Page 108 of Blood Heir

“Do you, Cassian Bellandi, take Emilia D’Angelis to be your lawfully wedded wife?”

Cassian barely lets him finish before answering, “I do.”

The soft chuckles that ripple through the guests feel like warmth passing through the air.

“And do you, Emilia D’Angelis, take Cassian Bellandi—”

“I do,” Emilia answers, her voice cracking slightly but full of certainty.

Their lips meet in a tender kiss that lingers longer than tradition might allow. The applause is gentle but heartfelt as they finally part, breathless but smiling.

As the officiant steps aside, Emilia signals to a staff member who brings her a microphone. The gentle buzz of feedback hums before she steadies her voice.

“Today is about love.” Her voice shakes for a second before she gathers herself. “But not just about me and Cassian. It’s about the people who taught me that love can bloom even in the darkest corners. Even in places where light was never meant to reach.”

Her eyes sweep across the gathering, but then they lock with mine. She smiles softly, almost shyly. My throat tightens, and I fight back the burn rising in my chest.

“Fioretta.”

I feel my breath catch. The lump in my throat swells, and I fight the moisture threatening my eyes. Serevin’s hand findsmine beneath the table, his thumb tracing soft circles across my skin.

Emilia steps back, still smiling.

From the corner of my eye, I see Serevin rise from his seat, slow and steady. My heart jumps as he approaches, his eyes fixed on mine like I’m the only person in the world.

He stops in front of me, and for a brief moment, the entire garden seems to hold its breath.

In his hand is a small velvet box.

I stare at it, my pulse hammering in my ears. My chest rises and falls heavily, trying to contain the storm swirling inside me.

He opens the box slowly, revealing a simple but stunning platinum ring. The diamond in the center glimmers under the golden light, like a single star burning bright in the afternoon sky.

His voice lowers to a whisper, but I hear every word as though he’s speaking straight into my soul.

“You are my wife already,” his voice wavers, but his eyes remain locked on mine, “but I want to renew our vows. Not because I have to…but because I need to.”

The world tilts slightly as his words hit me. My eyes sting as tears brim and slide down my cheeks before I can stop them.

“I love you,” he breathes. “I will love you until the end of time.”

The lump in my throat breaks as I whisper, my voice catching, “I love you too.”

His hands tremble slightly as he slides the ring onto my finger—this beautiful promise wrapped in a circle of light. As the ring settles in place, he gently lifts my chin, his thumb brushing away a fresh tear sliding down my cheek.

The moment his lips meet mine, the world vanishes. His kiss is tender but fierce, like he’s trying to pour every unspoken word, every regret, every second chance into me. My fingers clutch at his jacket, pulling him closer as the guests around us fade into nothing.

Applause and soft gasps ring out, but none of that matters. In this moment, there’s only him and me—two broken souls who found each other in the wreckage and learned to hold on.

It always has been us.

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