CHAPTER 75
NERO ZANTHOS
Téssera has never seen this many people—I know it. And opening this place to the absurd number of people now filling the stretch of sand was a difficult decision, but part of the plan was to do this somewhere that could be special and forgotten at the same time.
If Nina decides not to come, I wouldn’t want any place in Khione to forever remind her of that. So I chose Téssera. I want Nina to come. With all my heart, I want to marry this woman, and I want to do it today.
But I know there’s a very real possibility that she won’t.
The whole plan is about that, actually.
The people who are here once watched Nina be humiliated by me, and even though they now know the truth behind everything, that doesn’t erase or justify my actions. I want to give my Little Fae the chance to balance our scales, because even if she doesn’t care about that, I do.
The stir around me is what draws my attention, and I see it.
A speedboat is approaching.
I tighten my grip on Kael’s small hand in mine. I hope that if Nina doesn’t come, she won’t resent me for involving our son, but since there was no way to do this without him, I was left with no options.
The boat seems to approach in slow motion, and my eyes follow every wave it leaves behind while my breath remains suspended in my chest. I don’t even blink as the vessel finally reaches the pier and its ropes are tied.
My heart feels like it’s about to explode inside my chest. Every guest is standing on the sand, looking toward the same place I am, and the dryness in my throat has nothing to do with the bright sun beating down on us.
The gangway is finally lowered from the boat, and Apollo and Drako step out of the cabin.
I wait.
And wait.
And wait—for what feels like entire years—without anyone else stepping out after my brothers.
I lower my head and nod to myself, admitting that she’s not coming. I knew it was a possibility. I knew this could happen.
“I’m going to take you home, son,” I say to Kael, and he lifts his arms, asking to be picked up. I take him into my arms and breathe deeply, but it doesn’t feel like enough to fill the emptiness in my chest.
“Look, Daddy! Mommy looks like a fairy!”
I snap my eyes back to the pier immediately, and tears blurred my vision before I could even process her arrival.
Nina is stepping off the boat.
And she’s looking at me.
And as I stand there, my son in my arms, watching the woman of my life walk toward the altar—toward me—I know one single thing with absolute certainty:
No matter what happens, everything will be all right.
Because I already have everything I need.