Chapter 206
He stood at the altar in a perfectly tailored black suit, his hair slicked back the way I loved, watching me approach with an expression of wonder that took
my breath away.
The scars from our ordeal had faded over the years, but they were still there in their little way, a thin line along his jaw, another across his knuckles from where he’d fought through Victoria’s men to reach me.
He was still dangerous, still carried himself with the controlled power of a man who’d lived by violence for most of his life. But when he looked at me, all of that fell away, leaving only love and tenderness and the promise of forever.
When I reached the altar, Julian kissed my cheek and placed my hand in Dominic’s.
“You look beautiful,” Dominic whispered, his voice rough with emotion.
“You clean up pretty well yourself.”
The ceremony was simple, conducted in both English and Italian by a local priest who’d become a friend during our time in the village. We’d written our own vows, and when it came time to speak them, I looked into Dominic’s dark eyes and spoke from my heart.
“Years ago, I thought my life was over. I was sick, broken, and completely alone. But you found me in my darkest moment and showed me that love isn’t about perfect circumstances or fairy tale beginnings. It’s about choosing each other every day, even when things are hard. Especially when things are
hard.”
My voice cracked slightly, but I continued. “You’ve seen me at my worst–frightened, angry, damaged–and you loved me anyway. You’ve been patient with my healing, supportive of my dreams, and you’ve never once made me feel like I was too much trouble or too broken to deserve happiness.”
I could see tears gathering in his eyes, though he was trying to maintain his composure.
“I promise to love you through whatever comes next. I promise to be your partner, your soft place to land, and your reason to keep fighting for the light instead of falling back into darkness. I promise to build a life with you that’s based on hope instead of fear, love instead of control.”
When it was Dominic’s turn, his voice was steady but I could hear the emotion underneath.
“Aria, you saved my life. Not just in that basement, but every day since. You showed me that I could be more than the violence that shaped me, could choose love over power, healing over revenge.”
that I
He squeezed my hands gently. “I promise to protect you, not by controlling you but by standing beside you as you face whatever challenges come our way. I promise to support your dreams, to celebrate your strength, and to never take for granted the gift of your love.”
“I promise to keep working on myself, to be the man you deserve, and to build a life with you that’s worth all the darkness we had to go through to find each other.”
When the priest pronounced us husband and wife, Dominic’s kiss was soft and sweet and full of promise. The small congregation erupted in applause, and for a moment, I was overwhelmed by the sheer normalcy of it all.
This was what happiness felt like. Not the desperate, clinging need that had defined our early relationship, but something peaceful and stron.
At the reception, held in the garden of our villa, I watched Dominic laugh at something Luca was telling him and felt my heart swell with contentment.
We’d done it.
We’d survived the worst that life could throw at us and come out the other side not just intact, but thriving.
“So what’s next for you two?” Carmen asked as we danced to music from a small band we’d hired from the village,
“We’re thinking about staying in Italy permanently,” I said. “Maybe buying a larger villa, starting a family.”
0752 MON, SU
Chapter 206
“A family?” Carmen raised an eyebrow. “You sure you’re ready for that?”
I looked over at Dominic, who was now dancing with Mrs. Rosetti and making her laugh like a schoolgirl.
“We’ve talked about it a lot. We both want children, and we’ve done enough work on ourselves that I think we could be good parents. Different from our
own parents, but good.”
“Just promise me you’ll name the first one after me.”
“If it’s a girl, absolutely.”
As the evening wound down and our guests began to head home, Dominic and I found ourselves alone on the terrace, looking out over the rolling hills of Tuscany. The moon was full, casting everything in silver light, and I could hear the distant sound of church bells from the village.
“No regrets?” Dominic asked, wrapping his arms around me from behind.
“About what?”
“Any of it. The danger, the pain, the long road to get here.”
I leaned back against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat.
“None. Every terrible thing that happened led us to this moment. I wouldn’t change any of it.”
“Even Victoria?”
I was quiet for a moment, thinking. “Even Victoria. She thought she was destroying us, but in the end, she forced us to fight for each other in a way we might never have done otherwise. She made us prove that our love was strong enough to survive anything.”
“I love you, Mrs. De Luca.”
The new name sent a thrill through me. “I love you too, Mr. De Luca.”
We stood there in comfortable silence, holding each other and watching the stars appear in the darkening sky. Tomorrow we would start our honeymoon -two weeks in a small cottage on the Amalfi Coast, just the two of us and the Mediterranean Sea.
After that, we’d come back to our life in Italy, to the security company and the villa and the quiet happiness we’d built together. Maybe we’d start trying for that family we’d talked about. Maybe we’d travel more, or maybe we’d just enjoy the peace of a life lived without fear.
But tonight, right now, I was exactly where I belonged. In the arms of the man who’d taught me that love could be both passionate and safe, that it was possible to be completely known by another person and completely accepted.
The girl who’d suffered to survive was gone, replaced by a woman who knew her own strength and worth. I wished my family could see this. To see who
we are.
We were different people now, better people, and our love was different too.
As Dominic led me back inside our home, I smiled at the thought of all the tomorrows stretching ahead of us.
We’d earned every single one of them.
He leaned in and kissed my forehead, “You’re my broken rose, but you’ll always be mine.”
I grinned. “Oh Dominic…”
He leaned down, pressing his lips hard against mine, shutting every word that I wanted to say.
This love…I want to live in it forever.
07.32 Mon, 30 Jun
Chapter 206
The End
