Chapter 25: Vivian

As our lips met in a soft, sweet kiss, I felt like I was melting into Daniil's embrace. The world around us faded away, leaving only the two of us, lost in this moment. I still couldn't believe that I was a bride— Daniil's bride—and my heart was filled with joy.

His lips were warm and gentle, his kiss filled with love and promise. I felt like I was home, like I was exactly where I was meant to be, where I needed to be. He'd proven to be more than capable of love, and the kids adore him. What else could I ask for?

The kiss seemed to stretch on forever, yet it was over all too soon. We broke apart, gasping for air, our eyes locked on each other's. He had a faint smile on his face, and that suit revealed his perfect build. His hair was neatly permed and combed back, and his eyes shimmered in the lights.

I couldn't help but smile, my heart overflowing with happiness. Daniil's eyes shone with love and adoration, his face beaming with joy and making me blush uncontrollably.

As we turned to face our guests, the cheers and applause grew louder as smiling faces gazed at us.

In the crowd, I caught sight of my mother and her new husband. She seemed happy and super excited as she beamed with pride. She couldn't stop smiling, and despite our differences, I was glad she was able to make it. Tyler had made sure of that.

I caught his eyes in the crowd, and the young man was looking dashing today. He was wearing a white tux over a pair of black pants. Beside him was a pretty girl, petite with black curly hair and a pair of green eyes.

My friends from Solenoir, including Asher, were all present. I hadn't expected to see Alba, but there she was in the crowd, smiling at me.

Shocked, I stole a glance at my husband, knowing he was the one behind this. I'd casually made a statement about how I'd love to see Alba at my wedding, but I didn't think he'd take it seriously. Daniil had paid attention to this tiny detail, and that just melted my heart. She was standing there with our kids at her feet, overwhelmed by sheer exhilaration.

My friends grinned widely and whistled, and Tyler was busy taking photos with a huge smile on his face.

Sienna Summers' unique purple dress, with a fashionable style, helped her stand out from the others, looking as elegant as usual.

I felt like I was floating on air, my heart so full of love and happiness that it might burst. Daniil squeezed my hand, and I knew he felt the same way.

Daniil and I walked back down the aisle, hand in hand, our hearts full of satisfaction and our love shining brighter than the sun.

Everything seemed perfect, and I was so proud to officially be a Wolkov. It was a beautiful day, a day that I had been anticipating for a long time, and my joy knew no bounds.

It still amazed me how we'd first started off as enemies, although Daniil always said that I was the one who'd seen him as an enemy. It was ironic that the man I'd spent a long time hating and running away from was the same man who had finally captured my heart and made a wife out of me.

A few years ago, if someone had told me that this day would come, I'd have doubted it. I'd have thought that even if there would be a wedding, it would be against my will.

I laughed on the inside.

Mrs. Wolkov. The name sure has a nice ring to it , my voice of reason said to me.

I didn't think that I would be grateful that Daniil and I had stumbled upon each other in Valencia, Spain, but here I was, filled with gratitude. Our love story had one of the weirdest and most unsettling beginnings, but alas, in the end, it was all worth it.

I would remember this day for the rest of my time on Earth. And that kiss—that perfect, sweet kiss—would stay with me forever, always lingering on the fringes of my mind, a reminder of the love we shared and the promises we'd made on this magical day.

It was time to throw the flowers, and I turned my back on the anticipating ladies, all waiting to jump at it.

"Ready?" I asked and received a unanimous positive response.

In a second, I tossed the bouquet of flowers into the air and swiveled immediately, curious to know who the lucky one was. I was hoping it would be Sienna, but it was the beautiful girl I had seen beside Tyler.

She held the bouquet in her hands, looking shocked that she was the one who had caught it. As she was applauded, I wondered who she was until I saw the way Tyler held her waist from the back and kissed her cheek.

Oh, that makes sense.

He held her hand and approached me while my husband was addressing Andrei and a couple of well-wishers.

"Well, well, well, would you look at that?" I said as they halted before me, smiling.

"This was a lovely occasion, Vivian," the girl said to me as though we were familiar with one another. "Everything is on point!" she declared admirably.

"Thank you," I replied.

"Oh, and you look beautiful, by the way," she added almost immediately. "Maybe someday, I'll be like you."

I blushed.

"From the way I see it, you're next," I said to her, looking at the bouquet in her hand.

Tyler cleared his throat conspicuously. "Did you guys really just pretend that I wasn't here?"

We laughed.

"Vivian, meet Caroline," he said to me. "My better half." Tyler looked at her lovingly.

"Aww." I blushed on her behalf.

"Caroline, meet my best friend, Vivian," he said to her.

"I'm a huge fan, Vivian," she confessed. "Ty has told me a lot of you."

