Chapter 361: The Morning of Forever
The wedding ceremony was scheduled for 4:00 PM, followed by the reception inside the ballroom. By early morning, the stylists, the event planners, decorators, and security team were already at the hotel, putting the final details in place. The ballroom was being prepared for the reception, while the outdoor ceremony area was being transformed with a long, elegant mirrored aisle leading toward the altar, reflecting the sky and surrounding greenery. Both sides of the aisle were lined with lush arrangements of white flowers, creating a soft, elegant border that stretched all the way toward the altar. Rows of white chairs were arranged neatly on either side for their families and guests.
Matteo looked back at Adrian as he began to stir, a sleepy sigh escaping his lips.
Matteo squeezed his hand gently, a wide smile spreading across his face as he watched him.
Slowly, Adrian opened his eyes and blinked against the morning light.
"Good morning, my love," Matteo murmured.
"Good morning, baby," Adrian replied sleepily, still looking ahead instead of turning to Matteo.
A moment later, Adrian finally turned his head and looked up at him. Without saying a word, he reached for Matteo, wrapped his arms around his neck, and buried his face against his chest.
"Today is the day," Adrian whispered, the words trembling against Matteo’s skin.
Matteo tightened his grip, closing his eyes as a thick knot formed in his throat. "Yes, baby," he murmured, his voice thick with devotion. "Today is our day."
"I can’t believe it... we actually made it this far," Adrian said.
At first, Matteo thought Adrian was simply overwhelmed, thinking about everything they had been through and how far they had come. But when Adrian’s voice began to crack and a quiet sob escaped him, Matteo realized he was crying.
Instead of trying to stop him, Matteo pulled him closer, letting his own emotions take over. He wept silently with him, holding onto the man who had weathered every storm by his side. They let the tears fall, releasing everything they had carried for so long as they finally reached the morning they had both waited so long for.
After a long, shared moment, Matteo gently pulled back. He framed Adrian’s wet face with his hands, his thumbs tenderly wiping the lingering tears from his cheeks.
"Hey," Matteo whispered. "It’s okay, baby. Today is a happy day. We shouldn’t be crying."
Adrian let out a watery, breathy laugh and nodded, leaning into his touch.
"Now," Matteo said, pressing a lingering kiss to his forehead, "let’s get up and get ready to head to the hotel. We need to get there early so we have enough time to breathe and take photographs before everything starts."
Adrian raised an eyebrow, a teasing spark cutting through the emotional haze. "You won’t be able to see me once we’re in our suites, you know. According to tradition, we’re not supposed to see each other again until I’m walking down the aisle. We can take our pictures after we say our vows."
Matteo shook his head immediately, his stubborn, possessive streak showing. "No, baby. You insisted on those custom royal suits, and the moment we put them on, I want us photographed together."
"Let’s just get to the hotel first," Adrian chuckled, getting out of bed. "Then we can decide what happens after."
Matteo smiled, unable to argue with him. "Alright, baby."
Right on cue, Adrian’s phone chimed from the nightstand. He picked it up and saw an incoming call from Charles and Frank. The moment he answered, their eager voices came through, demanding to know where he was.
"We’re getting ready to leave," Adrian said with a laugh, holding the phone to his ear.
"Good, because we’re almost at the hotel ourselves!" Charles replied excitedly.
"Alright. See you there," Adrian said.
Before Adrian could even hang up, Matteo’s phone began ringing as well. He glanced at the screen, seeing Mark’s name flash. He swiped to answer.
"Where are you? We’re almost at the hotel," Mark said from the other end.
"I’m close, bro," Matteo replied.
"Then come here quick. No one needs to tell you that," Mark teased.
Matteo chuckled. "Alright, I’ll be there soon," he replied before ending the call.
With the countdown officially underway, Matteo and Adrian wasted no time. They hurried into the master bathroom together to shower. But the moment the warm spray of the shower hit them, all thoughts of rushing flew out the window. Matteo simply couldn’t resist the sight of Adrian standing right there beneath the water.
He leaned closer and spoke softly over the sound of the rushing water. "Let’s have a quickie, baby." With a firm, possessive grip, he grabbed Adrian’s bare waist, hauling him flush against his body as his hands slid down to cup and knead the soft flesh of his ass.
"Matteo, no," Adrian said softly, his fingers coming up to push weakly against Matteo’s wet chest. "We don’t have time... the stylists will be—"
"It’ll be quick, perfect for us," Matteo murmured, his eyes burning with sudden, heavy desire as he backed Adrian against the tiled wall.
