Four Years Later:
~T.S.T.S.~
"Are you sure you want to do this?" Alice asked as she stood next to me.
I nodded as I turned to look at myself in the mirror, pushing the sudden need to run and hide.
"Just remember, when in doubt, give the signal, and I'll get you out of here before anyone has a chance to move." Rose told me with a wink as she and the girls surrounded me.
I let out a nervous laugh as we turned to look at them.
Each of them was wearing a different shade of royal blue as they stood around me. I smiled as Alice fixed the veil over my head as the door opened.
Uncle Charlie was standing in front of me, a water smile on his leathery face. "You ready to go?" He asked me.
I took a deep breath before nodding, extending my hand out as Rosalie handed me the bouquet.
"Let's get you married, eh?" He asked, as he offered me his arm before turning us towards the door.
"Hold it!" Alice cried out.
We turned to look at her, a brow raised as she made her way towards us.
She inspected my dress, adding something here and there before mumbling something to Charlotte.
She quickly handed her a large blue headpiece. It looked like a blue crown, and I tried not to cringe as I thought of the headache that I knew I'd have by the time the wedding did finish.
I frowned. "I thought I was already ready?" I asked her sarcastically.
Alice shook her head as she motioned for me to bend down as she fixed the large blue, spiky crown-like thing on my head, fixing the veil once more.
She then motioned for Tia to walk forward before she replaced her in front of me. Tia slowly pulled out a thick necklace. It looked like a diamond encrusted vines and flowers. Towards the middle, it became a large flower before a teardrop sapphire hung from it.
It matched the earrings Edward had gifted me for my birthday, and the bracelet he had gifted me while on vacation with the twins in Acapulco last year.
"What is all of this?" I asked, letting out my nervous laugh.
"Edward told us to give it to you." She told me as she finished clasping it around my neck.
I scoffed and shook my head in disbelief at the balls of this guy. He knew I didn't like over the top gifts, yet he used any excuse to buy these overly-expensive trinkets, knowing I'll only use them on special occasions. I had only been using the ring bought me when he proposed, because he begged me to.
It was a large oval-cut diamond, with a solitaire, white gold setting.There were three smaller diamonds spaced out in the band. Each represents the times I've gotten the upper hand on Edward. Or so he says.
"Of course, he did." I sighed as I shook my head in exasperation.
Alice then replaced Tia again, giving me a once over. "Got your something blue, something new, something borrowed, and something old." She listed off as she nodded to herself.
"Okay, enough of that shit. Let's get this show on the road." I snapped last, causing everyone to laugh.
It was Edward who all but begged me to marry him. Why? I'll never know.
I didn't need this big party, or a fucking piece of paper to prove my commitment and loyalty to him, but he did, so here we were.
He in a dashing black and white tux, while I was forced to wear an off the shoulder, mermaid hem wedding dress with lace sleeves. The lace of the veil pinned to my head matched the sleeves on the dress. The shoes didn't help me edginess either.
Alice had forced me into a pair of white, silk platform heels, with chunky heels, a string of faux pearls fastened around my ankle, tying in a bow in the back of my ankle.
I almost wanted this entire ordeal to be over so we could enjoy the rest of our lives together. But that seemed to be eons away especially with everything that was happening to me.
"Okay, okay. We're done." Alice breathed in relief.
"You ready to go, hon?" Uncle Charles asked amused.
I nodded.
All the girls slowly made their way down the hall.
"Count to ten and then you go." Alice told me as she grabbed Jasper's waiting arm and slowly disappeared through the double doors of the church.
I saw Sophie fix the large flower crown on her head before she pulled her arm through the baskets handle.
"Do I wook pwetty, momma?" She asked me, as she turned to look up at me.
I smiled widely at her, blinking back tears, "Of course, you do principessa. You always do, sweetheart." I told her.
She smiled brightly back at me, and nodded before Alice gave her the signal.
Without another word Sophie and Alex made their way down the massive aisle, up to where Elizabeth and Eduardo Sr. were waiting for them. I took a final breath before turning to look up at Uncle Charlie, watching as he straightened his bow tie.
"Don't let me fall, Unc." I whispered.
"Never." He promised as the wedding march began to play, before the song Highway To Hell by ACDC began to play.
Emmett burst out laughing before the song turned off and the wedding March began to play again.
I saw Edward thwack him as Rosalie glared at him and shook her head.
I tried to hide my amusement as we continued to walk, only for Emmett to wink at me, and nod in response to me mouthing a 'thank you' to him.
~T.S.T.S. ~
The ceremony was rather long, and emotionally overwhelming to me.Before I knew it, I was saying 'I do', and Edward and I were sliding rings onto our rings fingers.
After the ceremony, both Edward and I were escorted to a different part of the church.
All the capos, skips, and underbosses in attendance were crammed in there.Both Edward and I then made a different oath, one which tied us to the Famigila, and Cosa Nostra. Promising protection, and loyalty to them, along with those of the members who were once in the Nest. Which just so happened to be a oart of a newly formed group...but that wasn't information thst was going to be out just yet.
Once that was over, the reception officially began.
~T.S. T.S.~
Shortly after the reception began I excused myself and made my way out of the large ballroom.
Esme and Carlisle were waiting for me in the gazebo we had used to take pictures in.
"Thank you for doing this." I whispered, as I handed Esme the familiar tablet.
They nodded, as I slowly took a deep breath and turned to go back inside.
I let out a shaky breath as I made my way back inside.
"Did you do it?" Edward asked.
I nodded in response. "It'll be okay, my brother is one of the best with these types of situations, vita mia." He informed me.
