Lucian, Will You Be My Groom?

Lucian slowly lifted his head as Elara reached him, his dark gaze locking onto hers.

Close now, she could see the tension in his posture, the tightness in his jaw even though his expression remained composed.

"I came," he said. His tone was detached, almost lazy, but his hands were clenched tightly in his lap. "Should I congratulate you?"

His words stabbed her gently, wrapped in nonchalance but soaked in hurt.

The woman he had loved, desired, and quietly built his life around was about to marry another, or perhaps, in the eyes of some, already had.

And now here she stood before him in her wedding dress, lace and silk and trembling breath, as if to mock him, as if to ask him to watch her belong to someone else.

Elara smiled softly, her voice steady though her heart was racing. "You can congratulate me after we're married."

Lucian blinked, stunned for the first time, his composure slipping just slightly.

"What did you say?" he murmured.

He thought for a second that he had misheard her, that his mind had filled in the words it wished to hear.

But before he could process it, before logic could intervene, Elara took his hand, small and warm and determined, and pulled him up from his seat.

She didn't walk. No! She hurried, half-dragging him down the aisle, past guests who were staring as if watching a scandalous movie unfold in real time, whispers turning into chaotic buzzing.

Some people rose fully to their feet, others reached for phones, torn between etiquette and curiosity.

Aaron's expression darkened into something feral when they stopped at the podium again.

Elara turned, her chin lifted, her posture steady and her voice ringing with unwavering clarity.

"Pastor, this is my groom, the man I choose to marry. Please proceed with our wedding."

Chaos erupted! Truly erupted!

People spoke over one another, questions flying through the chapel like arrows.

"What???"

"Is this a joke?"

"Has she lost her mind?"

"Who is he?"

Marjorie stared in disbelief, her lips parted, fury flooding her entire body.

Aaron's face turned ashen with outrage, veins visible at his temples.

Evelyn's carefully maintained composure shattered, her eyes widening with envy and shock. 'How dare that bitch get to have such a handsome man?'

The Vaughn family exchanged looks of pure outrage, humiliation, and disbelief.

They questioned Lucian's background, his worthiness, and his audacity.

They mocked Elara's sanity, whispered words like "disgrace," "shameless," "ungrateful."

Yet amidst the growing storm, Lucian slowly turned his head toward the hostile crowd.

His gaze hardened instantly, cold and sharp as a blade. The temperature of the room seemed to drop.

He didn't shout... He didn't threaten... He simply looked... And that was enough.

One by one, voices died, whispers choking off as if someone had commanded silence without speaking.

His presence alone was a warning, that he was not a man to be ridiculed, not someone to be measured with the same petty scale they used on ordinary people.

Then he turned back to Elara, his voice soft now, filled with something raw and dangerous.

"Are you sure you want to marry me?"

Only God truly knew how fast his heart was pounding. He had imagined this moment countless times, in dreams he would wake from breathless, in fantasies he laughed off to himself, always believing it would remain nothing more than wishful thinking.

Yet here she was.

Elara was asking him to marry her.

This felt like hitting the jackpot of life itself, like fate placing his deepest desire directly in front of him and daring him to reach for it.

Despite all his wealth and accomplishments, having Elara would be the greatest gift of his life.

Elara couldn’t guess what he was thinking. But... She nodded slowly.

"Yes, I want to marry you. Will you be my husband?"

Lucian remained silent for a long heartbeat, then another. His eyes searched hers, looking for hesitation, doubt, or manipulation. He found none. Only resolve.

He slipped his hand around her waist, gently at first, then firmly, pulling her closer until the world shrank and there was only them.

Their faces hovered inches apart. She could feel his breath as her lashes trembled and her breath caught in her throat. He smells so damn fucking good.

Lucian leaned in, his voice barely above a whisper, but every syllable filled with intensity.

"If you agree to be my wife, or if I agree to be your husband, there's no turning back. Do you understand what you're committing to?"

Elara took a deep breath, her chest rising slowly, her gaze never wavering.

"Yes, I understand. And I want this."

She didn't give herself time to question.

She didn't give him time to overthink.

She simply closed the distance between them and pressed her lips to his, kissing him deeply, fully, in front of everyone, the Vaughn family, the guests, the pastor, Aaron, Marjorie, Ethan, Evelyn, all of them. She didn't care anymore.

Time stopped that moment. The entire chapel was struck mute.

Aaron's fists trembled. Marjorie's nails dug into her palms. Evelyn's jealousy burned like acid in her throat.

The pastor stood there frozen, unsure whether to intervene or keep witnessing a miracle or a disaster, he couldn't tell which.

Even Lucian was momentarily stunned.

Then he smiled lightly against her lips, slow and dangerous, before kissing her back with equal intensity, returning every ounce of emotion she poured into it, sealing the promise she had just made not with words but with fire.

Because this was the fulfillment of his dreams.

What Elara didn't realize, not fully, not yet, was that Lucian was determined to shape her into the queen she deserves to be, to stand beside her, to protect her, to destroy anyone who tried to hurt her, and if she ever asked him to move mountains on her behalf, he would do so in the blink of an eye.

If she asks him to burn the world for her, he will do it without a blink.

Even if she asks for his life, he would simply ask how she wants him to end his own life.

Besides, he would have been dead by now if she hadn't saved him ten years ago.

And this time...

There would be no turning back on what he was willing to do for her.