Emily grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Good. Now, let’s get back to your wedding. You’ve got a husband waiting, and I’ve got some catching up to do with Giovanni about those flight arrangements.” We walked back to the reception,hand in hand. I glanced at Lorenzo, who was watching us with a bemused expression.
“Everything settled then, I’m guessing?” He asked, taking my hand.
“Yep.”
As the reception continued, Jacob made his way towards us, his usual confident demeanor slightly hesitant. He cleared his throat and asked, "Angela, can we have a moment alone?"
Lorenzo’s grip on my hand tightened immediately. He gave Jacob a side-eye, his possessiveness shining clearly. "What for?"
Jacob held his ground, his gaze steady. "I just need to talk to her. It’s important."
I looked up at Lorenzo, giving him a soft smile. "It's okay, Lorenzo. Just five minutes."
He sighed, clearly reluctant, but finally let go of my hand. "Only five minutes," he agreed, his voice tinged with a hint of warning.
“Don’t worry. I’ll only need three.” Jacob responded. We walked a short distance away from the crowd.
"What is it, Jacob?" I asked gently, trying to ease the tension I could feel emanating from him.
He took a deep breath, his eyes searching mine. "Angela, are you really happy?"
I beamed at him, my smile bright and genuine. "I am."
He nodded slowly, as if weighing my words. "I just... I worry about you. You deserve to be happy and safe."
"I know. And I am safe with Lorenzo. He’s different when we're together. I know it’s complicated given our history, but it's real."
Jacob sighed, running a hand through his hair. "I just wanted to make sure you knew what you were doing. I’ll always have your back. You know that, right?"
I reached out, squeezing his hand. "I know, Jacob. And I appreciate it more than you can imagine."
He nodded again, then took another deep breath. "I need to tell you something. I’m leaving for Russia."
I was shocked. "Russia? What about the passports?"
He smiled slightly. "Mikhael took care of it. Everything is arranged. My flight is in an hour." Then he fished something out of his pocket, revealing a passport. "This one is yours. I'm assuming you wouldn't need it now, though."
I took it from his hand. "Thank you, Jacob. For everything."
He smiled with a touch of sadness in his eyes. "Anything for you, Angela. Always."
With that, we walked back towards the gathering. Lorenzo was waiting, his eyes never leaving me. As I reached his side, he took my hand again, holding it tightly. "Everything okay?" he asked in a soft voice.
I nodded, giving his hand a reassuring squeeze. "Yes, everything's fine."
“Take care of her.” Jacob gave a small nod of acknowledgment to Lorenzo before stepping back into the shadows, giving us space.
“Did that fucker just tell me what to do?” Lorenzo looked at me, amazed, like someone had hurt his pride.
I chuckled before rubbing my thumb on his hand. “I love you.”
"Good," he said quietly. "Because you don’t have another option."
***
Epilogue
Angela