"Has he now?" I looked at him. "Yet, he chose to hide you from me." I frowned at him.

He shrugged. "Well, in my defense, I did tell you that I would be bringing her to the wedding."

"Pay no attention to him; he can be silly at times," Caroline said to me.

"Oh, trust me, I am well aware," I replied, and we laughed.

"Hi," another voice broke in.

It was a very familiar voice, one I hadn't heard in ages.

I turned around, and it was my mom. She was standing there, clearly overwhelmed with guilt and remorse. She was twisting her fingers in front of her, and her eyes landed on the ground.

As I laid eyes on her, I felt a mix of pain and anger, but mostly joy. Regardless of everything she'd put me through, I still loved her because she was my mom.

"Hey, babe. Why don't we go get something to eat?" Tyler grabbed her by the hand.

"But we're still talking…." Caroline tried to resist, but he insisted.

"Trust me, they have the best pastries you'll ever taste." He whisked her away.

Tyler understood that we needed some time alone.

"Hey, Mom," I said to her.

"You look amazing, my dear," she said to me with a smile.

I reciprocated the gesture. "You don't look so bad yourself."

"I am so proud of the woman you've become, Vivian," she said, her voice revealing the truth behind her words. "I know that I wasn't always there for you, but somehow, you still managed to make something meaningful out of your life."

I felt my tear glands charging up, but I had to hold them back because this was supposed to be my happy day.

"I wasn't the best mother to you; I wasn't a good mom. But look how you turned out." She seemed to be struggling with her tears, just like I was. "I might have brought you into this world, but you've proven that you didn't need me…."

"You're wrong," I said softly. "I needed you, Mom. But you weren't there."

She lost the battle, and her tears dropped, rolling down her cheeks.

"I know, honey. I know," she choked out.

I'd fought so well to keep mine back, but a few drops managed to escape. I shot my head up and gently wiped them off, careful not to ruin my makeup.

"Mom, can we not talk about this now?" I sniffled. "It's my day. The only tears I'm allowed to shed are tears of joy."

She wiped her tears. "Of course, sweetheart."

"For what it's worth," I said to her, "I'm glad that you came."

She smiled, and I could tell that my words had made her happy.

I hugged her and allowed myself to enjoy the warmth of her embrace.

As the night wore on, the wedding reception transformed into a vibrant party. The music pulsated, and the dance floor was filled with laughter and spinning bodies.

"There she is," Asher said as he approached me alongside Sienna Summers. "The most beautiful bride I have ever seen."

Sienna embraced me tightly.

"Viv, I am so happy for you," she said.

"Thank you," I replied. "I'm glad you came."

"Are you kidding me? I had to bring her here," Asher chipped in.

"Did you plan with someone to get here, too?" I faked a frown at him.

I used to be pissed at the way he'd set me up with Daniil, but not anymore. In fact, I was grateful that he did that. How else would all of this have been possible?

"Come on, now. Don't tell me you're still holding a grudge against me," he said.

I gave a faint chuckle, and my husband materialized.

"Mr. Wolkov, congratulations." Asher reached out, and they shook hands.

"Thank you," he replied. "Now, if you'd excuse me, I'd like to steal my wife for a moment."

"Sure, sure…of course," he replied, leaving with Sienna.

"Come," Daniil said, holding my hand. "Let's go meet my family." He flashed an encouraging grin at me.

I was a bit skeptical at first, timid. But eventually, as he led me through the crowd to a secluded area, I loosened up. I'd married into a Bratva family, and therefore, I needed to live up to the expectations, the standard. There was no room for shyness or fear. This was a mafia family, and they lacked those petty emotions—at least to an extent.

We approached a couple of elegant individuals, seated at a table. I recognized one of them from the day Daniil and I had met again back in Valencia.

"Ah, Vivian," he said with wide open arms as he walked up to me. "The woman with the brains and beauty—is that how you say it?" He embraced me slightly.

"You're the other Wolkov from the conference room back in Valencia, aren't you?" I asked despite already knowing the answer.

"I am." He smirked. "The name is Vladimir Wolkov. Welcome to the family."

He had the looks of a mean guy, maybe just as cruel as my husband when it came to the matters of the family business. His dirty blond hair glistened in the lights above, and his brown eyes reminded me of Daniil's.

"Thank you, Vlad—can I call you Vlad?" I asked.

He scoffed. "By all means." He studied me for a moment. "I see why Daniil fell for you," Vlad said. "You're a true gem."

I blushed and looked at Daniil. who was possessively holding my hand.

Vlad seemed to have something else that had caught his attention, and I traced his eyes. I noticed he was staring at Sienna Summers.

Daniil led me to the rest of his family, and in that moment, I knew we had flipped to the next page of our story. We were about to delve into a new chapter and explore the contents it had in store for us.