Chapter 10

The day of the wedding finally arrived, and Louisa and Brandon were running around, making sure everything was perfect, while Claire put the finishing touches on the ballroom decorations. A week earlier, they had held a joint bachelor and bachelorette party, and it had been so much fun. Selena hadn't even known Lucian had that many friends, but apparently, the man had a whole social life she knew nothing about.

Now, Katie was keeping her company in the bridal suite while she got ready. “You look really happy to be marrying him, so why did you throw a fit the other day?” Katie asked suspiciously.

“I didn't throw a fit.”

“When you said you didn't want to marry him.” Katie folded her arms across her chest.

“I didn't say that,” Selena denied. “I said I wasn't ready yet.”

“But here you are, smiling like a lamb being led to the slaughter.” Selena pushed her arm, and they both burst out laughing.

Claire walked into the bridal suite looking like an asylum patient who had just escaped, making them laugh even harder.

“What happened to you?” Katie asked, looking her up and down.

“The spirit of this event hates me! You would not believe how many times I've fallen, and my hair got stuck in the decorations!” Katie doubled over with laughter, and Selena laughed too, although she tried to maintain her composure so she wouldn't ruin her makeup.

“Alright, alright. You two should go and get ready. Cassandra, Devi, and Yeon have been ready since forever,” Katie said, putting her hands on her hips and looking at Selena.

“Oh, really? But I don't see any of them helping you get ready.”

Katie looked around the room dramatically, pretending to search for someone.

“Thank you,” Selena mumbled sincerely.

Katie and Claire immediately went, “Awww!” before pulling her into a hug. Then they left to get ready, leaving Selena alone with her thoughts.

A short while later, Selena finally made her way to the altar. Lucian was already standing there with the officiant, waiting for her. Brandon had offered to walk her down the aisle. Although she'd initially wanted to walk alone, she was glad she'd accepted his offer. Now, she stood facing the man she was about to marry.

She knew she looked breathtaking, but Lucian looked like a Disney prince who had somehow wandered into the real world. Noah stood nearby, carefully holding the ring pillow. Selena smiled as she took in everything around her. Louisa, Brandon, Lucian, and her girls had worked so hard to make the wedding beautiful. Everything felt like something straight out of her dreams. And it was. She was having the wedding of her dreams.

The officiant welcomed their guests and spoke briefly about marriage, commitment, and the promises the couple were about to make. Then came the vows.

They exchanged bows, and little Noah stepped forward with the rings. Lucian slipped the ring onto Selena's finger, and she did the same for him.

After the officiant formally pronounced them husband and wife, he smiled at Lucian.

“You may now kiss the bride.” Lucian's eyes widened like saucers. Selena, however, was strangely moved. Before he could recover from his shock, she rose onto her tiptoes, wrapped her arms around his neck, and kissed him.

The crowd erupted into applause. Their bridal party joined them as they made their way out of the ceremony, with the flower girls and boys scattering petals along the aisle. Soon, they were inside the waiting limousine, heading to the reception.

Once they were alone, Selena's excitement slowly faded as another thought crept into her mind.

Moraine. She and her aunt had lost contact when Selena entered college. At first, she'd assumed Moraine was simply busy, but when her attempts to reach her failed, she'd asked the Knights to help find her. Brandon had spent a tremendous amount of money and resources trying to locate her, even employing some of the best investigators he could find. Yet, they had come up with nothing. It was as though Moraine didn't want to be found. Her colleagues had said she was only supposed to be away for a few days before returning, but she'd never shown up again. Selena had even visited her school, only to receive the same explanation Brandon had given her. They'd also tried looking for her, but their efforts had yielded nothing.

The one thing Selena held on to was the fact that Moraine wasn't dead. If she were, surely they would have found something by now. At least, that was what Selena wanted to believe.

She'd cried when she first heard how difficult it was to find her aunt, but she hadn't given up hope. Someday, somehow, she would find Moraine again. Lucian noticed her change in mood and gently took her hand.

“What's wrong?”

Selena hesitated before telling him what was bothering her. He listened quietly before squeezing her hand.

“Today is our big day, Selena. No ruining it with sad thoughts, okay?”

She let out a small laugh and nodded. “Okay.”

Soon, they arrived at the reception venue, where the photographer and his team were waiting to take their wedding pictures. They posed for several photographs, some sweet and romantic, others slightly awkward, but the pictures turned out beautifully. The photographer promised they would be ready by the following day.

