Page 69 of A Million Shades Of Love and Betrayal

She helped me out of the dress and made a few final adjustments to ensure the fit was flawless. As we finished up, I felt a wave of gratitude for the love and support of the women around me.

I felt a warmth spread through me. This day had been a whirlwind, but it was moments like these that made it all worthwhile. Surrounded by family, planning my future with Rafael, and feeling the love and support of those closest to me—it was everything I had ever dreamed of.

"Okay, so we have the venue confirmed, the dress is perfect, and the caterer is all set," my mom said, ticking items off her list. "What else do we need to finalize?"

"Flowers," Amirah chimed in. "We need to confirm the floral arrangements."

"And the music," Carina added. "We need to make sure the playlist is finalized."

I nodded, taking notes. "I'll handle the flowers, and Rafael and I will choose the music list tonight. What about the seating arrangements?"

My mom grinned. "That was a tricky one. But I got it covered."

"Everything is coming together beautifully," Mom's smile widened as she walked over to me with a veil for me to try on.

"Thanks, Mom," I replied, leaning my head on her shoulder. "I couldn't have done it without you."

She wrapped her arm around me and squeezed gently. "You're going to be a beautiful bride, and Rafael is a lucky man. I can't wait to see you two start your life together."

I smiled, feeling a wave of contentment wash over me. The journey to this point had been incredible, and I knew the road ahead would be just as amazing.

-46-

Rafael

Today was my wedding day, and the emotions swirling inside me were a wild mix of excitement and nervousness. The anticipation has been building up for weeks, but nothing could have prepared me for this morning. Yasmin and I had decided to spend the night before in separate rooms, following the tradition, and although it felt strange to be apart, it added to the anticipation of seeing her again.

The first rays of sunlight barely peeked through the curtains when I jumped out of bed. I quickly brushed my teeth, the minty freshness doing little to quell the butterflies in my stomach. My heart raced as I threw on some clothes and made my way to the living room, where I knew the guys would be gathered.

Sure enough, I found all of them there, sipping coffee. Roman saw me enter and immediately poured me a cup. He handed it to me with a reassuring smile. "Hey, look who finally decided to join us!" he teased.

"Thanks, man," I said, taking a seat and wrapping my hands around the warm mug. The caffeine was exactly what I needed to steady my nerves. "Morning, guys," I said, sipping the hot coffee. The warmth spread through me, calming some of my nerves.

"Morning, man," Khalid replied, clapping a hand on my shoulder. "How are you feeling?"

"Nervous as hell," I admitted with a chuckle. "But excited too. I can't wait to see Yasmin walk down the aisle. Just so you know, I'm not having any second thoughts. I'm more than ready for this."

Khalid's stern expression softened a bit as he nodded. "Good to hear. Yasmin deserves someone who's all in."

"Rafael, it's normal to feel this way," Ivan said, his voice calm and steady. "But remember, today is about you and Yasmin. Everything else is secondary. Just focus on her, and everything will fall into place."

Dad chimed in. "Yeah, and don't worry about anything else. We all have your back."

I smiled, feeling a little more at ease. "Thanks, guys. I appreciate it."

Roman clapped me on the shoulder. "That's the spirit! And trust me, when you see her in that dress, everything else will fade away."

We spent the next hour or so talking and joking, the atmosphere becoming lighter and more relaxed. It was exactly what I needed to loosen up. The bond between us all felt stronger than ever, and I was grateful to have these men by my side on such an important day.

As the morning progressed, we began to get ready. The suits were laid out, perfectly pressed, and waiting for us. I put mine on carefully, making sure everything was in place. My father helped me with my tie, his fingers deftly working the fabric into a perfect knot.

"Looking sharp, man," he said with a grin. "Yasmin's going to be blown away."

"Thanks, Dad," I replied, adjusting the cuffs of my shirt. "You clean up pretty well yourself."

I was just about to ask if anyone's spoken to Yasmin when Roman's phone buzzed. He picked it up and his face immediately drained of color, as if he'd just seen a ghost. "What is it?" I asked, my curiosity piqued by his sudden change in demeanor.

Wordlessly, Roman turned his phone to show us the screen. It was Ethan's Instagram account. He had just uploaded about six photos, each one featuring him and Yasmin. They were at various locations around the city—laughing at a café, walking through the park, posing in front of some mural. Ethan's smirk in every photo was unmistakable; it was like he was taunting us.

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