The Woman He Bought

Chapter 15: Today, I Say Yes

Elara’s POV

The wedding day is finally here.

I can’t stop smiling.

I can’t stop shaking.

And I can’t stop wondering how my life changed so completely in just one year.

The morning sunlight spills softly through the tall windows of the bridal suite, warming the room in golden light. Everything feels unreal, like I’m standing inside someone else’s dream. The air smells faintly of roses and fresh fabric, and everywhere I look, there are signs that today is real—my wedding dress hanging near the window, makeup brushes scattered across the vanity, laughter drifting in and out as people move around me.

Today, I get to marry the man I love.

Not because of contracts.

Not because of debts.

Not because someone decided my future for me.

But because we chose each other.

Even now, saying that feels strange. For so long, love felt like something that belonged to other people—people with easier lives, happier beginnings, and families that didn’t fall apart overnight. I never imagined I would stand here one day, calm and excited at the same time, waiting to walk toward a future I actually wanted.

Yet here I am.

And somehow, everything that once hurt led me here.

My hands tremble slightly as I look at my reflection. The makeup artist has already finished, leaving my face soft and natural, just the way Lucien likes. My hair falls in gentle waves, pinned carefully beneath a delicate veil that feels impossibly light.

I barely recognize the woman staring back at me.

She looks happy.

Truly happy.

Grandmother stands behind me, her eyes already glossy with tears she’s trying very hard not to let fall. She adjusts the edge of my veil gently, her hands careful, almost reverent.

“You’re glowing,” she whispers.

I laugh softly. “I think I’m just nervous.”

“You should be,” she replies with a smile. “You’re about to marry the man who looks at you like you hung the moon.”

My cheeks warm instantly.

Lucien has always looked at me that way lately—like I’m something precious he’s afraid of losing. It still surprises me sometimes, how openly affectionate he’s become. The same man who once spoke in short, guarded sentences now sends me messages filled with teasing and warmth, steals kisses when he thinks no one is watching, and holds my hand like it belongs there.

Because it does.

And if there was ever any doubt left in my heart, Lucien erased it completely during my bachelorette party.

For weeks before it happened, I complained endlessly.

“I don’t even know how interesting my bachelorette party will be,” I told him one night while we lay in bed. “I don’t really have friends here.”

It wasn’t self-pity. Just honesty.

Apart from the girlfriends, wives, and fiancées of Lucien’s friends, I didn’t really have my own circle. They were kind and welcoming, but we didn’t share history. No childhood memories. No old stories that made us laugh until we cried.

I assumed the party would be polite. Nice. Forgettable.

I was wrong.

The venue that night was alive with music and laughter. Warm lights reflected off the pool water, and for the first time in a long while, I allowed myself to relax completely. The women around me were cheerful, pulling me into games and conversations, making sure I felt included.

I remember thinking that maybe this was enough.

Then someone tapped my shoulder.

“There are visitors asking to see you by the poolside,” she said. “They insist on seeing you first.”

Visitors?

Confused, I excused myself and walked toward the pool area. The music faded slightly as I stepped outside, the night air cool against my skin. Three women stood near the water, their backs turned to me.

I frowned.

“Hi…” I said hesitantly.

They turned.

And one of them smiled in a way that felt painfully familiar.

“I didn’t know Elara would be the first among us to get married.”

My heart stopped.

That voice.

“Ciara…?” I whispered.

My best friend.

My first real friend.

Before I could even move, the other two turned fully toward me, grinning widely. Faces I hadn’t seen in years. Faces I thought I might never see again.

Everything broke at once.

I screamed. I cried. I laughed so hard my chest hurt. We hugged, pulled apart, and hugged again like letting go would make them disappear. I couldn’t even form proper sentences.

They were here.

Alive. Happy. Real.

They told me how life had taken them in different directions, how they had moved, changed names, started over. And somehow—somehow—Lucien found them.

I never asked how.

I didn’t need to.

Because only someone who loved you deeply would go that far just to make you smile.

That night became one of the happiest nights of my life. We talked for hours, shared memories, danced until our feet hurt, and cried over everything we had survived. For the first time in years, I felt like a part of myself had come home.

And when I returned to the mansion later that night, Lucien was waiting in the living room.

He looked nervous.

“Did you have fun?” he asked carefully.

I didn’t answer.

I just walked straight into his arms and held him tightly.

He understood.

He always does.

And now—

Now I’m standing at the beginning of something new.

The music outside shifts, signaling that the ceremony will begin soon. My heartbeat quickens instantly. Excitement mixes with nerves, making my stomach flutter.

This is it.

The moment everything changes again.

The doors open, and the sound of the crowd grows louder. Flowers line the aisle, soft music filling the air as I take my first step forward. Every face turns toward me, but I barely notice them.

Because at the end of the aisle stands Lucien.

Waiting.

He looks breathtaking in his suit, but it’s his expression that steals my breath. The moment his eyes meet mine, everything else fades away. The noise. The people. The nerves.

There’s only him.

His eyes soften, and I see it clearly—love, relief, disbelief, and something deeper. Gratitude.

As if he still can’t believe I chose him too.

Each step feels lighter than the last. By the time I reach him, my hands have stopped shaking completely. Lucien takes them gently, his grip warm and steady.

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers.

I smile. “You’re staring.”

“I can’t help it.”

The ceremony passes in a blur of vows and emotions. When it’s my turn to speak, my voice trembles at first, but the words come easily.

Because loving Lucien was never difficult.

Choosing him was never difficult.

And when we finally say “I do,” the applause around us feels distant compared to the overwhelming warmth in my chest.

We’re married.

For real this time.

The reception is filled with laughter and music. Lights glow softly around the hall, and everywhere I look, people are smiling. Dancing. Celebrating.

Celebrating us.

During the cake cutting, Lucien suddenly pushes a large piece of cake into my mouth.

I freeze in shock.

He bursts out laughing immediately, completely unapologetic.

Oh.

So it’s war?

I wait patiently, pretending to recover. The moment he laughs again, I grab my own piece and aim carefully.

Straight into his mouth.

His eyes widen in horror as frosting smears across his lips.

For one second, he looks completely betrayed.

Then we both start laughing—loud, uncontrollable laughter that makes it impossible to breathe properly.

Carefree.

Happy.

Real.

And that’s when I notice them.

My aunt and uncle.

Standing near the back of the hall, watching me.

Their expressions are easy to read—resentment, jealousy, regret. The same people who once decided my future without asking now stand as strangers in a life they no longer control.

For a brief moment, I expect pain.

But none comes.

Instead, I feel… free.

Because today, they don’t matter.

Today, I am not the broken girl they once manipulated. I’m not the frightened woman who walked into a contract marriage with no choices left.

Today, I am a bride.

Loved.

Chosen.

Protected.

Lucien’s hand finds mine again, squeezing gently as if sensing my thoughts. He leans closer, his voice warm against my ear.

“Forever starts now.”

I look at him—at the man who turned my worst beginning into my happiest ending—and my heart settles into a quiet certainty.

This is where I belong.

Not in the past.

Not in fear.

But here.

With him.

And as music fills the air and laughter surrounds us, I realize something important.

Happily ever after isn’t a perfect ending.

It’s a choice.

A choice we make every day to stay, to trust, to love even when it’s hard.

Today, I say yes to Lucien.

Tomorrow, and every day after, I’ll keep saying yes.

Because this time, our story isn’t written by obligation or circumstance.

It’s written by us.

And this time—

It’s forever.