By the time the photoshoot ended, the ballroom was almost full. Selena headed back to the bridal suite to change into her reception dress while Lucian went inside to welcome the guests. Louisa and the girls were already waiting for her with another breathtaking white gown. The dress hugged her figure beautifully before flowing into a soft, cascading train. Delicate tulle swept across the strapless bodice like a gentle breeze, giving it a dreamy, romantic feel. They helped her into it, admiring how perfectly it fitted her curves and accentuated her figure.

“Goodness, Selena!” Claire exclaimed. “That dress was made for you!”

“Honestly, look at you!” Katie added, circling her appreciatively. “That man better behave himself.” Selena rolled her eyes at them, but she couldn't stop smiling.

Once they were satisfied with her appearance, they led her towards the reception hall, where she joined Lucian at the side of the room. The programme soon began, and Katie and Claire were invited to give their speech while Lucian's best man stood nearby, waiting for his turn.

Claire stepped forward with a microphone and a crumpled piece of paper.

“Um, hello, everyone. May I have your attention, please? Good. Today is a very special day for my beautiful bestie over there, and I have a few things to say.” She unfolded the paper and stared at it solemnly.

“Dear Selena, words cannot express how happy I am that you're finally getting the wedding of your nightmares.” Katie smacked her arm as the guests burst into laughter. Selena merely rolled her eyes.

“Lucian, you will treat her with love, respect, kindness, and patience. You will also give her more than enough money. But if you do anything else, we will all gather here again, with you as the centre of attention, and give speeches about what a terrible husband and son you were on earth with all of us wearing black.”

Katie had had enough. She snatched the microphone from Claire. “I'm sorry about that. She doesn't mean—”

“I MEANT EVERY SINGLE FUCKING WORD!” Claire shouted, lunging for the microphone. “Hurt my baby, and the devil himself will have to come looking for your soul!” The guests erupted into laughter as Katie dragged Claire away from the microphone. She eventually handed it to the best man, who stepped forward with a helpless smile.

“I'm beginning to think I'm not qualified to speak after that,” he joked, earning another round of laughter.

He went on to share a few funny stories about Lucian and some heartfelt words about the kind of friend he was. Claire interrupted him with a loud, “LIAR!” just as he was getting sentimental. The ballroom erupted again, and Katie covered her mouth to stop herself from laughing.

By the time the best man finished, even Lucian was rubbing his temples in defeat. Brandon and Louisa later took the microphone to offer their blessings and well wishes to the newlyweds. Their speeches were touching, and Selena found herself smiling throughout.

Next came the cake-cutting ceremony. Lucian and Selena stood together, cut the first slice, and fed each other while their guests cheered.

Then came the bouquet toss. Selena turned her back to the crowd and threw her bouquet over her shoulder. Claire caught it, but her expression was far from pleased. The guests burst into laughter at her face.

“What's wrong with you?” Katie teased.

“Nothing!” Claire snapped, clutching the bouquet as though it had personally offended her.

That only made everyone laugh harder. After the bouquet toss, the celebration moved to the dance floor. There were games, music, and plenty of dancing. Selena and Lucian shared their first dance as husband and wife, surrounded by their friends and family.

Eventually, the newlyweds were among the first to leave, heading to their new home not far from the Knights' mansion. Selena was pleased to discover that their house was also in a luxurious estate. It wasn't as large as her in-laws' mansion, but she was grateful for it. Brandon and Louisa had given it as a gift and they got their stuff here yesterday.

The moment they stepped inside, she noticed the decorations. Balloons, flowers, and elegant ribbons adorned the staircase, while a beautiful arrangement of their names, SELENA & LUCIAN, stood out among the decorations. She smiled, feeling a little emotional all over again. Then she remembered Louisa's very specific instruction to visit their bedroom alone first.

Curious, she made her way upstairs and pushed the bedroom door open. The room was beautifully decorated with rose petals scattered across the bed, scented candles arranged around the room, and soft lighting that made everything look romantic. There were also flowers and delicate ribbons arranged around the headboard. Then she spotted something hanging from a clothing rack.

An elegant, deep burgundy lingerie set featuring a sheer lace-cupped bralette with satin bows, a matching lace thong, and a coordinating lace kimono-style robe. Selena nearly turned purple from embarrassment. She should have known Louisa would pull something like this. Her first instinct was to grab the set and hide it in the wardrobe before anyone could discover it. But just as she reached for it, another thought crossed her mind. A slow, devilish smile spread across her face. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad after all.

She took a shower, dried her hair, applied light makeup, and sprayed on her perfume. Then she reached for her strawberry-patterned bag. As she got ready, she remembered the conditions she'd laid down before agreeing to marry Lucian.

They would have sex since it wasn't an open marriage but only on her terms. She glanced at herself with the lingerie on, in the mirror, her smile growing. Tonight she might just decide to fulfill those terms.