Page 47 of The Greek Billionaire's Rejected Secretary

Grrr.

Needless to say, Chip's seal of approval means the world to Gilbert, and the former prosecutor and my future husband haven't just become fast friends since then. Both men also take the pleasure of siding with each other against me in legal debates.

Double grrr.

Or maybe I should say 'triple grrr' since that part about Gilbert being aformerprosecutor? It's because he's now working with us, too, and he's even brought along a new client: Hollywood royalty Guy de la Rocq, who's in need of legal representation because of a woman Gilbert describes as the "unlikeliest" of fangirls.

Honestly, the past three weeks have been hectic and eventful, but I also wouldn't have it any other way. If we weren't so busy, I doubt Adriano and I would've been able to keep our vow of celibacy until our wedding night. Most people think we're crazy for making such a vow, but that's fine. We're doing it for God, not for anyone else. But be that as it may...

It's not easy. At all. And that's why holding hands is as far as we've allowed ourselves to do. Anything else is off-limits. We both know all it would take is the briefest of contacts for us to forget what we've promised. Temptation is something you flee from, not fight futilely against.

Last but not the least, I've registered for the bar exam. Finally. Next spring, I'll be Shayla Kontides, Esquire. A far cry from the frightened, defensive woman who hid behind a fake wedding ring for nearly a decade.

Well, eight and a half years, to be precise, but I think it's time I stop counting, with the doors in front of me finally parting open. It feels so symbolic, too, with a new chapter of my life that's about to begin, andoooh!

A choked laugh escapes me. The way everything's decorated is wonderfully familiar. It's straight out of my childhood sketches of my future wedding, which I'm sure Hope was quite happy to share with Adriano.

I slowly walk past a sea of familiar faces. Friends and colleagues, both old and new. Pietro's there, of course, and surprisingly still single. My parents, too, and they've even sworn not to quarrel. It's just for tonight, but I'll take it.

Nothing can ruin this evening for me, and oh, when I finally see him, my heartbeat just skyrockets.

My love.

Adriano looks perfectly dashing in his white tux, and my heart feels like it's about to burst when I see the way he's looking at me. The words I see in his eyes are exactly what I felt.

My love.

We truly are mirror images of each other, and I wouldn't have it any other way.

I take my first step down the aisle. Alone, or so it appears. But with each step, I feel His presence beside me, and it's humbling beyond words.

Thank You, God. Thank You.

If not for my Father in Heaven, none of this would be possible.

None of it.

Adriano reaches for my hand, I place mine in his, and everything feels so perfectly right.

"Hi," I croak out. I'm finally feeling nervous. But that's normal.Right?

"Hi." Adriano says this with mock gravity, and it's exactly what I need to hear. My nervousness disappears, and now I'm just struggling not to laugh.

This, I can't help thinking.

This is what love is all about.

ADRIANO

All my life, I've been an obnoxious jerk, making it clear to everyone that I had no need for my father's billions.

I was making enough money on my own as one of the East Coast's top lawyers, and this made me feel like I was everything.

But I know better now, of course.

Everything that I am is no accident. All of it are His gifts, all of it undeserved. And everything in my life is part of His plan, including my inheritance. I finally understood why I had so much money at my disposal, and its purpose now stands before me, a fully renovated building that a massive team in the hundreds had worked hard to complete in a short span of time.

Psalm 13 Community Center

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