Chapter 10 - The Wedding
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The wedding was a cold, calculated affair.
There were no flowers, no string quartets, and no weeping relatives. It was held in the grand foyer of the Costa estate, attended only by Arthur’s top lieutenants, a paid judge, and the four children.
Nora wore a simple, elegant ivory dress that reached her ankles. She looked beautiful, but untouchable.
Arthur stood at the makeshift altar in a tailored black suit, looking more like a general preparing for war than a groom.
As the judge read the standard vows, Nora’s eyes drifted to the children. Mia gave her a shy, tentative smile. The twins were busy trying to step on each other’s shoes. Leo stood in the back, his arms crossed, watching her with intense scrutiny. He was waiting for her to slip up. He was waiting for her to show her true colors.
“Do you, Arthur, take Nora...”
The words blurred together. When the judge finally pronounced them husband and wife, Arthur turned to her.
There was no romantic music swelling. There was only the heavy silence of the room.
“You may kiss the bride,” the judge said nervously.
Arthur stepped closer. He didn’t grab her aggressively. He reached out, his large, calloused hand gently cupping her jaw. His thumb brushed lightly against her cheekbone, a surprisingly tender gesture from a man known for extreme violence.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers. It was brief, chaste, but incredibly warm. A jolt of electricity shot down Nora’s spine.
When he pulled back, his dark eyes held a promise he couldn’t say out loud in front of his men.
You are safe now.
“Congratulations, Boss,” his underboss, Silvio, said with a rough smile.
May you like
“Double the perimeter guard tonight,” Arthur ordered immediately, the moment of softness vanishing. “The Romanos know she’s a Costa now. They might try to test the boundaries.”
Nora realized then that she hadn’t escaped the war. She had just switched sides.
