Chapter 15 - The Oyster Bay Waltz
The wedding was not held in a cathedral or a sprawling hotel ballroom. It was held in the glass conservatory of the Oyster Bay estate, surrounded by thousands of blooming white roses under a canopy of stars.
The guest list was small—handpicked doctors from the Queens clinic, trusted loyalists from the estate, and Margaret Cole sitting proudly in the front row, wearing a pale blue silk gown and a diamond brooch that belonged to her grandmother.
When the string quartet struck up the opening notes of the bridal waltz, Damian stood at the center of the marble floor in an immaculate tuxedo, his gray eyes fixed entirely on the doorway.
Then Elena appeared.
She wore a simple, elegant ivory silk gown that hugged her figure, her veil trailing softly behind her like seafoam on a beach. She wasn't wearing body armor. She wasn't carrying a heavy medical flashlight. She was just Elena—strong, resilient, and breathtakingly alive.
As she walked down the aisle of flowers, Damian felt a lump form in his throat that no amount of power or wealth could swallow.
When she reached him, he took her hands in his. They were warm, steady, and ungloved.
“You look...” Damian started, his voice cracking slightly before he found his footing. “You look like a miracle, Elena.”
“You clean up all right yourself, Mr. Cole,” she whispered, her eyes shining with quiet joy.
They stepped together onto the marble floor as the quartet swelled into a slow, sweeping waltz. Damian pulled her close, his hand resting securely against the small of her back, guiding her through the intricate steps with practiced grace.
Elena rested her head against his shoulder, listening to the steady, rhythmic beat of his heart beneath his white dress shirt.
“Penny for your thoughts, Mrs. Cole,” Damian murmured into her hair.
Elena smiled, closing her eyes as they spun gracefully beneath the starlit glass ceiling.
“I was just thinking,” she whispered, “that taking a bullet for your mother was the best worst decision I ever made.”
May you like
Damian tightened his arm around her, kissing the top of her head as the music echoed out across the quiet lawns toward the dark, peaceful waters of Long Island Sound.
“For once,” Damian smiled, “I completely agree with your medical judgment.”
