Chapter 10 - The Real Honeymoon
We finally took our honeymoon a year later.
We didn't go to Paris or the Maldives, or any of the pretentious hotspots my mother used to brag about at her country club. We flew to a private, secluded villa on the Amalfi Coast in Italy.
The sun was setting over the Tyrrhenian Sea, casting a brilliant golden glow over the water. The warm Mediterranean breeze drifted through the open terrace doors.
I stood on the balcony, wearing a simple white silk dress, holding a glass of local wine. I felt lighter than I had ever felt in my entire life. The ghosts of my past were locked in federal cells, entirely powerless. The empire they had weaponized against me was now a force for good.
Julian walked out onto the terrace, wrapping his arms around my waist from behind and resting his chin on my shoulder.
"What are you thinking about?" he asked quietly.
"I was just thinking about my wedding day," I admitted.
Julian tensed slightly. "I'm sorry they ruined the ceremony. We can renew our vows. Do it right this time. No FBI, no arrests."
I turned around in his arms, smiling up at the man who had seen the brilliant, fierce woman hiding beneath a lifetime of abuse.
"Julian, they didn't ruin my wedding day," I said, reaching up to trace the line of his jaw. "They gave me the greatest wedding gift I could have ever asked for. They showed me exactly who you are."
"And who am I?" he whispered, a soft, dangerous smile playing on his lips.
May you like
"The man who burned down my nightmares, and gave me the world."
Julian leaned down and kissed me as the sun dipped below the horizon. The past was completely, permanently erased. The future was unwritten, and it belonged entirely to us.
