Chapter 14 - THE WEDDING UNDER THE STARS
Three months later, the grounds of the Moretti estate were transformed into a fairytale kingdom. There were no high-society elites, no corrupt business partners, and no Vanguard spies. Only the people who truly mattered. Under a massive white canopy strung with thousands of fairy lights, the wedding reception was in full swing. Margaret Ellis sat at the front table, dressed in an elegant lavender silk dress, laughing as little Leo—now wearing a real, gold-painted paper crown—ran around her chair with a slice of wedding cake. Liam sat beside her, raising a glass of champagne toward the dance floor. And there, twirling beneath the canopy under the summer stars, danced Luca and Natalie. Natalie wore a stunning, minimalist ivory gown that hugged her figure perfectly, its hem catching the golden light of the fairy lamps. "You look breathtaking," Luca whispered, his hand resting securely against the small of her back as they moved in time to the slow, romantic melody. "Thank you," she smiled, resting her head against his shoulder. "I keep waiting for someone to pinch me and wake me up from this dream." "This isn't a dream," Luca promised, pressing a soft kiss into her hair. "This is our reality now." From the edge of the dance floor, Special Agent Vance watched them with a quiet smile, raising his ginger ale in a silent toast before tipping his hat and fading into the night. Margaret wiped a happy tear from her eye, watching the two people who had changed her life forever. She looked across the table at Liam. "She looks so happy, doesn't she?" "She does, Mom," Liam agreed, smiling warmly. "She really does." The music swelled, echoing out across the manicured lawns and disappearing into the cool night air of Chicago. The shadows of the past—the lies, the betrayals, the poverty, and the syndicate wars—were finally gone, washed away by truth, loyalty, and an unshakeable love.
