Substitute Wife for the Mafia King R18-Chapter 429: Celebrating Love

"I love you too. Stay with me, Dahlia," Bradon said almost pleadingly.

I had never seen him look or sound like that before and it brought a tight feeling to my chest. No words felt like they would be enough so all that I could do was nod my head slowly in agreement.

He wrapped his arms around me and pulled me into his tight embrace. I couldn’t stop smiling as I quickly hugged him back. Just like that everything was clear in my mind and my mind was made up for good. Happiness never felt so simply and the solution to all of my problems naturally came to me. I knew without a doubt that I wouldn’t regret the decision that I had made, although there would be obstacles waiting for us in the near future. Whatever may come our way, I knew that we would face it head on together.

The sound of applaud and cheers of celebration enveloped us from all directions, and that was when I realized that we were not alone in our own little world. All the missing staff and gaurds that worked in the mansion all came out to surround us to celebrate with us. It felt like I was surrounded by another family that I never knew that I had.

"We party all night!" Bradon declared to all.

Like the king of his own kingdom, his word was truly the law. Everyone cheered even louder than before now that the celebration was about to start. I found myself laughing and smiling along with everyone else as I stuck by Bradon’s side. His arm around my waist as he kept me close made me feel so safe as if I had found the very place that I belong.

"You truly surprised me..." I confessed to him softly as he headed deeper into the garden where everyone was gathered for the celebration.

"Really? I thought this much is to be expected," Bradon replied casually before winking at me.

"You’re setting such a high bar, I think," I replied, followed by a light laugh.

"Always happy to exceed expectations," Bradon replied before kissing my cheek.

I coudln’t help but think about what Diana had told me. She did mention that perhaps the simple way out was for Bradon and I to really get married. I wondered if my sister had a hand in Bradon’s sudden proposal, but decided not to ask.

"Are we going to get married for real this time?" I asked, jokingly.

"Of course. Did you think that I was just going to get on one knee and not have a wedding ceremony for us?" Bradon asked a little sarcastically.

"No, I didn’t think so..." I replied.

"When should we do it? As soon as possible?" Bradon asked, but it seemed like he already had his mind made up.

Before I could say anything, Bradon pulled me into his embrace. The music had shifted and I realized that the people around us had formed pairs in preparation for a dance.

"May I have this dance?" Bradon asked with a twinkle of mischief in his eyes.

"Of course, you may," I replied without hesitation.

As we danced together to the rhythm of the music, I couldn’t help but feel that the joy that we were enjoying was just too good to be true. I wondered what I did to deserve such happiness. The truth was that I wasn’t used to it, and there was a part of me that felt like something horrible was waiting for us just around the corner. I believed that this kind of peace and happiness felt too unreal and wasn’t meant ot last.

"Is it really okay?" I asked without any context.

"What is really okay?" Bradon asked with some concern in his tone.

"You know, for us to really get married," I asked.

"Why not? I wouldn’t have it any other way. I want to be with you forever and it’s time that we do things the right and proper way," Bradon replied with certainty.

"Thank you," I thanked him wholeheartedly.

My words of thanks seemed to have caught Bradon off guard as he gave me a curious look. I simply nodded my head to assure him that he did not mishear me.

"I want to thank you for everything. I know that it hasn’t been easy, and you were there for me throughout it all," I continued before smiling at him.

"Thank you for deciding to spend your life with me. I’ll be here for you no matter what," Bradon promised.

I let my eyes drift close as he leaned in to press his lips against my forehead. Everything in that moment felt so perfect and so enchanting. I could not remember the last time that I felt that everything was so right and it wasn’t because I believed that the path awaiting us would be lined with rose petals, but it was because I was certain that everything would be alright if I had Bradon by my side. We would pull through everything together and emerge a better version of ourselves, just like we had just done.

Settling the score with our families hadn’t been easy, and perhaps, nothing was truly over. Despite all of that, the journey felt so rewarding now that we were headed towards the end. I learned so much more about myself and emerged much stronger and well-rounded than before. Unbelievably, throughout fulfilling my mission, I also found my real true love and correct many misunderstandings in my life.

"Thanks for bringing me home," I thanked him one last time before I would lose the courage to speak up.

"Thanks for being my home, Leya," Bradon whispered to me tenderly.

I could barely hold back my tears as I smiled at him. No words can adequately describe the joy and relief that I felt to have found a place that I could truly call home. It wasn’t a location, but it was who I was with that made me feel like I could finally love and trust again.