Chapter 15 - THE HAPPY ENDING
Six months later. The Chicago winter had melted into a warm, bright spring. The Moretti mansion was filled with flowers, music, and laughter. Outside on the grand lawn, white chairs were arranged neatly under a sprawling floral arch. Guests from high society mingled happily, sipping champagne. At the center of it all was Sofia. She wore a beautiful ivory dress, walking freely across the grass without a single brace or wheelchair in sight. She laughed as she ran toward the wedding altar. I stood in the bridal suite upstairs, looking at my reflection in the full-length mirror. The white lace wedding gown fit me perfectly. Around my neck hung the delicate silver olive branch necklace Luca had given me. The door opened softly. Luca walked in. He looked impossibly handsome in his tailored black tuxedo. He stopped behind me, resting his hands gently on my shoulders. “You look breathtaking, Emily,” he whispered. I turned around and smiled. “Thank you, Luca.” “Are you ready?” he asked, offering his arm. “More than ready,” I replied, slipping my hand into his. We walked down the grand staircase together. Sofia waited at the bottom as the flower girl, holding a basket of white rose petals. When she saw us, she smiled brightly and tossed the first petals onto the path. “My daddy and my new mom,” Sofia whispered happily. We stepped out into the warm spring sunshine. Surrounded by family, loyalty, and unconditional love. The dark shadows of the past were gone forever. Replaced by a future bright with hope.
THE END
