The Don's Unwanted Bride

EPILOGUE

Alyssa’s POV

My brain was hazy. I couldn't think straight. Not with everything that had just happened.

And definitely not with Hayden confessing his feelings to me in the middle of chaos, with blood on our clothes, ash in the air, and my heart pounding so hard it threatened to leap out of my chest.

We had barely gotten Donovan into the emergency room before I began pacing the corridor like a madwoman.

Every nurse who walked by, I rushed toward them with questions they didn’t have answers to. My palms were sweaty, knees weak, and my stomach churned from fear.

"He’s going to be okay," Hayden whispered, placing his hand on my shoulder. He stood so close, like he was trying to absorb my pain, but I wasn’t sure if even he could bear the storm that was brewing inside me.

I turned to him. “If anything happens to Donovan, I’ll never forgive myself.”

Hayden took my hand, pulling me into his arms. For a moment, I allowed myself to lean into him, to draw warmth from his body, even though my mind was anything but calm.

Hours passed. The wait felt endless. I didn’t realize I’d dozed off on one of the chairs in the waiting area until the sound of footsteps jolted me awake. The doctor was walking toward us, removing his gloves.

We both jumped to our feet.

"Donovan’s stable," he announced. "He lost a lot of blood, but the bullet missed any vital organs. He’s going to be okay."

A sob of relief tore from my throat. I threw myself into Hayden’s arms, laughing and crying all at once. Hayden held me tightly, stroking my hair, whispering soothing words I couldn’t even process.

"Can we see him?" I asked.

The doctor shook his head. "He’s still unconscious. Maybe in the morning. He needs rest."

Hayden nodded and thanked the doctor, guiding me gently away. As we walked through the hospital doors and out into the night air, I leaned against him again. I didn’t want to let go.

The ride home was in silence. A heavy, comforting silence.

When we got back to the mansion, I dragged myself into the bedroom, peeled off my dusty clothes, and fell into the bed. Hayden joined me moments later, his eyes on the ceiling, hands folded behind his head.

I turned toward him.

“Why did you let me go to see my father?” I asked.

He turned to me, his jaw tightening slightly. “Because I saw it in your eyes. You needed to go. And because... I trust you.”

His words pierced me deeper than I expected.

I swallowed hard and sat up, pulling my knees to my chest. The weight in my heart pressed against my ribs.

“I wanted to ask him for forgiveness,” I began, my voice trembling. “For being a bratty, rebellious daughter six months ago. I wanted to look him in the eye and tell him thank you. For arranging this marriage... this thing between us.”

Hayden turned to face me fully now. His brows were slightly furrowed, but his eyes were soft.

“And?” he asked.

I sucked in a breath, holding his gaze. “And I wanted to tell him that I’ve found love.”

Silence.

He didn’t move, didn’t even blink for a moment. And then he sat up beside me.

I reached for his hand and pressed it against my chest. “I love you, Hayden.”

Something flickered in his eyes. A soft smile broke across his face, the kind I rarely saw on him, and then it grew.

His lips curved upward until it reached his eyes and they sparkled like the stars I used to count in my father's garden as a child.

He leaned forward and kissed me, slowly at first. It was tender, reverent, like he was afraid I’d disappear if he wasn’t careful.

But then, the kiss deepened. His hands found my face, cradling it as he laid me back on the mattress. His mouth moved over mine with purpose, his body pressed against me.

“I love you, Alyssa Martini,” he whispered against my lips, voice low and raw. “I fucking love you.”

My breath hitched, and then everything melted away. The world outside, the chaos, the gunfire, everything. It all vanished beneath his touch.

His fingers trailed over my skin, slow and possessive. He touched me like I was his lifeline, like he couldn’t believe I was real.

I wrapped my arms around him, holding him close as he kissed every inch of my face.

“I never thought I could feel this again,” he murmured into my neck. “After Julie... I didn’t think I had it in me.”

I stroked his hair. “You do. You just needed someone to remind you.”

We moved together like waves in sync, like every fiber of our beings was made for each other. There was no rush. No urgency. Just love. Passionate, intense, all-consuming love.

He whispered my name like a prayer as he made love to me, over and over, until neither of us knew where one ended and the other began.

When we finally lay still, our bodies tangled in the sheets, his breath warm against my shoulder, he pressed a kiss to my collarbone.

“You saved me,” he said, voice hoarse.

“No,” I whispered. “We saved each other.”

He looked at me then, brushing my hair away from my face.

“You’re never leaving me,” he said softly. “You’re mine, Alyssa. Forever.”

I smiled, curling into his chest. “Forever sounds perfect.”

And as I lay there, listening to the rhythm of his heartbeat, I knew that everything we went through, the pain, the chaos, the danger, was worth it.

Because I had found something real.

Something eternal.

Love.

The kind you only find once in a lifetime.

And I wasn’t letting it go.

THE END.