“I’m proud of you, Ivy. I always thought Margot would be the one to marry well.” My father smiles at me.
Margot makes a noise, covering it up with a cough.
I nod. “Okay, well, I think it’s time for us to go down.”
My father extends his arm toward me, smiling. “I guess I’ll be walking you down the aisle,” he grins.
Margot’s face falls. My chest tightens, and for a moment, the air in the room is heavy. My father looks at me expectantly, nodding to his outstretched arm. Margot drops her chin to her chest, staring at the floor.
I take a deep breath. “Actually, Dad, Margot is going to walk me down the aisle.”
“What?” both Margot and my father ask in unison. My father looks confused, and Margot’s eyes are wide.
I nod. “It’s what I want.”
Margot’s bottom lip trembles, her eyes speaking volumes. Her chest heaves with every breath, and I know I’ve made the right decision.
My sister means the world to me, and she’s sacrificed so much to provide for my father and me. It’s only in the past couple of months, when the media scrutiny has turned to me, that I’ve realized what she deals with every single day. Sharing that experience has brought us so much closer together, and I want to show her how much I care.
“Why?” Dad asks, frowning. “Don’t you want a traditional wedding?”
I laugh, running my hand over my stomach. “There’s absolutely nothing traditional about my wedding.” I hook my arm into Margot’s, patting my father’s shoulder with my other hand. “Come on, Dad. I’ll get the staff to set up a seat for you in the front row.”
Our little group follows a valet down to the palace gardens, where chairs have been set up near the gazebo. A tall fountain sprays in the background, and the azure waters of the Caribbean sparkle beyond. There are white flowers absolutely everywhere, draped on every chair and every surface of the gazebo.
Luca and his brothers are standing at the end of the aisle, and my heart jumps in my chest. I watch the twins walk down the aisle, followed by my father, and finally me.
Prince Luca’s eyes lift to mine, and everything inside me cries out with joy. Margot squeezes my arm in hers as tears threaten to spill down my cheeks.
A few months ago, I was directionless, scared, and lonely.
Now, I’ve gained a husband, two children, and a real relationship with my sister—not to mention my dream business.
Luca’s eyes shine as he watches me make my slow walk down the aisle. By the time I get to him, Margot is crying. She kisses my cheek and takes her spot on the gazebo beside me, but I hardly see her at all.
I only have eyes for Luca.
My soon-to-be husband is wearing a perfectly tailored suit. His top button is undone, and he’s not wearing a tie.
“You look amazing, babe,” he whispers, his eyes sweeping over my body.
“What? This old thing?” I say, fluffing the full, white skirt of my exquisite dress, sourced by the castle stylist overnight.
Luca laughs, shaking his head. “I’m the luckiest man in the world.”
“You sure are,” Margot says behind me. The small crowd of friends and family laughs, and the officiant starts the ceremony.
I don’t hear a word. The warm breeze flows through my hair, carrying the scent of the ocean and beaches toward us. The only thing I see is Luca. In his eyes, I see bottomless love. I see a future I never could have imagined, and I see my true home.
As soon as I hear the words ‘husband and wife,’ Luca sweeps his arms around me and crushes his lips to mine. I laugh, kissing him back with the ferocity of my love for him. He drops to his knees, pressing his lips to my growing belly before resting his forehead against it.
Tears stream down my face. My makeup is probably ruined, but it doesn’t matter.
I throw one last glance toward Margot and the twins before wrapping my arm around Luca’s waist and letting him lead me back down the aisle.
I’m married.
We head to one of the large reception rooms in the castle. How the staff managed to rustle up perfect decorations in such a short amount of time is beyond me. The whole room is immaculate, with flowers and lights and fabric draped everywhere. It looks like a fairy tale, and I feel