Rebirth: Love me Again

There were a few hiccups. Lina forgot the rings and had to borrow her own from Dylan temporarily.

Damien, still recovering but somehow shirtless halfway through the reception, tried to lead a conga line.

Estelle had to drag him away by the ear while Ely cackled while she throw flowers along the walkway.

Michael gave a toast that turned into a mild TED Talk about nanotechnology.

Sinclair was present, of course, trying to maintain his usual cool demeanor—until Sebastian licked his hand, and he crumbled like a soft cookie. Tears of joy streamed down his cheeks as he ugly-cried into the dog's fur, whispering, "She grew up so fast . . ."

Victor was also weeping, though his tears came from a very different place. Not joy. No. It was despair. Utter defeat. His dreams of dragging the wedding into postponement with mysterious "paperwork issues for Eve" had been crushed like a cheap wine glass under a stiletto heel. Classic Victor.

Dean was next, sobbing like a telenovela actor in his villain arc. Their master plan to sabotage the wedding? Utter failure. Not even a delayed flower shipment or his forged "weather advisory" email could stop the ceremony.

He clutched a half-written speech titled "Ten Reasons This Wedding Should Wait" and dramatically set it on fire with a scented candle.

Dante, ever the stoic brother, simply sighed like a tired war general. "She's definitely getting married. No matter what chaos I plot," he muttered, arms crossed, while the flower girl offered him a cupcake and patted his leg in pity.

Evangeline, the family matriarch and unofficial damage control unit, spent most of the ceremony trying to console and reprimand her sons at the same time. "Stop crying like that. Dean, no, you cannot challenge the groom to a duel. Dante, sweetie, don't glare at the priest."

Meanwhile, Eric proudly walked Eve down the aisle, holding back his own tears—mostly because he promised her he wouldn't cry and didn't want to ruin his mascara (yes even the father of the bride needs to wear a little makeup, it was waterproof, but still.)

Leanna and Cain Fay were seated near the front, holding hands like proud co-conspirators. Leanna was practically vibrating with excitement, already imagining herself surrounded by bouncing grandchildren in coordinated onesies. She was secretly plotting to convince Eve to move in with them.

Cain, in contrast, sat straight-backed and serious, already planning the baby-proofing of their estate. "We'll need gates, cribs, and a tactical strategy for maximum cuddle time," he murmured. He even had a spreadsheet.

And then—enter the true star of the show.

Little Bean. The ring bearer.

Dressed in a tiny tuxedo and walking with all the gravity of a royal diplomat, he held the velvet ring pillow like it was a sacred artifact. He tripped halfway, stood up like nothing happened, and saluted the crowd before continuing his march.

And when the sun set and the stars appeared like scattered diamonds, the newlyweds stood beneath them and danced barefoot on the sand.

Cole whispered something only Eve could hear—something that made her laugh, then cry, then kiss him like it was the first time.

"From the moment I saw you, my heart knew.

It wasn't thunder or fireworks—just a quiet certainty that you were mine even if I didn't know it at first.

"In your smile, I found light. In your arms, I found peace.

And in your love, I found the strength to become more than I ever was.

"With this ring, I give you all of me—flaws, fears, and forever. Through storms or sunshine, joy or pain, I will stay. Even if the stars fall, the sky breaks, or the world forgets our names—I won't.

"Because loving you isn't a promise. It's who I am."

In the end, everyone got their happily ever after . . . except for some.

Not everyone walked into the sunset.

Daniel stood at the edge of the celebration, nursing a glass of champagne that had long gone flat. He watched the newlyweds bask in bliss, laughter echoing in the sea breeze, flower petals still clinging to Eve's veil.

He smiled faintly, but it didn't reach his eyes.

He never told her. Not once. And now . . . he never would.

Eve didn't even know he loved her. Maybe she never needed to. Maybe some love stories were meant to be buried quietly, like a song never sung, or a letter never sent.

Daniel took another sip—bitter—and turned away from the glowing reception. He'd sneak out early, maybe drink some real liquor, play sad music, and pretend he was too cool to care.

He walked fast, head down, only to crash into someone with a soft "Oof!"

"Oh—sorry!" he said, startled.

Two big almond eyes stared back at him. The girl was a little round in the cheeks, with a soft, jolly smile that made her look like sunshine had put on a dress.

"No worries. I wasn't looking either," she giggled, brushing crumbs off her ruffled skirt. "Are you with the bride's side?"

"Uh . . . yeah," he answered, unsure why she was so casually chatting him up.

"Great! Do you know where the dessert table is?" she asked, eyes gleaming like it was the holy grail. "I heard there's mango cheesecake. I came here for that, honestly."

Daniel blinked. "Um . . . yeah. Over there." He pointed toward the buffet.

"Thanks! I'm Lily, by the way. Lily Waltz. My family's old friends with the bride's mom. And who are you?"

"Daniel," he said slowly, still confused.

She smiled, not at all fazed by his awkward energy. "Nice to meet you, Daniel. You looked like you were escaping."

"Just . . . getting some air," he muttered, though he was clearly headed for the parking lot to go home.

Before she could reply, a tall man in a suit rushed over, slightly winded. "Princess! There you are. You shouldn't run off like that."

"Princess?" Daniel echoed, frowning.

Lily pouted. "He exaggerates. Technically, yes, but only of a very small country no one can pronounce."

The bodyguard gave Daniel a warning nod before turning to escort her away, but not before Lily turned around and flashed Daniel a beaming smile.

"Hope we bump into each other again, Daniel. Maybe next time I'll save you a slice of that cheesecake."

She waved and walked off, her curls bouncing and laughter trailing behind her.

Daniel stood there, dazed.

What . . . what was that?

His heart, traitorous and wasn't learning, gave a small leap.

Maybe—just maybe—his happy ending was only just beginning.

And that, dear reader . . . was the end.

Or rather—

The start of something sweet.

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A|N

Thank you, my dear readers, for patiently sticking with this story until the very end.

Without your support, your comments, and your chaotic reactions (yes, I saw them all), I wouldn't have made it this far—or finished this story at all.

At one point, I considered making the story longer. Imagine: Cole only finding out about his child with Eve when little Bean is already seven years old, and their scheming son secretly trying to sabotage his mom's many suitors just to get his parents back together.

It would've been fun . . . but also long. And repetitive. And let's be honest, 400 chapters is a good place to wrap things up before my characters revolt and start writing their own spin-offs.

I hope the ending made you smile, cry a little (happy tears only, okay?), and feel like the journey was worth it.

Thank you again for loving this chaotic, emotional, action-packed rollercoaster of a story.

I'll see you again in future novels! For now, I'm switching gears and going back to working on The Villains Must Win and my fiction-RPG series.

Taking a little break from the romance genre before it turns me into a dramatic lead, too.

"Until next time . . . be kind, be brave, and don't forget—love may be messy, but in the end, it makes the best kind of story. ❤"

See you soon~

—MiuNovels