Page 115 of Cinderella and the Daddy

This is right. This is perfect. This is forever.

Leo and I begin the slow walk down the aisle, past faces I recognize and many I don't. Viktor nods approvingly from the third pew. Dimitri Andropov and his wife smile warmly from their seats.

But none of it matters except the man waiting for me at the altar. With each step, the rest of the world fades away until it's just us and this moment.

When we reach the altar, Leo formally places my hand in Luka's with the gravity of someone performing a sacred trust.

The priest begins the ceremony, his words washing over us like a blessing. But I'm only half listening because I'm lost in Luka's eyes and the way he's looking at me like I'm the answer to every prayer he has ever said.

When it comes time for vows, Luka goes first. He pulls a folded piece of paper from his jacket pocket, then seems to think better of it and puts it away.

"I wrote something," he says, and then shakes his head. "But looking at you now, all those words seem inadequate."

We keep our vows short. Neither of us are big on public displays of affection. We don’t need them. We know how we feel about each other, and that’s what matters.

The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur of rings and promises and sacred words. When we’re finally pronounced husband and wife, Luka grabs me like the powerful man he is. The kiss would never be tolerated in a church.

That’s the only kind of PDA our guests care to see, judging by the ‘huzzahs’ and many people sayingza zdorovie!

The reception is everything a mafia wedding should be. It’s elegant, extravagant, and slightly intimidating to anyone who doesn't belong in this world. But as I dance with my husband while our family and friends celebrate around us, none of the politics or power plays matter.

"Happy?" Luka murmurs against my ear as we sway to the music.

"Completely."

"No regrets about marrying into this life?"

I pull back to look at him, this man who's given me everything I never knew I wanted. "My only regret is that it took a kidnapping to bring us together."

His laugh is rich and warm. "I'll have to remember that for future romantic gestures."

"Please don't kidnap anyone else. I'm the jealous type."

"Good thing I'm a one-woman man, then."

“Are you sure you’re not angry about Charles?”

“No,” I answer. “This is our day. This is my new life. I told him I would send him a video. You were right—he doesn’t belong here.”

Luka had put his foot down. At first, I was hurt, but I understood. Charles could not be trusted. Our daughter’s safety was more important than making him feel better. I wouldn’t say I forgave Charles, but I didn’t have the energy to hate him.

Later, after we've cut the cake and toasted with champagne and danced until my feet hurt in these beautiful, impractical shoes, I find myself on the terrace overlooking the party still happening below.

Luka joins me, loosening his tie and rolling up his sleeves. Even rumpled, he's the most handsome man I've ever seen.

"Thinking about anything in particular?" he asks, wrapping his arms around me from behind.

"Just... all of it. How we got here. What comes next."

"What comes next is simple," he says, pressing a kiss to my temple. "We live. We work on the 'Cuda on weekends. We build the life we want."

"And the other stuff? The business, the danger, the constant need for security?"

His arms tighten around me slightly. "That comes with the territory. But Cindy, I need you to understand—none of that changes what we are to each other. What we've built together. The love we have and the family we've created. That's separate from everything else. That's ours."

I lean back against his chest, feeling the steady rhythm of his heartbeat. "I know. And I'm not afraid anymore."

"No?"