Page 131 of The Hunter's Empire

"He'll survive." I reply.

Theo points directly at me. "I sincerely hope he doesn't."

"What?"

"I want tears." He points toward the ceremony site outside. "I want him emotionally devastated before the vows even begin."

Aurelia laughs so hard she has to steady herself against the dressing table. "You are impossible."

"I am invested."

A knock sounds at the door before Steven pokes his head inside.

"The guests have started arriving." He says calmly. "About thirty minutes."

Theo immediately claps his hands together. "Right."

He looks around the room. "Everyone stop being emotional. We've got a wedding to attend."

The ceremony takes place on a breathtaking cliff overlooking the ocean. An elegant open-air ivory colonnade, wrapped in flowering vines and warm fairy lights, crowns the edge of the coastline. A marble aisle lined with white roses, hydrangeas, candles, and lanterns leads to a raised circular altar overlooking the sea, while rugged coastal mountains rise in the distance.

Everywhere I look I recognize faces from newspapers, business magazines, and international summits. Political leaders sit beside billionaire families. CEOs exchange quiet greetings with diplomats as discreet security teams watch over the ceremony from the shadows. Keith had even extended invitations to Mikkel and Margrethe, hoping they'd attend despite everythingthat had happened between our families. They never came. In the end, only Tobias and Nikolaj accepted, their quiet presence a reminder that not every bridge had been burned.

Yet despite the power gathered in one place, the atmosphere feels surprisingly intimate. None of it seems to matter once Keith steps beneath the floral arch.

I take my place at the front of the aisle, smoothing the fabric of my dress as I glance toward the groom's side.

Keith is already waiting. Anton stands beside him as his best man, adjusting his cufflinks before leaning over with a grin.

"You know," he says quietly, "there's still time."

Keith doesn't even look at him. "For what?"

"Running."

A snort escapes me before I can stop it.

Anton immediately points at me. "See? Even your Maid of Honor thinks it's funny."

"I absolutely do." I admit.

Keith sighs the long-suffering sigh of a man who's questioning every relationship he's ever made.

"I'm getting married."

"I know." Anton replies with a solemn nod. "That's exactly why I brought it up."

I fold my arms. "You've been waiting all morning to say that, haven't you?"

"Since breakfast."

Keith shakes his head. "I need better people."

"No." I say. "You need people who'll keep you humble."

Anton nods enthusiastically. "Exactly."

Keith finally looks between the two of us. "I've made a terrible mistake."