Chapter 9 - THE WEDDING AT THE SHORE
Three months later.
The wedding took place at the Moretti family’s private oceanfront estate in the Hamptons.
The weather was flawless—a gentle sea breeze carried the scent of salt water and blooming white lilies across a cliffside terrace overlooking the sparkling blue Atlantic Ocean.
Hundreds of guests attended—not just high-ranking legitimate business leaders and political figures, but every single member of the estate's household staff, whom Sophia insisted on inviting as honored guests.
The music began to play—a beautiful, sweeping violin arrangement.
Lorenzo stood at the altar under a canopy of white roses, looking breathtakingly handsome in a tailored black tuxedo. Beside him stood Marco as his best man.
Then, the heavy wooden doors of the villa opened.
Mia and Lily walked down the aisle first as flower girls, wearing matching pale pink dresses, throwing white rose petals along the white carpet, beaming with immense pride.
Then came Sophia.
A collective gasp swept through the crowd. Sophia looked like a goddess descended from heaven. She wore an off-the-shoulder, custom Italian lace wedding gown with a long, dramatic veil that swept gracefully along the ground. She held a bouquet of white peonies, her eyes fixed entirely on Lorenzo.
As she reached the altar, Lorenzo took her hand, his fingers trembling slightly with overwhelming emotion.
"You look stunning," Lorenzo whispered, his voice thick with love.
"You don't look too bad yourself, Don Lorenzo," Sophia smiled softly, her eyes shining with happy tears.
The priest began the ancient ceremony, his words echoing over the gentle sound of the crashing waves below the cliff.
"Do you, Lorenzo Moretti, take Sophia Hale to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do you part?"
"I do," Lorenzo declared, his voice ringing clear and strong across the coast. "With all my heart and my soul, forever."
"And do you, Sophia Hale, take Lorenzo Moretti to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for richer or for poorer, till death do you part?"
"I do," Sophia promised, holding his hands tightly. "Forever and always."
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife," the priest declared with a warm smile. "Lorenzo, you may kiss your bride."
May you like
Lorenzo didn't hesitate. He stepped forward, pulling Sophia into his arms, dipping her slightly as he pressed his lips to hers in a deep, passionate, romantic kiss that sparked thunderous applause and cheers from every guest on the terrace.
Mia and Lily ran up, wrapping their arms around their parents' legs, laughing happily under the golden sunshine.
