Chapter 33 Madeleine
Chapter thirty-three
Madeleine
ONE MONTH LATER
Everything feels right in the world.
It’s as if I can breathe for the first time in over a year. To prove it to myself, I take a deep breath, inhaling the scents of all the delicious food before me.
Eli’s arm drapes across the back of my chair, and he presses a kiss to my shoulder, right over the scar from my bullet wound.
Scarlett sits beside me, with Leo on her other side. The two of them are wrapped up in each other, appearing just as in love with one another as they were years ago.
My mom is at one end of the table, smiling with a gleam in her eye as she looks around at everyone.
Alex is sitting beside Vin, and the two of them are deep in conversation, probably discussing the impending war with the Vasiliev family that is looming over us.
And Mauro and Alina are sitting across from me, both of them appearing…
well, I’m not exactly sure what to make of it.
I’ve never seen Mauro so anxious; his index finger keeps tugging at the collar of his shirt.
Alina, on the other hand, simply stares at her plate of food, her fork swirling through the pasta but not picking up any of it.
Hmm…
Ding! Ding! Ding!
Vin stands, the edge of his knife tapping against the crystal glass in his hand. All eyes in the room turn to him as his gaze finds mine.
“Family is all that matters in this world,” he begins, his eyes shifting to Eli.
“And we are blessed that our family keeps growing.” He raises his glass high.
“Eli, you’ve always been like a brother to me, Leo, Alex, and Mauro.
But now, you are officially one of us—an Alarie.
I am honored to welcome you to our family.
There is no one we would have thought more perfect for our sister than you.
And we know…” He clears his throat. “We know our father would be incredibly happy for the two of you.” My eyes water, my throat slightly tightening as I place a hand on Eli’s thigh.
His dark eyes meet mine as the corners of his mouth turn up, causing mine to do the same. “So, here’s to family.”
Everyone raises their glasses. “To family.”
Eli caresses his lips against my cheek. “I’ll be right back, love.”
“Where are you going? Dessert will probably be out soon.”
“Trust me, I won’t miss it.” He winks. “Besides.” He lowers his head, placing his lips beside my ear. “You know you’re my favorite dessert.”
Heat creeps up my neck as I bite down on my bottom lip. “Hurry back.”
I watch as he walks off, disappearing toward the kitchen.
“So.” Scarlett leans toward me, smiling. “Need any help planning your wedding?”
Eli and I haven’t discussed what kind of wedding we would like to have, but I have a funny feeling we both already know where it will take place.
“Yeah, starting with a redo of my bachelorette party,” I tell her, making us both laugh. “I’m thinking of doing a girls’ trip somewhere tropical. Maybe—”
“You can go to the family’s island,” Leo cuts in.
“But I’ve been there before.”
“So? It has a private security team, twenty-four-seven surveillance, not to mention it’s in a no-fly zone.”
I roll my eyes. “I guess it could be a compromise.”
“What’s a compromise?” Eli asks, his voice behind me.
“For my bachelorette—” I turn in my chair, and all the air leaves my lungs as Eli pushes a cart toward me, topped with my wedding cake.
Or, well, it looks like it’s supposed to be my former wedding cake. It has the same number of tiers I requested and the same wraparound floral design.
But it’s…
“You really thought I was going to let you order a vanilla cake when you dream of and live for chocolate?” he asks, a playful grin spreading across his face.
“What?” I shake my head in confusion. “I don’t understand… How did you do this?”
He sits next to me, wrapping his arm around my shoulders, tucking me into his side.
“I was never going to let you marry Alastor or any other man, for that matter.” He gently sweeps my hair over my shoulder.
“And I definitely wasn’t going to let a cake go to waste.
So, that night, after we left the bakery, I made a call.
Asked her to change some things and to push back on the date.
Elena seemed easily convinced.” I roll my eyes, which makes him chuckle.
“Thank you,” I say, placing a kiss on his lips.
He grins, giving a quick shrug. “It was nothing.”
I shake my head. “It was everything.”
Ding! Ding! Ding!
My head swivels to the side, finding Mauro standing. I arch an eyebrow, looking at Vin, who merely shrugs, appearing just as confused as I am.
Mauro looks down at Alina. She bites her bottom lip and tucks her hair behind her ear before hesitantly standing beside him. His hand slides behind her back to her waist, gently pulling her to his side.
