Chapter 14 - THE WEDDING HE ACTUALLY WANTED
Two years after canceling his wedding to Bianca Falcone, Dante asked Gemma to marry him.
There was no cathedral.
No political alliance.
No army of guests.
They were walking along the harbor.
The evening air smelled of salt and rain.
Gemma wore a blue coat.
Dante carried a small velvet box.
He stopped beneath a streetlamp.
“Gemma.”
She turned.
He looked nervous.
She smiled.
“Dante Lombardi. Nervous?”
He laughed.
“Terrified.”
She stared.
He took her hands.
“For years, I thought marriage was something families arranged to protect power.”
He paused.
“Then you taught me that love is something people choose.”
Gemma's eyes filled.
He knelt.
“Will you marry me?”
She covered her mouth.
For several seconds, she couldn't speak.
Then she laughed through tears.
“Yes.”
Dante smiled.
“Yes?”
She nodded.
“Yes.”
He slipped the ring onto her finger.
Then stood and kissed her.
Behind them, the harbor lights shimmered.
And somewhere across the city, the cathedral that had once been prepared for a loveless wedding stood empty.
May you like
Dante didn't miss it.
Not for a second.
