Chapter 6 - Building An Empire of Our OwnThe wedding, held six months later in the lush, blooming gardens of a private estate overlooking Puget Sound, was everything our first wedding had not been: intimate, joyful, and entirely real.
There were no corporate board members whispering about stock prices, no political figures trying to angle for invitations, and no hidden folders waiting in dark offices. There were only our closest friends, my mother smiling tearfully from the front row, and James—now a bright-eyed, laughing seven-month-old—being carried down the grassy aisle by Declan’s brother as the ring bearer.
I wore a simple, elegant lace gown that swept softly across the green lawn. When I reached the altar, Declan was waiting for me. His eyes were shining with unshed tears, his expression a mixture of profound awe and steady, unshakeable devotion.
"You look stunning," he whispered as my hand slid into his.
"You clean up all right yourself, Mr. Rowan," I teased softly, feeling a bubble of pure happiness rise in my chest.
When the officiant pronounced us husband and wife, the applause of our loved ones blended with the sound of the ocean waves crashing against the rocks below. As Declan leaned down to kiss me, the cheers erupted, but all I could hear was the steady, grounding heartbeat of the man who had torn down an empire just to prove he would never let me go.
At the reception under a canopy of twinkling fairy lights, we danced our first dance to a slow, timeless melody. James was fast asleep in his stroller nearby, guarded lovingly by my sister, while the rest of the world spun peacefully around us.
"Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Rowan," Declan murmured, pulling me closer as we swayed gently to the music.
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"I was just thinking about that snowy night on Maple Street," I smiled, resting my cheek against his lapel. "Who would have thought a screaming newborn and an Aston Martin could fix everything?"
"It wasn't the car or the baby," Declan corrected gently, kissing the top of my head. "It was the mother who had the courage to walk across a ballroom once, and open a front door twice."