I turn to Scarlett, her shock mirroring my own.
What the hell is going on?
“Hi, everyone,” Alina says softly before clearing her throat. She pushes up her glasses and then twists her hands together anxiously. “Mauro and I, well, we just wanted to share that…” She glances around the table, her lips opening and closing as she searches for the right words.
Mauro’s brows knit together, concern evident in his eyes as he watches her.
He places a hand against his chest, and then, with his right hand in the shape of a loose C, his thumb touches his lower cheek before moving down toward his left hand, which is also shaped in a loose C, and interlocks his hands.
Alina displays a soft smile as a slight blush creeps over her cheeks.
I look around the room. “What did he just—”
“He said.” Alex smirks as he leans back in his seat. “My wife.”
Silence fills the room.
“We, umm…” Alina gives a slight shrug. “We got married.”
“Why have you asked me to meet you out here, husband? It’s freezing!” I zip up my down jacket and wrap my arms around myself as I trudge through the fluffy snow, approaching Eli, who is standing by the dock.
He smiles at me, amusement dancing in his eyes. “You look like a marshmallow.”
I gasp, swatting at his chest. “Take that back.”
He wraps an arm around my waist, pulling me close. “A sexy marshmallow.
I tilt my head, considering it. “I’ll take it.”
He gently presses a soft kiss to my lips before standing me up straight. I take a look around. A small snowstorm swept through last night, leaving everything coated in fresh white—from the tips of the pine trees to the frozen lake.
It’s beautiful and serene.
But also, really fucking cold.
“So, are you going to tell me why I’m currently out here freezing my butt off?”
He nods thoughtfully before reaching into his pocket. “I thought you should know that you weren’t the only one who sent me letters over the years.” He pulls out a worn-looking envelope and holds it out to me.
I raise an eyebrow. “What bitch do I have to fight?”
He lets out a genuine laugh, pushing the letter into my hands.
“I think you should read this one,” he says. “It was one of my favorites.”
My brows furrow in confusion, but I remove my gloves and open the folded piece of paper. I quickly scan to the bottom of the page to see who wrote this damn letter, and I freeze.
Because the name Charles Alarie stares back at me.
I look at Eli, my throat tightening, my nose stinging, and my eyes blurring. “He wrote to you?”
He nods. “I think he’d want you to read this one.”
I quickly glance back down at the paper, grasping it with trembling hands.
A river of tears cascades down my cheeks, probably turning into tiny icicles.
My chest tightens as I stare at the words my father wrote to Eli.
He gave him his blessing. A smile forms on my face as I reach up to brush away my tears.
“I can’t believe he—” The words fade in my throat as I turn around and see Eli kneeling in the snow, holding out a ring box that contains the same beautiful engagement ring I found in his nightstand drawer.
“Madeleine Alarie,” he begins, his eyes bright with genuine happiness, making my heart thunder beneath my rib cage.
“Most people aren’t lucky enough to meet their soul mate until later on in life, if they meet them at all.
But the world did me a kindness when it placed me in the home of the Alarie Estate, intertwining our lives and our stories.
” He pauses for a moment before continuing, “I’ve loved you from the moment I laid eyes on you, and I will love you even after the world stops spinning.
” He drags his fingers nervously through his hair.
“I know, we technically already got married, but I wouldn’t feel right if I didn’t officially ask you.
” His eyes water, but he clears his throat and says, “Madeleine Alarie, will you marry me?”
I nod, my vision blurring as tears fill my eyes. “Yes, Eli Lyon, I will marry you.”
He places the ring on my shaking finger, and the second it’s secure, I jump into his arms, knocking him down onto the snowy ground. We laugh as our lips meet, both of our hearts beating as fast as one another’s.
“I’m going to spend forever loving you,” he promises me. His hands cradle my cheeks as he pulls me toward him, pressing his lips to mine. He pulls away, rolling our foreheads together. “Although, to tell you the truth, forever doesn’t sound like enough time.”
“You’re right. It doesn’t.” I brush my lips over his, my fingers tangling in his hair.
How did I get lucky enough to be able to call this man mine for the rest of my life?
Softly, I place a kiss on his lips, lingering for a moment before pulling back and saying, “So, let’s make the most of the time we have together, starting right now. ”