Chapter 8 - The Queen's Crown
The annual Vale Gala was held inside the grand ballroom of the Drake Hotel on New Year’s Eve.
Over five hundred guests attended—city council members, legitimate shipping executives, police commanders, and the reformed leaders of the Twelve Families.
The room was a sea of black tuxedos, glittering diamond necklaces, and flowing silk gowns.
At nine o'clock, the orchestra paused.
Mason Vale stepped up to the central microphone on the grand balcony. He wore a flawless black tuxedo, looking imposing, impossibly handsome, and completely relaxed.
“Good evening, everyone,” Mason’s clear, powerful voice filled the room. “Four months ago, I was sitting in a dark room in my mansion, surrounded by eighteen doctors who told me my life was over. They told me there was no hope.”
The crowd went silent, listening intently.
“They were wrong,” Mason said. “Not because they lacked medical degrees, but because they lacked vision. They looked at a wound and saw death. Someone else looked at that same wound, saw the truth, and had the courage to reach in and drag the poison out with her bare hands.”
Mason extended his hand toward the grand marble staircase.
“Please join me in welcoming the Executive Director of the Sarah Carter Foundation... and the future matriarch of the Vale family... Emily Carter.”
The grand doors opened.
Emily walked out onto the balcony steps.
She wore a breathtaking white silk satin gown that shimmered under the crystal chandeliers like fallen snow. Around her neck was a delicate platinum chain holding a single, flawless emerald pendant.
The applause that erupted through the ballroom was deafening. Captain Vinnie stood in the front row, clapping his heavy hands enthusiastically, while Jack Mercer stood near the pillar, giving Emily a rare, proud nod of approval.
Mason walked down the steps to meet her.
He took her gloved hand, brought it to his lips, and kissed it gently. Then, before five hundred cheering guests, Mason dropped down onto one knee on the velvet carpet.
He opened the small velvet box, revealing a magnificent, seven-carat cushion-cut emerald ring surrounded by flawless diamonds.
“Emily Carter,” Mason said, his voice echoing softly over the quieted room, his dark eyes shining with undeniable love and devotion. “You gave me back my life, my honor, and my heart. Will you do me the absolute honor of becoming my wife, my partner, and my Queen?”
Tears of pure, radiant happiness welled in Emily’s eyes. She didn't hesitate for a single second.
“Yes,” Emily whispered, her voice choking with emotion. “Yes, Mason! A thousand times yes!”
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Mason slipped the ring onto her finger, stood up, and pulled her into his arms, lifting her off her feet as he kissed her deeply under a shower of golden confetti that rained down from the ceiling.
The crowd erupted into thunderous cheers, glasses clinking, as the orchestra swelled into a triumphant waltz.
