were protecting them the only way you knew how, and you never stopped, even when it cost you everything.”
Tears are already burning behind my eyes, but I refuse to let them fall and ruin the makeup.
“You endured torture rather than give up my name. Rather than make our sons orphans. And that’s when I knew for certain that I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you. Not because of the boys, though I love that we have them. But because you’re the strongest person I’ve ever met, and you make me want to be better than what I am.”
He pauses, and I can see him fighting emotion.
“I love you, Aurelia. I promise to protect you and our family with everything I have. To be the father our sons deserve and the husband you deserve. To build a life with you that’s worth all the pain it took to get here.”
I’m definitely crying now, and Nadia’s already moving to fix my makeup while Cassian waits patiently.
When it’s my turn, the words come easier than I expected.
“I spent six years running from you because I was terrified of what loving you meant. Terrified of bringing our sons into your world, of admitting that I wanted you even though wanting you was dangerous.” I squeeze his hands. “But you never gave up. You found us, fought for us, and proved that family isn’t about safety or security. It’s about choosing each other even when it’s hard.”
His eyes are bright with unshed tears, and I’ve never seen him this vulnerable in front of anyone.
