Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad-Chapter 1050 : The Promise of the Future

*Bianca*

The soft strains of music filled the air as I stood at the back of the church, my heart in my throat, fighting against the nerves that still clung to me despite everything.

The moment I had dreamed about, the moment I’d thought of a thousand times, had arrived.

I was going to marry Leo.

The doors opened in front of me, and I could hear the collective gasps of the crowd, the excitement building.

My family and friends filled one half of the church and the Valentinos filled the other half. Some of them were already in tears.

Under any other circumstance, it would have melted my heart to see them all together like that, ready to support us and celebrate us.

None of that mattered.

All I could focus on was the man standing at the end of the aisle, his face lit with such joy and love that it took my breath away.

Leo.

His eyes locked onto mine, and in that moment, everything else faded.

The noise, the people, the church, it all blurred into the background. All I could see was him—standing there, waiting for me.

I took my first step forward, the train of my dress sweeping behind me. Each movement felt like a dream, surreal and perfect.

On one side of him, Alessandro, Elio, Franky, and Darion stood as his groomsmen. They wore matching tuxes a few shades off from Leo’s black suit.

On the other side, Amara, Cat, and Mia stood as my bridesmaids in their rose pink dresses. And Taylor in a rose pink suit.

I swallowed my chuckle seeing him standing there as a bridesmaid, at his own insistence.

My mom sat in the front pew with the twins. I spared them a quick glance and blew my babies a kiss as I moved past them.

As I stepped up to the altar I could see the tears in Leo’s eyes, the way his lips trembled as if he couldn’t quite believe this was happening.

He looked more handsome than I ever could have imagined in that moment.

I smiled, my own tears threatening to spill as I neared him, my heart full of love for the man who had fought for me, for us, for our family.

When I reached him, Leo gently took my hands in his, his touch warm and grounding. He pulled me close, and for a moment, we were just two people standing together in the middle of everything, our hearts beating in sync.

“You are the most radiant thing I have ever laid my eyes on,” he whispered, his voice thick with emotion.

My heart fluttered in my chest. It was the loudest sound in the chapel.

I laughed softly, wiping away a tear as I looked up at him. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen you look so handsome, either.” I flicked one of the stray curls of his that refused to be tame.

He grinned. “This is... perfect,” he said, his eyes glistening with tears that he didn’t bother to hide.

“Yes, it is. Let’s get married.” I nodded.

We stepped up to the altar together and the officiant held up a book.

I tried to follow along with his words but it was all a bit of a blur. My eyes kept wandering to Leo and to our babies and I knew that today was the beginning of the rest of our lives.

I almost wanted the officiant to move faster so I could officially call Leo my husband.

“Leo and Bianca have prepared their own vows for the occasion. Leo, would you like to read first?” the officiant asked, motioning to Leo.

He took a shaking breath and clasped my hands in his. Our eyes locked and I was captivated.

“Bianca,” His voice shook, but I knew it was with excitement. “The day I met you, I knew you were the one for me. I knew that no matter what came our way, I would love you, protect you, and fight for you.”

He paused and blinked rapidly. When he breathed in, he sniffled a little bit.

My heart swelled and I thought it might explode. He was really getting choked up.

Leo looked at the twins and then back at me. “You’ve given me more than I could ever ask for. Our family, our life together. And I will love you and protect you, and our family, for the rest of my days.”

Tears filled my eyes, and I could barely think. I felt more love from him than ever before and he wasn’t holding anything back. He let every emotion show on his face.

I could barely stand it. I wanted to throw myself into his arms and hug and kiss him.

“Bianca, would you like to continue with your vows?” the officiant asked breaking me from my thoughts.

“Y-yes.” My voice cracked a little. I swallowed quickly.

Leo squeezed my hands and nodded. “You can do this,” he mouthed.

I took a deep breath, gathering the strength to say the words that had been building in my heart for so long.

“Leo,” I started, my voice shaky, “before I met you...” my voice broke as an unexpected flood of tears sprang to my eyes.

The officiant quickly handed me a white handkerchief. He’d done this before.

I dabbed at my eyes and took another breath.

“Before I met you, I was lost. I didn’t know what I was doing, where I was going. But you... you gave me my life back. You showed me what it meant to truly love, to have a purpose. Our road together hasn’t been easy, and it hasn’t been perfect, but every step of it was worth it. I will love you, now and forever.”

