Chapter 15
The afternoon sun broke warm and golden through the glass doors of the grand wedding venue, illuminating the exact same spot beneath the white floral arches where the chaos had begun less than forty-eight hours earlier. The room was empty of guests, stripped of the manufactured pageantry, but the crystal chandelier overhead caught the light and cast a quiet, brilliant glow across the floor.
Maya stood near the altar, wearing a simple white linen dress instead of her lace wedding gown. Her hair was down, falling naturally around her shoulders, and her hands were empty—no heavy floral bouquet to weigh her down.
The heavy double wooden doors at the entrance swung open wide, and Marcus walked slowly down the central aisle toward her. He wore a simple dark button-down shirt, the white tuxedo jacket and black lapels long since discarded.
When he reached the altar, he stopped a few feet away from her. Neither of them smiled right away; instead, they simply looked at each other, taking in the heavy journey that had brought them to this exact moment of absolute truth.
"The federal charges against you have been officially dropped," Marcus said softly, his voice gentle and filled with deep sincerity. "My father and Julian are in custody, and the investigation has cleared your name completely."
Maya looked up at him, her dark eyes shining with unshed tears, but this time, there was no fear or dread in them—only profound relief.
"Thank you, Marcus," Maya whispered, taking a small step closer to him. "It would have been so much easier for you to look away, to believe what your family wanted you to believe."
"I spent my whole life believing in illusions, Maya," Marcus said, reaching out to gently take her hands in his. "For the first time, I want something real."
May you like
Maya offered a small, radiant smile—the genuine smile that had captured his heart long before the cameras, the wedding, and the lies had ever e
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