Epilogue
SHAYLA
I STAND BEHIND THE heavy wooden doors, listening to the gentle melody of the string quartet filtering through. My heart is racing, but not out of nervousness. It's just that my joy is almost impossible to contain, my gratitude to God overflowing.
So much has changed in such a short time, and I know it's all because of Him. Therese is no longer a concern. I didn't even have time to wonder or worry if there's anything going on between them. I didn't even have to ask a single thing. That night we got back together, Adriano told me right away that he's dealt with Therese. Apparently, she tried asking him out again when we were apart, and because he already knew of his feelings by then, he had told her they could only be colleagues...since he was hoping to marry me, the woman he loved.
And yes, he said those exact words.
Lissa White is also joining our firm to reduce Adriano's workload. He wants to spend more time loving me and making babies, and yes, he did say those exact words, too. Even worse? He insisted on being quoted verbatim on this when we were interviewed.
Hope's pregnancy is showing now, and the amount of satisfaction her husband derives from this...is equally proportionate to the dissatisfaction I derive from how Chip continues to bark at me...while all it takes is one meeting with Adriano, and the traitor can't stop wagging his tail every time he sees my boss.
Grrr.
Needless to say, Chip's seal of approval means the world to Gilbert, and the former prosecutor and my future husband haven't just become fast friends since then. Both men also take the pleasure of siding with each other against me in legal debates.
Double grrr.
Or maybe I should say 'triple grrr' since that part about Gilbert being a former prosecutor? It's because he's now working with us, too, and he's even brought along a new client: Hollywood royalty Guy de la Rocq, who's in need of legal representation because of a woman Gilbert describes as the "unlikeliest" of fangirls.
Honestly, the past three weeks have been hectic and eventful, but I also wouldn't have it any other way. If we weren't so busy, I doubt Adriano and I would've been able to keep our vow of celibacy until our wedding night. Most people think we're crazy for making such a vow, but that's fine. We're doing it for God, not for anyone else. But be that as it may...
It's not easy. At all. And that's why holding hands is as far as we've allowed ourselves to do. Anything else is off-limits. We both know all it would take is the briefest of contacts for us to forget what we've promised. Temptation is something you flee from, not fight futilely against.
Last but not the least, I've registered for the bar exam. Finally. Next spring, I'll be Shayla Kontides, Esquire. A far cry from the frightened, defensive woman who hid behind a fake wedding ring for nearly a decade.
Well, eight and a half years, to be precise, but I think it's time I stop counting, with the doors in front of me finally parting open. It feels so symbolic, too, with a new chapter of my life that's about to begin, and oooh!
A choked laugh escapes me. The way everything's decorated is wonderfully familiar. It's straight out of my childhood sketches of my future wedding, which I'm sure Hope was quite happy to share with Adriano.
I slowly walk past a sea of familiar faces. Friends and colleagues, both old and new. Pietro's there, of course, and surprisingly still single. My parents, too, and they've even sworn not to quarrel. It's just for tonight, but I'll take it.
Nothing can ruin this evening for me, and oh, when I finally see him, my heartbeat just skyrockets.
My love.
Adriano looks perfectly dashing in his white tux, and my heart feels like it's about to burst when I see the way he's looking at me. The words I see in his eyes are exactly what I felt.
My love.
We truly are mirror images of each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.
I take my first step down the aisle. Alone, or so it appears. But with each step, I feel His presence beside me, and it's humbling beyond words.
Thank You, God. Thank You.
If not for my Father in Heaven, none of this would be possible.
None of it.
Adriano reaches for my hand, I place mine in his, and everything feels so perfectly right.
"Hi," I croak out. I'm finally feeling nervous. But that's normal. Right?
"Hi." Adriano says this with mock gravity, and it's exactly what I need to hear. My nervousness disappears, and now I'm just struggling not to laugh.
This , I can't help thinking.
This is what love is all about.
ADRIANO
All my life, I've been an obnoxious jerk, making it clear to everyone that I had no need for my father's billions.
I was making enough money on my own as one of the East Coast's top lawyers, and this made me feel like I was everything.
But I know better now, of course.
Everything that I am is no accident. All of it are His gifts, all of it undeserved. And everything in my life is part of His plan, including my inheritance. I finally understood why I had so much money at my disposal, and its purpose now stands before me, a fully renovated building that a massive team in the hundreds had worked hard to complete in a short span of time.
Psalm 13 Community Center
It's my wedding gift for my bride of four hours, whom I've abducted from our simple Christian ceremony, and have kept blindfolded for the drive here.
"Can I take it off now?" Shayla asks, fingers fidgeting with the silk scarf covering her eyes.
"Go ahead."
