Chapter 23 Alya and Elias
---
A few days after the dazzling Dumas Gala, the Tate mansion buzzed with a different kind of excitement. Layla had just finished a prenatal yoga session when her phone rang. It was Alya, her best friend.
Layla answered, breathless. “Hey, you! What’s up?”
Alya’s voice exploded with happiness.
“I’M GETTING MARRIED!!!”
Layla nearly dropped her phone. “WHAT?! When? How? Tell me everything!”
Laughing and crying at once, Alya explained it all. Elias—Jasper’s best friend and the man Alya had met at the club that very first night—had proposed during a private dinner on the beach. A trail of candles, a song he wrote for her, and a sapphire ring “because her eyes deserved a star of their own.”
Layla wiped a tear. “Oh, Alya… I’m so happy for you.”
“You’re my maid of honor, obviously,” Alya added quickly. “Say yes before I start crying again!”
“Of course! Yes, a thousand times yes!”
Later that afternoon, Alya and Elias arrived at the mansion, carrying non-alcoholic champagne and a massive binder of wedding planning ideas. Jasper greeted Elias with a handshake and a teasing smirk.
“Took you long enough, man.”
Elias chuckled. “Hey, perfection takes time.”
As they all gathered in the lounge, Alya and Layla giggled over dresses, venues, and color palettes.
“I’m thinking an outdoor wedding,” Alya said. “With tons of flowers, fairy lights, and maybe a live violinist.”
Layla grinned. “Can I still wear heels seven months pregnant?”
“Absolutely not,” Jasper chimed in, making them laugh even harder.
---
Three months later...
The wedding day arrived on a soft spring afternoon. The garden was transformed into a blooming fairytale — ivory roses, lavender vines, lanterns glowing softly as the sun dipped below the horizon.
Layla, radiant with her growing bump, stood beside Alya in a flowing lavender gown. Jasper, Elias, and the rest of their friends and family filled the seats, emotions high.
When Alya walked down the aisle in a silk gown that shimmered like moonlight, Elias looked at her like she was the only person on Earth.
Vows were whispered through happy tears. Laughter broke out when Elias tripped over his words. And when they finally kissed, fireworks lit up the sky—literally. Jasper had pulled some strings.
After the ceremony, the reception sparkled with joy. Layla danced slowly with Jasper, her bump nestled between them.
“They’re perfect for each other,” she whispered, watching Alya and Elias slow dance beneath the fairy lights.
“So are we,” Jasper replied, kissing her temple.
That night, the four of them sat on the grass beneath the stars, barefoot, happy, exhausted.
“You know what this means?” Alya said with a grin. “Our babies are going to be best friends.”
Layla smiled. “And probably troublemakers.”
They all laughed, hearts full. It wasn’t just love stories being written—it was a family, woven together by fate, friendship, and a little bit of magic.
---