Chapter 7 - The True Marriage
Two weeks later, the snow melted under a sudden, warm early spring breeze that swept across the Long Island sound.
My shoulder had healed remarkably well, leaving behind a small silver scar—a badge of honor I wore without shame. Regina was officially sentenced to forty years in a federal facility without possibility of parole, and the last remnants of Marco’s rebellion had been completely dismantled.
For the first time in my life, I felt truly, undeniably free.
On a quiet Friday evening, Kian took me out to the estate garden. The rose bushes were just beginning to bloom, their fresh scent lingering in the cool night air. Soft paper lanterns hung from the branches of the ancient oak trees, casting a warm, golden light over the stone pathway.
Zayn ran ahead of us, tossing flower petals into the air with pure, unbridled joy.
Kian stopped me near the grand marble fountain at the center of the garden. He was wearing his classic black suit, looking every bit the devastatingly handsome man who had stolen my heart.
“Aurora,” he said, turning me to face him.
“Yes, Kian?”
Without a word, the man who made the entire East Coast underworld tremble slowly dropped down onto one knee on the smooth cobblestones.
My hands flew to my mouth as my heart did a somersault in my chest.
Kian pulled a small, black velvet box from his inner jacket pocket and opened it. Nestled inside was a flawless, eight-carat emerald-cut diamond ring that caught the golden light of the lanterns, flashing with breathtaking brilliance.
“Six months ago, my son asked you to marry him to save you from a witch,” Kian said, his gray eyes shining with endless love and devotion. “Tonight, I am asking you to marry me—not for a contract, not for protection, and not for a game.”
He reached out, taking my shaking hand in his warm grip.
“Be my wife, Aurora. Be my queen. Rule this world beside me, and let me spend the rest of my life making sure you never shed another tear of sadness.”
From behind a rose bush, Zayn popped his head out, grinning from ear to ear. “Say yes, Miss Aurora! I want to wear my knight suit!”
Tears of pure happiness overflowed my eyes, spilling down my cheeks. I knelt down on the cobblestones right in front of Kian, wrapping my arms around his neck, pulling his lips to mine in a deep, passionate kiss that sealed our souls together forever.
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“Yes!” I sobbed happily against his lips. “A thousand times yes, Kian!”
Kian laughed—a rich, joyful sound I had never heard from him before—and lifted me into his arms, spinning me around beneath the golden lanterns as Zayn cheered and clapped around our feet.
