Page 38 of Vicious Arrangement (Alpha Billionaire Daddies #7)

Chapter Thirty-Three

EPILOGUE

Aria

Two Years Later

Everything that could go wrong has.

Katie looks at the lopsided cake. “Well, it’s certainly unique.”

“There’s not a person in the Tri-State area who has a wedding cake quite like this.”

We look at each other and laugh.

It’s the morning of my wedding, and we’ve been up all night making this fucking wedding cake because the cakemaker went missing… possibly to Ibiza, if her photos on Instagram are anything to go by. Kiara helped decorate it, as did Joshy, so it’s extra special.

“What is that?” Katie points to a splotch.

I frown. “My kid’s definitely a billion-dollar modern artist in the making, so it’s either a fairy, an astronaut, a star, or possibly a brilliant commentary on the state of the modern Western world today.”

Then I point to another one. “That’s a soccer ball. It’s Josh’s favorite new sport.”

Katie frowns at her phone. “The flower guy said they delivered them, but I think he’s lying. What do you think of bodega flowers?”

“I don’t like killing flowers.”

“They’ve already been slaughtered, Ari. We should never waste any part of the flower.”

“Fine, fine. Let’s just buy them all. Kiara and Joshy will love them. They can help decorate,” I say.

Katie shows me her phone. “I’m putting in an order at the French bistro and the hole in the wall Mexican place that does those authentic tacos and chalupas and all the rest. They can do the meal last minute and just have it arrive on time for the wedding lunch.”

“What a week for Andre to go on vacation.” I shake my head and pick out stuff.

Carrie rushes in. “Oh, do the Mexican over the bistro. They’re faster, and they’ll even serve from the catering kitchen on the terrace for the guests, like our own Mexican food truck. I’ll send Alonso to get them here.”

I look at Katie. “The caterers sent us a kid party menu, so who knows what those children think of the elegant lunch we picked, and if they like caviar, but I think the candy, chips, and little treats will be great with the Mexican, right?”

“Right,” Katie says, and high-fives both me and Carrie.

Carrie rushes off to send her husband on a mission, and I go and change into my wedding dress.

With everything that’s gone wrong, the most important thing’s gone right. Everyone I love is here to see me marry the man I’m in love with. I’m going to shortly walk down the aisle we set up on the terrace, and I’m going to become Noah’s wife. Again.

It makes my heart sing and soar, and the world falls into some kind of perfect harmony.

My daughter, a gorgeous little girl with honey curls and a dimple when she smiles, is now eighteen months old and six-year-old Josh is enamored. She’s his little sister, his favorite thing behind Angus, Noah and Daddy.

But Kiara’s completely out of control she’s a little happy demon of chaos who’s got her own daddy wrapped tight around her little chubby finger. She can do no wrong in his eyes. Or her Gramp-Gramp’s eyes, either.

Josh is talking to Angus, and they’re wearing matching bowties.

Angus and Noah are fierce friends now. Sometimes it happened the day I was taken. It was building to that, but they bonded. And now he’ll protect that dog like he protects me and Kiara, with everything he is.

Kiara yells happily as Katie takes off after her, catching her and bringing her back to Joshy’s side.

She’s lucky she’s the world’s most adorable demon child. And I’m sure she’s going to steal the entire wedding with Josh and Angus dragged along.

I hug the rich, deep cream color of the velvet gown I’m wearing, and I smile. It’s been an amazing two years, and life just seems to get better. I’m nursing part-time and I’ll go back full-time, no matter what my husband says. At some point, I’ll step back into my calling.

But my favorite thing of the last two years has been Noah. Every day he lets me in more and more and with each discovery, I think we fall deeper in love.

He’s amazing, everything I deep down knew he could be, and more.

I’m lucky he’s part of my life.

“Are you ready?” Katie whispers as the music starts and Asher corrals children and the dog into position.

He’s got the rings, but Kiara will carry flowers, and Josh a velvet pillow for the rings.

Asher will tie them to Angus’s collar, and then with ceremony, Joshy’s going to remove them, put them on the pillow where Kiara will also put the flowers, and then he’ll hand it to his dad.

We don’t trust Kiara with the rings, and she’s happier with the flowers.

It’s the sit down and get ready music, not the wedding march, which I know is a silly choice, but Noah wanted it.

Suddenly I’m hit by nerves, and nausea rolls through me. I bolt to the bathroom, only managing to get there in time with Katie and Kiara, who’s clearly made a run for it as witness to my humiliation.

I get up and rinse my mouth, grab a guest toothbrush, and open the package and the untouched toothpaste and brush.

“Are you okay?”

“Nerves,” I say.

I lean against the counter, wanting to splash my face with water but unwilling to ruin my makeup that Katie did. She reapplies the lipstick, then drops the tube back in her bag.

“Are you sure?” She raises her brows. “I feel like I’ve been in this situation before.”

“I’m not pregnant,” I say with a laugh.

“We can test that theory.”

She reaches into her bag and pulls out a pregnancy test.

“Humor me, Ari.”

I take it but frown. “You want to explain why you’re carrying around pregnancy tests?”

Her face reddens and I gape.

“Oh my god. Are you serious, Katie?”

She holds her fingers to her lips. “Shh. It’s super early, and only you and Asher know.” “Pee on it now.”

“There’s a thing called privacy.”

She rolls her eyes. “We’re basically the same person. One that has no shame. Do it. Open that sucker and pee on the stick.”

I humor her, my daughter watching me with stark interest.

I don’t know how the hell I’m going to handle it if she starts screaming out, ‘mommy likes to pee on things.’

Katie takes hold of Kiara’s hand and slips out of the bathroom, and I hear her talking to Asher. She comes back in alone. “Hurry up, people are waiting. They came for a wedding, they want that wedding now. What does it say?”

“Fuck. I’m pregnant.”

“You got one of the cool ones. All of mine were just lines.” Then she claps her hands. “We’re having twins!”

“That’s not how it works.”

I’m shocked. Happy, amazed shocked.

Noah and I have been talking about having another baby.

The start of the wedding march starts, and Gramps calls out for me.

We check ourselves in the mirror, then rush out, with Katie going first, then the kids and the dog, and finally me and Gramps.

At the end of the aisle, in his gorgeous velvet suit, is my very own superhero. Noah.

Gramps hands me to him, and I can’t stop smiling, and neither can he.

Noah pulls me in. “You look so fucking perfect.”

“And you look like my perfect hero.”

“You’re almost glowing,” he murmurs. “It must be me.”

I bite my lip to hide my smile. “Funny about that…”

He grins, his dimple making my knees weak. “Uh huh, I’m the best.”

“No, you’re the cause of the glow, if you know what I mean.”

Noah’s eyes widen as it clicks.

“Are you serious?” he whispers.

I nod, my eyes wet with happy tears. “We’re having another baby.”