Page 90 of Stolen By the Enemy

Marco and I sneak away to take a few photos before we join everyone else for dinner and dancing.

The reception hall is alive with chatter and laughter from all sides.

Everyone feasts on the buffet of food, and then Marco and I open the dance floor with our first dance.

We also do the money dance, which my own family does not understand.

This whole wedding has been more than I have ever imagined it could be.

Throughout the night, I keep looking at Marco, proud of how far we’ve come.

Who would have thought that I’d be marrying my kidnapper?

And who would have thought I would be so happy to do so?

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Marco

The wedding party is in full swing, and every member of my Mexican extended family is drunk and on the dance floor.

Carlos is leading a chain dance, while his wife is doing the Macarena with a group of her friends on the other end of the dancefloor.

I’m grateful that I didn’t have to give up the only family I have in order to get what I wanted.

They are loyal enough to at least show up to this big day and look happy for us.

She looks even more dazzling than usual, radiating happiness. It hits me—she's genuinely happy, and being the cause of her joy makes me happier than I ever thought I could be.

I'm still wrapping my head around the fact that she's now my wife, standing by me despite everything we've been through.

Amidst the laughter, I can't help but feel a rush of gratitude for this incredible woman.

To my surprise, Grazia's brothers are on board with our union, turning it into a family affair.

It's not just about us anymore; it's a partnership that's also opening up new doors for my trade routes.

They've handed me the reins, giving me full control—a twist I didn't see coming.

I now have the respect I was looking for, more than enough money to make a life, and a strong and worthy woman by my side.

All of this has been done through love, rather than violence.

How wrong I was before.

Life is good now.

Not that I would hesitate to use violence to keep it. I haven’t become a weak man through this.

I reach into my jacket pocket and pull out the cigar I brought with me. I don’t usually smoke, but this was meant to be smoked after the success of my previous plan, kidnapping Grazia and blackmailing her family.

It all seems like a completely different life now.

The cigar is precisely what I need now, to mark the start of a better future for both myself and Grazia.

So, I’m going to take a few celebratory puffs outside.

I head toward the courtyard at the back of the hotel, grateful for some alone time.

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