“The rings, please,” the officiant said motioning to Elio.

“Oh, right, that’s my job.” He chuckled and reached into his pocket and pulled out a small box. He flipped the lid open.

Two golden wedding bands sat on a silk cushion.

“And the children,” the officiant said.

My mother stood and brought the twins to us. She passed Vittoria to me and Valerio to Leo.

Valerio gurgled and struggled a bit but Leo bounced him and calmed him quickly. He had a few new stains on his little tux since the last time I saw him.

Vittoria was asleep in my arms. She nuzzled against me and grabbed at the lace flowers on my dress.

“Leo, repeat after me,” The officiant said. “Take Bianca’s left hand.”

Leo obeyed. He the ring to my finger.

“With this ring, I thee wed,” the officiant said.

Leo smiled and slid the ring on my finger. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“And Bianca,” the officiant motioned to me.

It was my turn. I shifted Vittoria in my arms slightly and held the golden band to Leo’s finger.

“Repeat after me, Biance,” the officiant said. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

I sniffled and slid the ring on Leo’s finger where it would sit forever. “With this ring, I thee wed.”

“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.” The officiant stepped back.

Leo hooked his free arm around my waist and pulled me close. He pressed his lips fervently to mine.

I only had a moment to make sure the twins weren’t crushed between us before I was consumed by the passion of that kiss.

Our first kiss as husband and wife.

I put my free hand on Leo’s cheek and returned the kiss with all the love and passion I could muster.

The room erupted into applause, and I couldn’t stop myself from smiling through my tears.

I was married. We were married!

I was finally married to Leo, the man who had given me everything.

As the ceremony wrapped up, I stood beside Leo, our hands still clasped together. He was smiling, his eyes shining with happiness.

“Thank you,” I whispered, leaning up to kiss him once more. “Thank you for making me the happiest woman alive.”

He chuckled, kissing the top of my head. “It’s my pleasure, Bianca. You deserve this. You deserve everything.”

I looked around at our family. My mother, smiling with pride and bragging to the Valentinos. Probably about her grandkids. She never stopped talking about them.

The Valentinos looked ready to party.

I silently hoped they wouldn’t go too hard at the reception, but like Leo said, it would make it exciting.

These were the people who helped shape us, raise us into who we were now. Despite their criminal tendencies, the Valentino’s had raised Leo to be a great man with principles.

Had he been raised with a group like the Angels, he’d be a completely different person.

I hadn’t always understood it but they weren’t just an organization, they were as strongly bonded as any other family.

Seeing Elio and Alessandro joking around and the other Valentinos getting involved made me smile.

Yeah, that was like any other sibling rivalry.

I found my mom in the crowd. She had some of my uncles and aunts with her. She smiled and winked at me.

Her eyes were so full of pride and adoration my heart nearly burst.

Making her proud was one of the greatest accomplishments of my life.

All of our people were here in this room. Friends and family. Every single one of them, standing together, celebrating us as we took the next step in our journey together.

“Together forever,” Leo whispered to me as we walked down the aisle, squeezing my hand.

I nodded, my heart full. “Together forever.”

Marrying Leo meant that I gained the love and support of the Valentinos and he gained the love and support of my family.

Were the two so different? Was a blood bond what made family?

As we made our way out of the chapel, hand in hand, I finally understood what Leo was trying to tell me. Family wasn’t just defined by blood but by the people we chose, by the people we love, and the people we fight for.

There was nothing more important than family. Not the one you’re born into, but the one you create.

On the steps of the chapel, we waited for the limo to take us to our reception.

I kissed Vittoria’s forehead and ruffled Valerio’s hair.

The four of us were a family now. But the twins would also be part of two huge families full of love, support, and devotion to each other. I couldn’t wait to share both those worlds with them.

Leo squeezed my hand. “What are you thinking, my beautiful wife?”

I grinned and my stomach fluttered. “How much I love our family.” I nodded to the church and then to the twins.

“They are pretty great, aren’t they?” He asked.

I nodded. “Hey, can you say that again?”

Leo’s brow creased. “Say what?”

“You know what,” I teased, biting my lower lip.

He thought for a moment and then smiled. “Oh, you mean the part where I called you my wife?”

“Yes,” I gasped.

He slid closer to me and kissed me sweetly. “My beautiful wife.”

With Leo and the twins by my side, I knew we had everything we needed.

Family would always prevail.