GETTING THE HEART OF THE CEO

Five months later, Courney was overwhelmed with nerves. The day of her wedding had arrived, and she would be getting married in the church. Her insecurities always attacked her; she still attended psychological counseling.

Lindsey helped her put on the wedding dress she had designed herself. It was a beige lace dress with floral motifs, with sensual V-neck and a delicate back covered in very fine lace, subtly revealing the skin through floral-patterned transparencies. It was designed in a mermaid style that highlighted her beautiful figure.

Stefany was sitting comfortably on the bed, enjoying spoonfuls of creamy chocolate ice cream, savoring the indulgence.

“Stefany! For God’s sake, stop eating so much. Look at how chubby you’ve become, and you’re only seven months pregnant,” complained Luan. Every time he saw his sister, she was eating, and it infuriated him.

“Well, you don’t know that every pregnant woman is round. What do I do if these three troublemakers demand food all the time? Besides, my husband adores me just the way I am,” she said energetically, devouring her container of ice cream.

“Maximiliano is going to hear about this. How is it possible that he’s the culprit of this?” Luan held in his hands some chocolate bars he took from Stefany’s purse.

“Look, Luan, if you say anything to him, I swear I’ll stop being your sister. You don’t know how these kids get to me when I don’t give them their snacks.”

Lindsey burst into laughter, recalling her enormous belly and the discomfort she had to face if she didn’t indulge her triplets.

“Oh, Luan! It’s better not to mess with those triplets because if you deny them their cravings, their poor mom will be in a bad mood, and those around her will pay the consequences. I tell you this from experience; isn’t that right, Isa?”

“It’s true. I had to run to any place that sold dulce de arequipe or coconut candies so that this woman could work in peace. Otherwise, she would be in a terrible mood.”

“My kids will hate you if you don’t put those provisions back where they were,” Stefany threatened.

Luan swallowed hard and returned the chocolates where he found them.

“Let’s hurry up. Courney, the groom is already in the church waiting,” intervened Lindsey, her eyes sparkling at the sight of her beautiful sister. Courney chose not to wear a veil; she had her golden hair tied up in a high bun.

The five descended the stairs of the Pratt mansion. Grandpa Hugo eagerly awaited the bride inside a black limousine parked at the mansion’s entrance. They all got into the vehicle; the other guests were already in the church waiting for the bride.

When they arrived at the church, Grandpa Hugo was the first to step out of the limousine. He offered his hand to the bride and clung to her arm, once again feeling proud to walk and give away one of his granddaughters at the altar. Because that’s what these women were to him.

The triplets were at the church entrance, each carrying a basket filled with flower petals of different colors.

Oscar is very excited, waiting at the foot of the altar. The bridal music started to begin the ceremony, and the guests turned to see the bride’s entrance. Courney was immensely happy, she couldn’t believe she was going to marry the man who gave her freedom in her life. With each step toward the altar, her heart skipped with uncertainty about the new stage of being a mother and a wife that she was about to face.

“Thank you for entrusting me with my future wife. I promise to take care of her and love her until the last day of my life,” Oscar recited in front of Grandpa Hugo.

When the old man was about to speak, Lindsey appeared next to her sister and said, “I hope, dear brother-in-law, you never change your essence, and I pray that you manage to erase the past that still haunts my sister.”

Oscar flashed a beautiful smile and took his future wife’s hand, standing in front of her. The priest began the celebration, they said their marriage vows, and then the father proceeded.

“I declare you husband and wife; you may kiss the bride. God bless this marriage.”

Oscar gave Courney a tender kiss, and the attendees approached to congratulate them.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

They left the church hand in hand, filled with happiness. As they crossed the door, rice was thrown at them, and the limousine awaited them at the entrance to take them to the prestigious hotel’s banquet hall, where the family gathering would take place.

At the celebration, the girls danced empowered to the rhythm of Miley Cyrus’s song “Flowers.” The men shook their heads from side to side, not understanding why their wives were singing that song.

“Courney, accept my gift; that house also belongs to you,” Lindsey tried to convince her sister to move to the mansion that belonged to their mother.

“No, sister, Oscar and I have talked. We are going to live in a small apartment with Oriana. I love this life he is offering me; I want to take care of Oriana and study psychology. After I graduate, I want to support women like Stefany and me so that they can move forward and not sink into their fears as I once did.”

“You know you can count on me. When you graduate, we’ll talk about that.”

Courney hugged her brother with much affection. She always wondered what would have happened to her if that angel hadn’t appeared in that alley, reconnecting her with her sister.

“Thank you; you are a noble soul. So many things have happened, and you’re still there, providing support to those who need it.”

“To those who deserve it, sister. Not everyone has a pure heart. I have been lucky to cross paths with people who have shown me that not all people are the same. Now let’s enjoy your day.”

The two sisters were in a changing room, changing into different clothes, then went outside the party to continue the celebration.

Everything was beautiful; the spouses left for a reserved room in the hotel itself. They didn’t want to go far or have a honeymoon.

Oscar led Courney to a private elevator that took them directly to the Penthouse; he held her by the waist.

“My love, I want you to know that I won’t force you into anything,” he whispered tenderly near her ear. Courney, feeling his warm breath on her ear, felt her skin tingle. Before the wedding, she had talked several times with Stefany about her sex life and also worked on that topic with her psychologist.

“You know I love you. Only you can help me erase my past from my skin.”

The elevator opened at that moment, and he delicately took her hands and led her down a corridor until they stood in front of a door. Oscar placed her in front of him and turned the handle for her to enter.

Courney’s eyes widened, her heart began to race at full speed, and her astonishment was so great that she remained momentarily paralyzed by the beauty of the room. The entire room was adorned with various shades of red and pink. In one corner, there was a cart with a bottle of champagne in an ice bucket, two crystal glasses, and heart-shaped strawberries. Her gaze fixated on a queen-sized bed in the middle of the room, decorated with a message made of red rose petals. Upon reading it, she couldn’t contain the urge to cry with excitement.

‘Since I first saw you, you pierced my heart. First out of compassion, then out of the desire to protect you, and now because I love you. You are the perfect woman for me.’

“What a beautiful gesture. They say after the storm comes the calm, but Oscar, you are my peace. I don’t know how to express this overwhelming feeling right now. I can only say thank you for coming into my life,” she turned around and kissed him slowly, gradually increasing the pace until they fell into a passionate kiss.

Oscar stopped the kiss for lack of air, realizing that if they continued at that pace, he might not be able to stop.

“My hero, I want to try being with you. I want us to take it slow and gentle, to erase all the bad in me.”

Oscar looked at her intensely, not wanting to hurt her.

“Are you sure? I’m not forcing you to make love. I am willing to wait forever if that’s what you want.”

“I know you wouldn’t force me into anything. I want to be strong and face my fears with you. I want to make love to you,” Courney took the initiative and kissed him again, placing her hands on his neck to intensify the kiss, letting their tongues intertwine.

He lifted her in his arms and gently placed her on the bed, thus beginning their night of love where they both showed their feelings for each other.