"Sera..." Einstein’s voice broke completely, thick with all the feelings he’d been holding back for what felt like forever. He swallowed hard, but it was no use. The tears were already spilling over, making his eyes shine bright and watery.

"Thank you... thank you for letting me walk you down the aisle like this. It means everything to me."

Seraphine’s heart melted right there on the spot the second she saw him fighting so hard not to fall apart.

A soft, warm smile lit up her whole face as she stepped right into his arms and pulled him into the gentlest hug, holding him close like she never wanted to let go.

"It’s okay," she whispered softly, rubbing slow circles on his back to comfort him. Then that playful spark she could never quite hide crept into her voice.

"But you still owe me that father-daughter dance later, you know. No getting out of it."

Einstein froze for just a heartbeat before his eyes went wide and a shaky, heartfelt laugh burst out of him.

He eased back just enough to look at her, his face full of a million unsaid words and overflowing love. His lips moved like he was about to speak, then closed, and finally settled into the biggest, most grateful smile she’d ever seen on him.

"Of course I will," he said, his voice all husky and raw with emotion as he gave her a firm nod. "I wouldn’t miss that dance for anything in this world. Not a single thing."

That simple promise hung in the air between them, carrying way more weight and love than any fancy words ever could.

Once the three middle-aged men finally stepped back, Seraphine turned her attention toward the priest standing beside Voren.

But before she gave the ceremony her full focus, she let her eyes drift quietly over all the guests gathered on the stunningly decorated yacht.

The soft ocean breeze brushed across everything, carrying the sweet perfume of fresh flowers blended perfectly with that crisp, salty sea air.

Her gaze found Nicole first, and damn, her friend looked absolutely breathtaking in that fitted designer dress that perfectly matched the wedding’s elegant vibe.

Pete stood tall and proud on one side of her, while Callum was right there on the other, both of them somehow managing to behave like absolute angels for once.

A tiny, fond smile pulled at Seraphine’s lips.

Then her eyes wandered farther back through the crowd.

There was Leon, looking ridiculously handsome in his cream-colored suit that had clearly been picked just for this day.

The soft color suited him so well, making him shine among everyone without stealing even a bit of the spotlight from her and Voren. His relaxed stance and that easy, genuine smile on his face made it seem like he belonged right there, completely at peace.

Her attention kept moving until it suddenly landed on someone she never thought she’d see here.

Stanley.

For a split second, she almost didn’t recognize him at all.

Without his usual stiff FBI vibe and that intense, serious expression he always wore, he looked like an entirely different guy.

His tailored suit softened him up so much that he actually blended right in with the rest of the guests instead of looming like the intimidating investigator she remembered so clearly.

Then her eyes found Vladimir and Oriana sitting side by side.

Even from a distance, it was impossible to miss the heavy, invisible wall standing between them.

Vladimir’s face stayed completely blank and unreadable, like he was stuck in some boring business meeting instead of watching his own son get married.

Oriana, on the other hand, could barely lift her head. Her fingers stayed twisted tightly together in her lap, and her eyes stayed downcast almost the entire time, like the weight of everything was crushing her.

All the answers she was desperate for felt so close, just a few hours away.

She took a slow, steadying breath and gently pushed those swirling thoughts to the back of her mind. Today was not the day to let any of those unanswered questions steal even one second of her joy. Not today.

The priest stepped forward with a kind, warm smile that lit up his face.

"It is my great honor to unite Mr. Voren Ashkael and Miss Seraphine Walker in holy matrimony today."

His calm, steady voice rang out clearly across the hushed deck.

"If there is anyone here who believes these two should not be joined together, speak now or forever hold your peace."

Pretty much every single eye in the entire audience swung straight toward Vladimir and Oriana.

Those who had seen all the drama unfold at Voren’s mansion held their breath, waiting silently to see what would happen next.

Vladimir simply smiled, slow and controlled. In the end, he shook his head without a word.

Right beside him, Oriana lifted her eyes for just the briefest moment. Her gaze locked with Seraphine’s for a single heartbeat before it dropped back down again.

A deep, peaceful silence washed over all the guests. The priest smiled even wider.

"Then we shall continue with the ceremony." He turned toward Voren with gentle expectation.

"The groom has prepared his own vows. You may begin."

Seraphine’s heart suddenly started pounding like crazy in her chest. She hadn’t prepared any vows of her own at all.

She’d figured they would just exchange rings and keep things moving through the ceremony like usual, with the traditional vows humans recited at weddings.

But before she could even start wondering what Voren had in mind, he stepped closer to her.

And then, without any warning at all, he dropped down onto one knee right there in front of everyone.

A huge wave of shocked gasps rippled through the whole crowd like wildfire. Several guests clapped their hands over their mouths in pure surprise.

Others traded wide-eyed, stunned looks with each other.

Who the hell could have imagined Voren Ashkael, the most powerful Alpha, and one of New York’s biggest, most successful businessmen getting down on one knee like this for the whole world to see?

Even Seraphine stood there completely frozen, her heart exploding with overwhelming emotion.

Voren looked up at her, and those dark eyes of his were shining with nothing but pure, endless love that hit her like a tidal wave.

"Sera..." His rich, deep voice stayed strong and steady even as it overflowed with feeling.