Chapter 15 - THE SWEETEST FOREVER AND THE NEW EMPIRE
The grand wedding took place six months later on a sun-drenched spring afternoon that felt light-years away from the dark, rainy morning when a bag of flour had changed the trajectory of our lives forever.
The ceremony was held in the sunlit courtyard of the cliffside estate, surrounded by blooming citrus trees, close friends, neighborhood regulars from the bakery, and the entire Vescari family.
Sofia stood proudly at the altar as my maid of honor, wearing an elegant sage-green dress and struggling mightily to keep her happy tears from ruining her mascara.
When I walked down the aisle on the arm of my head baker and dearest friend, wearing a classic white bridal gown paired with my grandmother's tarnished silver locket resting securely against my heart, Matteo looked at me like I was the only person left alive in the universe.
We didn't have a fake headline romance or a staged con to hide behind anymore.
We had a real, unshakable foundation built on mutual respect, shared history, and a stubborn refusal to let anyone dictate our future.
Following the ceremony, the reception spilled out onto the massive stone terrace, where the wedding cake — a towering, four-tier masterpiece of lemon meringue and wild mint crafted by my own bakery staff — sat as the centerpiece of the celebration.
As the sun dipped below the horizon, painting the ocean in brilliant shades of gold and violet, Matteo pulled me close onto the dance floor for our first dance.
"You know," Matteo murmured softly against my ear as we swayed to the slow music, "the press is already calling this the wedding of the decade."
"Let them talk," I smiled, resting my head against his shoulder. "As long as they understand one fundamental rule."
"What rule is that?" he chuckled, tightening his arms around my waist.
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"That if anyone tries to mess with my bakery," I whispered playfully, "I still know how to aim a bag of flour."
Matteo threw his head back and laughed — a rich, joyous sound that echoed warmly across the starlit courtyard, sealing our story in sweetness, laughter, and an unbreakable love that would last a lifetime.
