Chapter 11 - THE BRIDE IN THE GARDEN
(One Year Later)
The gardens of the Moretti estate were in full bloom.
String quartets played softly under the warm Chicago sun. Hundreds of white roses climbed the antique trellises.
There were no armed guards visible. The perimeter was secure, but today, Dante had insisted on making the estate look like a paradise.
Sophie was running across the grass, wearing a beautiful white flower-girl dress, tossing petals with absolute joy.
Dante stood at the altar, wearing a tailored black tuxedo.
He watched as the heavy French doors of the mansion opened.
Harper stepped out.
She was breathtaking in a simple, elegant lace gown, the vintage sapphire necklace resting perfectly against her collarbone.
Her mother walked her down the aisle, completely healed and glowing with pride.
When Harper reached the altar, Dante took her hands.
“You look beautiful,” he whispered.
“You don't look so bad yourself, Mr. Moretti,” she smiled.
The ceremony was short, perfect, and deeply emotional. When they exchanged rings, Sophie cheered the loudest.
At the reception, the champagne flowed. Dante danced with his new wife under the stars, feeling completely at peace.
Rocco walked up to them, holding two glasses of champagne.
“Congratulations, boss. Mrs. Moretti.”
“Thank you, Rocco,” Harper smiled, taking a glass.
“Everything quiet?” Dante asked.
“Quiet as a grave,” Rocco grinned. “The Commission sent a wedding gift. A very expensive bottle of wine. And Caroline’s appeals were officially denied this morning.”
Dante nodded. The past was finally buried.
He looked down at Harper.
She was watching Sophie dance with one of her cousins on the dance floor.
“Are you happy?” Dante asked softly.
Harper leaned her head against his chest.
“I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.”
Dante kissed the top of her head.
He had fought monsters, dismantled syndicates, and survived treason.
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But looking at his wife and his daughter, smiling in the garden he had built for them, Dante knew he had finally won the only war that mattered.
The war for his family.