I stared up at him. "How can you be so calm about this?" I whispered.
He sighed, as he took my hand and pulled me into one of the private rooms to talk.
"Look, all of us have done things we regret…. But this… is an in-between. No one benefits, besides Renee, if we allow her to keep doing this." He told me.
I sighed and nodded, frowning.
"My dad has already asked Phil to fly up with her and Bree for an impromptu get together. In a week's time. Carl will handle the rest. " He reassured me.
I swallowed thickly before nodding as he pulled me into a fierce hug, and kissed my hair.
"You look like a princess out of a storybook." He softly tells me.
I let out a tearful laugh, "More like the evil queen." I snipped.
He chuckled and shook his head, "Not evil, more like smart beyond belief, and fiercely protective of her loved ones." He states with a smile.
I scoff and pull him in the direction of the door only for him to stop me.
He pulls out a handkerchief and gently wipes my face."Alice will kill me if she thinks I made you cry…" He explains, before sliding it back into his pocket. "Great now, you look like my beautiful blushing bride." He whispers, pressing his lips to mine for a second before the door burst open.
"Ugh. Save it for the honeymoon, you two. Come on, everyone is waiting for you to appear. What the hell is-?" Alice began to rant before Jasper appeared behind her.
"Alice, darlin', why don't we go see if my mom is going to take the twins home, hm?" He asked.
"Wait. She can't do that. I thought it was our turn to watch them tonight." She complained.
Jasper winked at us from behind her, before speaking again, "Not if we don't catch her. You know how she is." He tells her, with a nonchalant shrug.
"Jasper…" She groaned, before turning to look at us, lifting her hand to her eyes and pointing it back to us. "This isn't over." She told us before rushing out.
Edward and I exchanged amused laughs before slowly making our way back inside.
~T.S.T.S.~
A week later we found ourselves driving to the Cullen Estate.
Nothing but the music the kids were listening to as Edward drove us. An SUV followed behind us as we did.
"It'll be okay, vita mia." He tells me, as he lifts our interlaced hands and presses his lips to the back of mine.
"I hope so." I sighed, as I took a deep breath, and turned to look out the window.
"It will trust us." He reassures me.
I nodded as he pulled into his parents' estate.
Esme and Carlisle immediately appeared by the door, as Edward helped me and the twins out of our car.
"Can we go see Nonna?" Sophie asked.
"Of course, principessa. We'll be right behind you. Just stay away from the piscina, okay? That's for later." Edward told them.
"Sì, papá." They called back as they rushed inside.
I smiled as we stood there watching before turning to look at Edward, who wrapped an arm around my waist and led me inside.
We only had an hour before everyone would begin to show up. We instructed all the personnel that was hired for today to not interfere no matter what happened. Everyone present had to sign an NDA, including the people who would be soon get here, upon arrival.
Edward and his brothers all spoke while I spoke to my ladies as they arrived.All of us were on edge until the time slowly approached and people began to arrive.
The plan was set in motion the moment Renee walked in.
Esme immediately hands her a martini glass, which is disguised as a martini but in reality contains a toxin within the alcohol that would eventually cause her heart to give out.
Carlisle would then feign that he's trying to help her, only for him to be too late.
The plan is simple yet so difficult to carry out. Thanks to the many witnesses that were to attend.We all watched as she downed the drink without hesitation.
I can see as the toxin begins to work. First sign is her muscles going rigid. Second, the veins in her neck begin to strain as her lungs try to get oxygen in her body, but the toxin works against the natural bodily functions, essentially causing it to become its own tumb. Slowly causing everything to fail. One by one. Last and final sign, her eyes will roll into the back of her head, and the blood in her veins will burn as if acid replaced it. Blood begins leaking from every orifice in her body.
She can't make any noises but her limbs twitch on the ground, as her body fights to keep living, all for naught as her heart finally stops.
The entire process takes an entire a few minutes, but to the person it can feel like eternity in hell to the person who ingested the toxin.
Interesting, isn't it? One less pestilence to worry about.
Unfortunately for us, we also need to deal with the aftermath of everything as well. Including Uncle Charlie and Phil Dwyer.
~T.S.T.S.~
We had families coming up to us giving Edward's family, along with me, Charlie, and Phil condolences. While Phil and Charlie played the distraught men left in the wake of the late Renee Higginbotham.
This continued until all the families present finished giving their condolences to us.
When the night ended, and Edward left to attend some business, Carlisle and Esme walked into my room.
"Did everyone believe it?" I asked, quietly, before I gulped down the rest of my glass of scotch.
"They believed it. That vile woman can't hurt anyone else. Bree has been given back to her real father, and she is now safe." Carlisle informed me.
I nodded, sagging in relief as I nodded, swallowing thickly.
Breanna 'Bree' Swan, was four years old, completely innocent and a victim in Renee's schemes for money, greed, and climb to power.
Renee was using her to blackmail Phil Dwyer, one of the heads of the Florida chapter, to get money, along with Uncle Charlie, just to be a vindictive bitch.
She had told Phil that Bree was her daughter but a little paternity test proved that Bee is actually Uncle Charlie's daughter, and that Renee had illegally kept her away from him to keep getting money from him.
I caught wind of it and knew I had to do something before someone else ended up dead like my father. Which I later found out that Renee had set up and gotten him killed.
Now, as I sat there wiping tears from my face, I knew I had done the right thing. For everyone.
I may have lost the only parent I had thanks to her, but then again I saved someone else from having the same fate as me, and isn't that what really mattered?
Right?