Chapter 10 - THE PROMISE KEPT
One year later.
The cathedral of St. Patrick in Manhattan was filled with soft candlelight, orchestral violin music, and hundreds of guests.
Walking down the long marble aisle, holding a bouquet of white roses, was Elena. She wore an exquisite lace wedding gown that trailed ten feet behind her, glowing like an angel beneath the stained-glass windows.
Walking beside her, holding her hand proudly, was nine-year-old Lily, dressed in a matching flower-girl dress.
Standing at the altar in a tailored black tuxedo was Vincent Moretti.
As Elena reached the altar, Vincent stepped forward, taking her hand gently in his. He looked into her eyes, seeing his entire world reflected back at him.
The priest began the ceremony, his voice echoing through the grand hall.
"Do you, Vincent Moretti, take Elena Vale to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, until death do you part?"
Vincent looked at Elena, his dark eyes shining with absolute devotion.
"I do," Vincent answered firmly, his voice echoing across the cathedral. "I promised to protect her when she was lost. And I promise to love her for the rest of my life."
"And do you, Elena Vale, take Vincent Moretti to be your lawfully wedded husband?"
Elena smiled through her tears, squeezing his hands tightly. "I do. He was the shadow that protected me in the dark, and the light that brought me home."
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest smiled warmly. "You may kiss the bride."
Vincent pulled Elena flush against his chest, wrapping his arms around her tightly, and kissed her passionately as the entire cathedral erupted into joy, applause, and celebration!
Outside, on the grand stone steps of the cathedral, the new Moretti family stepped out into the crisp afternoon air.
Vincent picked up Lily, holding her securely on his hip, while wrapping his other arm around Elena’s waist.
A crowd of reporters and photographers gathered at the bottom of the steps, camera flashes going off like fireworks.
"Mr. Moretti!" a reporter shouted from the crowd. "How does it feel to finally have peace after everything your family went through?!"
Vincent looked down at his beautiful wife, then at his smiling daughter, feeling a warmth in his chest that no amount of money or power could ever buy.
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"Peace isn't something you find," Vincent said softly, his voice carrying clearly over the crowd. "It's something you build with the people you love."
Together, hand in hand, the Mafia Don, his queen, and their daughter walked down the steps into the bright afternoon sun—leaving the shadows of their past behind forever, and stepping forward into a lifetime of love, protection, and eternal peace.
