Page 62 of Adonis: The Cost of a Billionaire's Heart
“Soon, baby boy,” she answered softly.
I followed up with a nod before reaching out to grab her hand and lace my fingers with hers. “Real soon.”
One week later.
The boutique garden where we stood was nothing like the grand cathedral I’d once imagined for my wedding when I was planning to propose to Simora for real. It was better. Intimate. Real. Strings of twinkling fairy lights hung in the trees as dusk approached, casting a golden glow over everything.
I checked my watch for the thousandth time, noticing the black diamonds in the dial. I wouldn’t let a watch touch my wrist if it didn’t cost at least a hundred thousand.Twenty more minutes.The small gathering of guests mingled on the lawn—a strange mix of corporate titans like Ellis and his wife, Sim’s elderly neighbor, and a couple of mom friends she’d made through Mason’s daycare. My board members were shocked when I announced not only my wedding but my intention to restructure the company to allow more time at home. Some resigned in protest. I didn’t give a fuck. I wouldn’t miss them.
The news of Jadarius’s death inside the prison hit the blogs a couple of days after our encounter. None of it had pointed back to me. No one had discovered my secret. Instead, it was reported that he died of natural causes: a blood clot that traveled to his lungs. There were a few social posts with conspiracy theories of what they imagined happened to him, but nothing that was cause for concern, especially with a signed report from the coroner. I was certain he would be a forgotten headline in a few more weeks, and nobody would care enough to leave flowers on his grave.
I rechecked my pocket, making sure the rings were there. Two platinum bands—simple, elegant, eternal—and a tiny silver rocket pin for Mason. For our son, soon. The adoption papers would be ready and waiting for us after we returned from our honeymoon in Santorini, Greece.
The string quartet began playing, and everyone took their seats. I moved to the front, standing beside the officiant under an arch of white roses. My heart thundered in my chest.
And then I saw him.
Mason walked down the aisle first, solemn in his tiny white suit, carrying a replica of our rings on a pillow. He seemed to have grown half an inch since I first met him, which I didn’t even know was possible. When he reached me, he broke protocol to give me a quick hug before taking his place beside me.
The music changed, and everyone stood to receive Simora. I looked up, and there she was looking like a breath of fresh air. She’d chosen a simple dress, nothing like the designer gowns the stylist had selected for our fake engagement photos. This one was all her—elegant, understated, and radiant. Her long hair was loose around her shoulders, the way I loved it. She carried a bouquet of wildflowers. But it was her smile that unraveled me—open, joyful, and confident that she’d chosen the right man. Itwas the smile of a woman who knew exactly what she wanted and was walking straight toward it.
Mason took her hand when she reached us, and together, they both stepped forward to join me. Not a traditional entrance, but perfect for us. We weren’t just two people joining lives—we were creating a family.
“You look gorgeous,” I whispered, not knowing whether to fight back tears or brick up.
“You look terrified,” she whispered back with a soft laugh.
“In the best way,” I confirmed.
The beginning of the ceremony passed in a blur. We’d written our vows, nothing like the carefully calculated lines from our original contract.
Simora turned to me, voice trembling with emotion. Her lips parted, but I wasn’t listening initially. I was too busy watching her brown eyes shimmering with tears. She looked into my eyes with so much conviction, as if she took pride in the new position she was going to take on as my wife.
Her hands quivered faintly as she laced her fingers with mine. I felt the warmth of her touch and slightly melted into it. We still didn’t know everything about each other, but she’d chosen to stand beside me and love me anyway. I would spend the rest of my life learning and falling in love with everything about her.
“The day we met in that elevator, I didn’t know I’d be meeting the man who’d change my entire life in the blink of an eye. Our time together has been raw, wild, and definitely unexpected, but something about it is sacred and special. I vow to cherish our bond—not just the love that we’ve carved out for ourselves, but the friendship too. I fell in love with you, not because of the life you’ve shown me that I never even dared to dream was possible, or your last name, or how much your net worth is, but for how you show up for me and Mason, how you fight for what youwant, how you care, and how you look at me like I’m worth more than gold. No matter where life takes us, with every beat of my heart, I’m yours, Adonis Holland. Today, tomorrow, and always.”
I cleared my throat as I lifted my eyes to speak my vows. She knew how much I liked hearing her say my name. “Sim, I thought I had everything I’d ever need in this life until the day I saw you. From the minute we locked eyes, there was something in my heart that clung to you. You are the love I never knew I needed until you and Mason showed me what it meant to love someone unconditionally. You two are the reason behind every heartbeat and every breath I take. As your husband, I promise to feed you when you need nourishment, both physically and mentally, to be a comforting touch when you need a hug, to always see you for who you are, and to remind you every day that you’re more valuable than anything in this world. You are my forever, and today, we become a family. A family that I vow to do anything and everything to cherish and protect without hesitation.”
Slipping the band on Simora’s finger was different from every business deal I’d ever closed. It wasn’t an acquisition or a merger. It was a gift freely given and received. After the pronouncement of us as husband and wife, I kissed her deeply, pulling back only when Mason tugged on the hem of my jacket.
“My turn!” he insisted.
I laughed and knelt to his height, attaching the little rocket pin to his lapel. “Forever and always,” I told him solemnly before giving him a fist bump.
He threw his arms around my neck in a chokehold of a hug. Over his shoulder, I saw my new wife wiping tears of joy from her eyes.
We’d finally made it to the first day of our forever.
Later, at the reception, I held her close as we danced under the stars, never letting my fingertips leave the small of her back. Her head rested against my chest, perfectly placed right over my heart.
“Happy?” I murmured before kissing the top of her head.
She looked up at me, eyes shining with elation. “Deliriously.”
“No regrets? About the contract that started all this?”
“Best signature I ever scribbled,” she teased, referring to how we met.
