Chapter 416
Chapter 416:
“Almost done,” Margaret whispered, her fingers trembling slightly as she worked. The past few months had brought a fragile peace between them—not full forgiveness, but a bridge being built one careful step at a time.
Camille met her mother’s eyes in the mirror. “Thank you.”
The words carried weight beyond the dress, and Margaret blinked back tears, nodding silently.
A knock at the door interrupted the moment. Victoria entered, wearing a steel-blue dress that made her silver hair shine like polished metal. Though still thin from her cancer treatments, she moved with purpose. Energy had slowly returned to her frame as the experimental treatment continued to shrink her tumors.
“It’s time,” Victoria said, then stopped, her usual composure slipping as she took in Camille’s appearance. “Oh, my dear.”
Camille turned, suddenly shy under Victoria’s gaze. “Is it too much?”
Victoria shook her head, speechless. Instead, she approached with a velvet box in her hands. “I want you to have this today.”
Inside nestled a platinum necklace, a delicate chain supporting a diamond-encrusted phoenix. The craftsmanship was extraordinary, each feather etched with perfect detail.
“It was meant for Sophia,” Victoria admitted quietly. “For her wedding day.” Camille’s throat tightened. “Victoria, I can’t…”
“You can. You must.” Victoria lifted the necklace. “This belongs with you now. My daughter, in every way that matters.”
Camille bent her head, allowing Victoria to fasten the clasp. The metal felt cool against her skin, a gentle weight settling just above her heart.
When she straightened, both Victoria and Margaret were watching her—two women who had shaped her in such different ways. One had given her life, the other had given her rebirth.
“Ready?” Victoria asked, her eyes bright with maternal pride.
Camille nodded, gathering her bouquet of white roses and phoenix flowers. “Ready.”
Alexander stood at the altar, his back straight, his hands clasped before him to hide their slight trembling. Stefan Rodriguez sat among the guests, a surprise addition to the invitation list, but Camille had insisted. His testimony at the trial and the bullet he’d taken for Camille had earned him, if not forgiveness, then at least acknowledgment.
The weight of the silver pocket watch pressed against Alexander’s chest, hidden in the inner pocket of his tuxedo. He’d carried it every day since discovering it in that storage unit—a reminder. A question still unanswered.
The organ music swelled, and the cathedral doors swung open. First came Hannah Zhao, Camille’s chief engineer and now friend, walking slowly down the aisle in deep burgundy. Then his gaze found Camille, and everything else faded. She was radiant, her dark hair swept up with tiny diamond pins, her face partially hidden behind a whisper-thin veil. Richard Lewis walked beside her, his face a mix of pride and lingering regret.
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