She pulls the blindfold down, and the look on her face is priceless. Shock, confusion, then dawning understanding as she reads the sign. Her lips part, but no sound comes out.
––––––––
"Y OU'LL RUN OUR FOUNDATION from here." My own voice cracks as I say this. Because her dream has become my dream as well, and a part of me still finds it hard to believe how God's given us the privilege to serve Him this way.
"T-This..." Shayla shakes her head. "This is why you agreed to the interview."
"Yes." In exchange of allowing a society magazine to feature our wedding, they'll make a sizeable donation to Psalm 13.
"I can't believe this," Shayla whispers in a daze. "Is this really true? How will it work?"
"If someone comes here, they need to be okay with a thirty-minute talk with our in-house pastor before they can receive help. All they have to do is listen. That's non-negotiable."
She's nodding at every word, and I'm glad. Every foundation has its own objective, and we're both standing firm on what's ours.
"It will have free daycare, legal counsel, medical consultations, counseling. For a start."
Shayla starts crying, tears spilling over her cheeks. "I've never heard anything hotter in my entire life."
I can only shake my head and laugh. She's lived just three weeks with Hope, and the effects are already showing, and most likely permanent.
"But this is just the first half of my gift."
Milos drives us back to my penthouse—our home now—and my wife looks at me in bemusement when I take her straight to the infinity pool. The night air is warm against our skin, and the pool's reflection is a fascinating mix of starry skies and city lights. I've had candles placed around its edge, their flames dancing in the gentle breeze.
Shayla's eyes widen when I slowly pull her close and reach for one of the delicate straps of her gown.
"A-Adriano?"
"Do you trust me?"
"No."
I laugh. "Liar." Because I'm already spinning her around, and she hasn't made the slightest effort to resist. Her body trembles as I reach for the zipper behind her back, and she lets out a whimper as she feels it slowly sliding down.
"But what if—"
"Trust me." I have my ways. No one will see us. It's guaranteed.
Her gown falls into a pool around her feet, and the sight of my bride down to her lacy underwear has me sucking my breath.
"You're beautiful, Mrs. Kontides."
"And embarrassed to death."
My lips curve in a smirk. "Good." And then I start taking off my clothes off in silence.
"What are you doing?" Shayla croaks out.
I turn her around in answer, and she gulps audibly at seeing all of me for the first time.
"A-Adriano..."
The sound of her whimper has me struggling for control. "Come here, love."
She moves toward me as if spellbound. And she's staring at my lips like they're the sweetest thing she's ever seen. It's a side of her that I know I alone will see, and the thought makes me feel fiercely possessive.
Mine.
This woman is mine, now and forever, and I will thank God for her every day of my life.
Shayla starts trembling again as I lead her to the pool steps. The water is warm as we descend, heated to the perfect temperature, and the water laps at our waists as we reach the middle.
I finally turn her around, and her body automatically melts against mine as her arms wrap around my neck. I cover her mouth in a kiss, and she sighs against my lips.
I keep it slow and gentle. Soft and tender. And only when I feel her sigh again do I take things to the next level.
Unclasping her bra from the back. And making my bride gasp as I rip her lace panties off with a yank.
"Adri—"
I don't let her finish, my mouth taking hers again in a kiss, but this time with my tongue thrusting past her swollen lips.
Now is not the time to talk. Now is where we just feel. And love.
Her arms tighten around my neck when she feels me lift her up. Her breath hitches as I pose her above my throbbing length.
"I love you," I rasp out against her lips.
"I lo—" Her words end in a moan as I choose that exact moment to take her, my fingers digging into her sweet flesh as I pull her hips down until she's completely seated on my length.
Our bodies move in instinctive rhythm, her legs locking around my waist as I plunge deeper and harder with every thrust. Our breathing turns ragged, my mouth trailing down until I'm sucking on the side of her neck. She clutches my hair as my mouth continues its descent, and her grip tightens, my name falling past her lips in another moan as I start suckling on her nipples.
I want this to last as long as until we've both driven each other mad with need.
But the moment I hear her sob out—
"My love!"
The water around us laps violently as my control breaks. I'm taking her as hard as I can, every move of my body almost savage in its urgency and desire to make both of us reach for the stars at the same time.
"Shayla..." I growl her name out so she can look into my eyes and see the truth.
She's all I want. All I feel. She's the girl I've been designed to wait my entire life.
"I love you..."
She shatters in my arms with a cry, and I'm right behind her.
This, I can't help thinking.
This is how it should be, when you truly love someone, heart, body, and soul.
The End
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Until our next journey,
Marian Tee
Isaiah 41:10 NLT
Don’t be afraid, for I am with you.
Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you.
I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.