“Five minutes,” my mother whispered, adjusting the veil on my hair. “Just five more minutes, sweetheart.”
1 nodded absentmindedly, staring at my reflection in the mirror.”
I was dressed in white, the silk of my gown hugging my body perfectly, lace sleeves trailing down my arms. My hair was pinned in an elegant updo, soft curls framing my face.”
I looked like a bride.
I felt like a bride.
And yet, something weighed on me.
A knock at the door made me turn.”
One of Cole’s men stood there, his expression unreadable. “There’s someone asking to see you.”
My stomach twisted. “Who?”
“Mateo.”
I stiffened.
For a moment, I considered refusing. What was there to talk about? But then, I exhaled, my heart steady. I wasn’t the same Evelyne who once loved him.
“I’ll meet him,” I said.
He was waiting outside the chapel, his hands shoved into the pockets of his suit. He looked the same, and yet–different.
quiet, solemn look, like a man who had finally come to
There was no arrogance in his stance, no fire in his eyes. Just terms with his losses.
“Evelyne,” he said, his voice softer than I remembered.
I crossed my arms. “What do you want, Mateo?”
a
He let out a slow breath. “I just… I needed to see you before everything. I needed to say-” He hesitated. “I’m sorry.”
I didn’t respond. I swallowed.”
“I know you’ll never forgive me,” he said, a sad smile playing on his lips. “But I wanted you to know that I do regret it. I regret everything.“”
For the first time, I didn’t feel anger toward him. Just… nothing.”
He was a memory now. A past I had already let go of.
“I’m happy now, Mateo,” I said simply. “And you? You’re just someone l’used to know.”
His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say more. But he didn’t. He just nodded.
And I turned my back on him one last time.
Later that night, as I sat in my bridal suite, I heard my phone buzz. I picked it up and stared at the screen.
A message.
Julienne: Congratulations on your wedding day.
I felt something shift inside me. For a second, I wanted to reply. To say thank you. To say I miss you.
But I wasn’t ready. Not yet. So I placed the phone down without responding. And as I did, the door opened, and Cole
walked in.
“Why do you look like you’re deep in thought?” Cole asked, leaning against the doorway.
I sighed, shaking my head. “Just… thinking.”
He stepped closer, cupping my face in his hands. “Are you nervous?”
“A little,” I admitted.
“You shouldn’t be,” he murmured. “Tomorrow, you’re marrying me. And I’ll spend the rest of my life making you happy.”
My lips curled into a soft smile. “You already do.”
He grinned. “Then stop thinking.”
And then he kissed me. And just like that–every doubt, every lingering shadow of the past disappeared.
The next morning, I stood at the entrance of the chapel, my heart racing. The doors opened, and all eyes turned to me. But I only saw one person.”
Cole. He stood at the altar, looking at me like I was the only woman in the world.
I took a deep breath and stepped forward, my mother walking beside me, her hand firm in mine. Step by step, I moved
closer to the man I loved. The man who had always been meant for me.”
When I reached the altar, Cole took my hands, squeezing them gently.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
I smiled. “You don’t look so bad yourself.”
The officiant cleared his throat, beginning the ceremony.”
And when it was time to say our vows, Cole spoke first.”
“Evelyne,” he began, his voice steady, filled with warmth. “From the moment I met you, you were the one thing I never wanted to lose. Even when life pulled us apart, even when I made mistakes, I never stopped loving you. And now, I finally have the chance to be the man you deserve.”
He took a deep breath. “I vow to stand beside you, în every high and every low. To love you fiercely, completely, and without hesitation. You are my heart, my home, my greatest love. And I will choose you–every single day.“>
Tears blurred my vision as he slid the ring onto my finger.
Then it was my turn.
“Cole,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I never thought I would find my way back to love. I was broken, lost. But you… you were my light. You never gave up on me. You reminded me that I was worthy of happiness, of a love that was pure and real.”
I exhaled shakily. “I vow to love you with every part of me, to stand by your side in all that life throws our way. I vow to build a life with you, a home filled with laughter and love. You are my beginning and my end.““]
1 slid the ring onto his finger, my hands trembling.
And then-
“You may now kiss the bride,” the officiant announced.
Cole didn’t wait.
He pulled me close, capturing my lips in a kiss that was filled with everything–love, promise, forever. The crowd erupted into cheers, but I barely heard them.
Because in that moment, nothing else mattered. I had found my happiness. And this time, it was mine to keep.
