I’m still staring, still trying to catch up.
Before another voice cuts through.
“Do you like it?”
I turn and see Christian walking toward us with an amused expression.
“Did you have anything to do with this?” I ask, already knowing the answer.
He smiles faintly.
“Of course I did,” he says. “I couldn’t very well let my new sister-in-law go without a proper wedding gift.”
My throat tightens.
“It’s… incredible.”
His gaze softens just slightly.
“Everything’s set up outside.”
Elijah’s hand shifts to my lower back.
“I’ll show you the house later,” he murmurs. “First, come with me.”
The moment we round the back, I stop.
The space has been transformed into something from a romance novel
Soft lighting woven through trees and stone. Rows of chairs set neatly, filled with familiar faces.
A structure at the front, simple, elegant, an altar without being overly formal.
It’s… a wedding.
Not exactly. But close enough that my chest tightens.
“Holy shit,” Jackson breathes.
Zach goes quiet beside me.
And I don’t move.
Because suddenly it all makes sense. Evelyn is there. Emma. Killian. Michael. Lucian.
Faces I recognize. Faces that matter.
“Elijah.”
His hand tightens slightly at my back.
“I want you to meet someone first.”
He guides me forward, toward an older man standing near the front.
Power radiates from him.
“This is my uncle,” Elijah says. “Don Vittorio Bellandi.”