Adrian let out a soft gasp, giving in as Matteo kissed and lifted him effortlessly, driving into him with a hot, slick, breathless rhythm under the cascading water that left them both flushed, panting, and completely electrified.
After a quick, thorough rinse, they stepped out of the bathroom and hurried back into the bedroom. Since they would be dressing in their respective suites at the hotel, they kept it simple, pulling on soft, comfortable casual clothes.
They shared one last deep, lingering kiss in the center of the room, a silent promise of everything yet to come. Hand in hand, they finally walked downstairs, stepping out into the crisp morning air.
Matteo’s mother and Maxwell settled comfortably into the lead vehicle. Matteo and Adrian slid into the custom car directly behind them, flanked tightly by a lead and tail security detail.
With a low hum of engines, the four-car luxury convoy rolled out of the estate gates, cutting through the morning streets toward the grand hotel and the magnificent beginning of their forever.
Not long after, the four-car luxury convoy smoothly pulled up to the grand entrance of the luxury hotel, escorted closely by their security detail.
Once inside, Matteo and Adrian made a detour to the exclusive dressing room where their custom wedding attire had been delivered and securely stored. Before heading to their respective private suites, they wanted to look at their wedding outfits one last time.
The custom suits had been designed exactly the way Adrian had imagined them—elegant, luxurious, and inspired by the grandeur of a royal wedding. Each suit came with a dramatic, sweeping cape that could be easily detached, allowing them to wear the suits with or without the capes depending on the occasion.
The capes added an extra touch of dark luxury and timeless elegance to the already magnificent designs, giving the outfits the grand, royal appearance Adrian had always wanted.
Two of the garments on display were striking black ensembles tailored for Matteo. One featured a structured black suit jacket with crimson embroidery winding along the lapels and cuffs, paired with a matching majestic black cape edged in rich red. The other was an equally commanding black suit accented with intricate gold embroidery and a regal golden tie, complete with a sweeping dark cape.
Beside them hung the breathtaking white ensembles tailored for Adrian. One design featured a pristine white tailored suit with a high-standing collar and a glittering, pearlescent embellished front, flowing seamlessly into a grand white cape. The other was a softer ivory-white custom suit adorned with delicate floral beadwork and cascading crystal chains draped across the shoulders, flowing into a majestic floor-length cape.
Even though they had seen the pieces during their fittings back at the atelier, standing before them now, with the reality of the wedding only hours away, sent a wave of emotion through both of them.
Matteo stepped closer, wrapping an arm around Adrian’s waist as his eyes swept over the magnificent garments. He looked down at Adrian, his voice soft with awe. "Just look at these... I honestly can’t wait to see you wearing this, babe."
Adrian leaned into his side, a tender smile touching his lips as he gazed up at him. "Me too..."
Matteo smiled and pressed a soft kiss to his temple before his eyes glinted with playful approval. "And you know what? It’s a really good thing you dyed your hair back to black. It’s going to look incredible against the white and make these suits look even better on you."
Adrian let out a soft giggle and shook his head. "Come on, let’s head up to our suites before we get too emotional."
Matteo nodded, giving Adrian’s waist one last gentle squeeze. They exchanged one final smile before saying goodbye and heading to their separate, heavily guarded suites on opposite sides of the hotel floor.
Inside Adrian’s suite, the atmosphere was a mix of nervous energy and quiet excitement. Before the stylists could even begin their work, the heavy oak door swung open, revealing Charles and Frank standing there with wide grins and their arms already open.
The moment Adrian saw his friends, he stood up to greet them. A warm smile spread across his face, but beneath it was the sudden realization that this was really happening.
Charles was the first to reach him, pulling Adrian into a tight, lingering embrace, his eyes already shimmering with unshed tears.
"I... I honestly don’t even know what the perfect words are right now," Charles murmured, his voice thick with emotion as he held onto his best friend. "I’ve watched you through every single phase of this from the darkest, hardest days to this exact moment. I just want you to know how deeply happy I am for you, Adrian. I wish you a lifetime of true happiness."
Frank stepped in next, wrapping his arms around them both, his smile radiant. "Me too. I’m so, so happy," Frank said, his voice filled with genuine joy. "Not every relationship survives the kind of chaos you two faced, let alone makes it all the way to the altar. But you fought through every twist and turn life threw at you, and you made it here. I wish you both the absolute best life together."
Adrian buried his face against their shoulders for a moment...
Two more Chapters coming in 2 hours. ❤️🔥 Stay tuned!