Chapter 8 - The True Vows
Six months later, the sun broke warm and bright over the cliffs of Newport, Rhode Island.
The private chapel overlooking the Atlantic Ocean was filled with white roses, soft music, and fifty people who actually mattered—loyal captains, close friends, and three very excited four-year-olds running down the aisle throwing pink rose petals everywhere except the carpet.
Noah wore a miniature version of his father’s black tuxedo, clutching a toy ring box with utmost solemnity. Ivy and Owen giggled as they chased each other around the altar, their laughter dancing on the ocean breeze.
At the altar stood Sebastian.
He wore a bespoke black tuxedo, his shoulders relaxed, the dark, haunted shadow that had defined his life finally chased away by the bright, clear light of morning.
The heavy oak doors at the back of the chapel swung open.
Maya walked down the aisle.
She wore a simple, elegant ivory silk gown that hugged her curves, her dark hair woven with delicate baby’s breath. She wasn't hiding behind oversized sweaters or running through Central Park anymore. She walked with her head held high, a radiant, breathtaking smile lighting up her face.
Sebastian felt his throat tighten. Every hardship, every lie, every dark night of the past four years faded into nothingness as she approached.
When she reached the altar, he took her hands in his. They were warm, steady, and real.
"I told you once that there was only a mistake I took too long to correct," Sebastian said softly, his voice carrying clearly across the silent chapel. "I was wrong. You were never a mistake, Maya. You were the only real thing I ever had."
Tears glistened in Maya’s brown eyes as she smiled back at him.
"You took your sweet time figuring it out," she whispered playfully.
The priest smiled, opening his Bible. "Dearly beloved..."
As Sebastian slid a simple, platinum band onto Maya’s finger, he looked past her shoulder to where Noah, Ivy, and Owen were currently trying to climb onto the altar steps.
May you like
He pulled Maya a fraction closer, feeling her heartbeat against his own.
The mafia boss who had spent his life teaching men how to fear him finally understood what it meant to have something worth protecting with his very last breath.
