Chapter 973

Before anyone quite realized it, the long-awaited wedding day of Lucas and Emma had arrived. Emma, an orphan adopted and raised by the Wallace family's aging butler, stood alone in the world after his passing. She had no blood relatives to walk her down the aisle—but she wasn’t truly alone. It was Momo, her late guardian's beloved cat-turned-companion, who gently took her hand and led her forward. Clutching Momo’s tiny hand, Emma gazed down the aisle at Lucas, who stood waiting under the soft glow of sunlight pouring through the stained-glass windows. Her lips curved into a smile, but a sharp sting welled behind her eyes, betraying the quiet ache of longing and memory. Step by step, Momo guided her down the red carpet, finally placing her hand into Lucas’s. The officiant began the ceremony, and everything proceeded smoothly, as if it were any ordinary wedding—until it wasn’t. "And now," the officiant proclaimed in a rich, solemn voice, "the bride and groom may exchange rings." Emma ext