Chapter 19 - The Garden WeddingThey were married two months later, on a breathtaking midsummer morning in the private cliffside gardens of the estate.
It was not a lavish Syndicate spectacle. There were no news cameras, no politicians, and no posturing captains.
Only thirty people attended: Nurse Amy and the local staff who had treated Beatrice with respect, Paul Ferrell and the senior security detail, a few trusted estate workers, and Beatrice Costa sitting in her wheel chair in the front row, wearing a silver silk dress and a gentle, radiant smile.
Tessa walked down the stone path lined with white roses, wearing a simple, breathtaking ivory lace gown that draped gracefully around her frame. Her dark hair was styled in soft waves, anchored by a small sprig of olive leaves.
Standing at the altar overlooking the azure ocean, Damian waited for her. He looked imposing and handsome in his black tuxedo, his eyes fixed on her with a fierce, reverent intensity that brought a flush to her cheeks.
When she reached his side, he took both of her hands in his, his thumbs caressing her knuckles.
The local magistrate spoke the ancient Italian vows, but the true promise was made in the quiet, unyielding gaze shared between husband and wife.
When Damian leaned down to kiss her—a deep, slow, possessive kiss that sealed their lives together—the small crowd erupted into warm applause.
May you like
Beatrice clapped her thin hands happily from her chair, calling out in her clear, raspy voice, "About time, my boy! About time!"
Damian laughed—a rich, booming sound of pure joy that echoed off the stone cliffs—and lifted his new bride into his arms, spinning her round in the summer sunshine while Tessa’s laughter filled the warm sea breeze.
