Chapter 8 - The Wedding at Midnight
We planned a wedding for the following summer.
My mother attended every meeting.
She complained about flowers.
Ronin's aunt complained about the guest list.
Silian complained about both.
It was perfect.
For the first time in my life, I was surrounded by people who argued about ordinary things.
Not survival.
Not fear.
Not escape.
Ordinary things.
Then three weeks before the wedding, Gregor escaped custody.
The news broke at six in the morning.
I woke to Ronin standing beside the bed.
“Don't panic.”
I sat up.
“You said that.”
“I know.”
“Which means I should.”
He sat down.
“Gregor is gone.”
My stomach tightened.
“Where?”
“We don't know.”
Then my mother appeared in the doorway.
She looked terrified.
“He'll come for me.”
Ronin stood.
“No.”
“He always does.”
Ronin took her hand.
“He won't get near you.”
But Gregor wasn't looking for my mother.
He was looking for me.
The first sign came that afternoon.
A package outside our building.
Inside was my childhood photograph.
The back said:
YOU SHOULD HAVE LET THE PAST DIE.
Then another package.
My mother's old necklace.
Then a final note.
Midnight.
Chicago River.
Come alone.
Ronin wanted to cancel the wedding.
I refused.
“I won't spend my life running.”
He looked at me.
“You don't have to.”
“We face him.”
He hesitated.
Then nodded.
At eleven-fifty, we went to the river.
Police had been informed.
Silian had a team nearby.
My mother stayed in a safe location.
Midnight came.
Nothing.
Then Gregor appeared.
He looked older.
Broken.
But the same eyes.
He smiled.
“You were always stubborn.”
I stared at him.
“You were never my father.”
He flinched.
“I raised you.”
“You controlled me.”
“I protected you.”
“No.”
My voice shook.
“But I'm done being afraid.”
He pulled a gun.
Ronin stepped forward.
Gregor aimed at him.
“You ruined everything.”
Ronin said,
“No.”
“I lost my money.”
“No.”
“My power.”
“No.”
Gregor's face twisted.
“My daughter.”
I shook my head.
“You never had me.”
He fired.
The shot rang across the river.
Ronin moved.
The police fired their warnings.
Gregor dropped the gun.
He was arrested.
This time, there was no escape.
The city calmed down.
The wedding happened.
A month later.
My mother walked me down the aisle.
Ronin was waiting.
His eyes were wet.
“You're late,” he whispered.
I smiled.
“I wanted to make an entrance.”
He laughed.
The ceremony was small.
No bodyguards.
No secret meetings.
No weapons.
Just people we loved.
When we exchanged vows, I looked at him and said the truth.
“You held me when I had nothing.”
He squeezed my hand.
“You taught me I could build something worth holding.”
We kissed.
Everyone applauded.
Later that night, at the reception, Ronin pulled me into a slow dance.
“I still remember the first time.”
“The street?”
“Yes.”
“When I asked you to hold me.”
“I've thought about it every day.”
I looked at him.
“Why?”
“Because you were asking for one second.”
He kissed my forehead.
“And I wanted to give you a lifetime.”
I cried against his chest.
He held me.
The way he had that night.
Only now, there was no fear.
No blood.
No footsteps behind us.
No man waiting in the shadows.
May you like
Just us.
And the life we'd chosen.
