Chapter 6 - The Festival of the Golden PeachIn late September 2026, ten months after that unforgettable viral proposal video, the grand ballroom of the Drake Hotel was packed to absolute capacity for the inaugural Daisy Bennett Heritage & Rural Integrity Gala.
Over five hundred prominent business leaders, supreme court justices, federal prosecutors, and high-society matriarchs gathered beneath sparkling crystal chandeliers.
On a private silver platter at the head table rested a fresh dish of homemade peach cobbler baked by my grandmother's recipe.
Standing at the main presentation podium, wearing a breathtaking floor-length dark emerald silk evening gown that celebrated her graceful figure, was Donna Daisy Bennett-Moretti.
Around her neck hung her grandmother’s vintage silver signet pendant, her blonde hair falling in glossy waves over her shoulders, her hazel eyes burning with absolute, unshakeable victory, inner peace, and sovereign grace.
Beside the stage stood Bridget Colton, Marcus Vance, and my cousin Tess.
And standing on her right, wearing a dark bespoke charcoal tuxedo, his broad six-foot-four frame squared, his handsome face glowing with deep, quiet pride, was Vincent Moretti.
Vincent stepped up to the microphone beside me, wrapping his broad, warm arm securely around my waist, his deep baritone echoing cleanly through the high-fidelity speakers:
"Ten months ago, a country girl in cowboy boots sat on my shoulders, proposed marriage in front of half a million people, and saved my soul," Vincent announced to the silent room, his storm-gray eyes shining with genuine, unshakeable devotion as he looked down at me. "And on that night, she shattered a dark conspiracy, claimed my entire heart, and brought my entire world back to the light."
Vincent held his champagne glass high under the glittering lights.
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"To my Chairwoman, my savior, and the queen of my heart: Donna Daisy Bennett-Moretti!"
"To Daisy!" the entire room erupted into a warm, unanimous standing ovation, five hundred crystal glasses clinking together under the open sky.
