C152 A Beautiful Beginning

By the time our cars arrived at the Mooney residence, the evening sky had already begun glowing with soft golden lights. The entire mansion had been transformed. Elegant crystal chandeliers hung from transparent tents built across the gardens. Long red carpets stretched from the entrance all the way to the main stage. Hundreds of white and sky-blue roses decorated every corner, while tiny fairy lights wrapped around the trees made the entire estate look like something from a dream. Even the fountain had been decorated with floating candles.

For a few seconds... Everyone inside our car simply stared. "...Wow." Even I couldn't help saying it. Alicia looked around before turning toward Chris with narrowed eyes. "Big Brother..." Chris smiled proudly. "Yes?" "You asked us for a job..." He nodded confidently. "You gave me one." She folded her arms. "So..." "...did you organise the catering?" Chris's confident smile instantly disappeared. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "You only told me at the last minute."

I burst into laughter. "So that's a no." Everyone laughed as we slowly stepped out of the cars. Tonight... Our families looked completely different. My father, Quinton, looked unusually handsome in the sky-blue suit Alicia had personally chosen for him. Beside him, Mom wore the matching elegant dress that made her look years younger. David, Aunt Valeria and Chris were dressed in matching maroon outfits that perfectly complemented ours. Standing together... We looked like one family already.

The moment we entered the mansion, dozens of servants hurried back and forth making final preparations. Guests had already started arriving. Luxury vehicles continued stopping outside one after another. Inside the reception hall... Peter and Georgia couldn't sit still. Every few seconds they looked toward the entrance. Peter checked his watch again. "Where is my granddaughter?"

Georgia sighed anxiously. "She answered Mark's call..." "But why hasn't she come yet?" "What if..." Peter immediately interrupted. "Don't say such unlucky things." "What if she changed her mind?" Georgia looked equally worried. "It happens..." "Young people sometimes panic before engagements."

Nearby... Mark could only smile helplessly. "Dad... Mom..." "I already spoke to Alicia." "They're here." "They're simply greeting the guests outside." "I told you already." Neither of them seemed convinced. Instead... They became even more anxious. Mark couldn't help thinking about everything that had happened over the past few days.

His daughter had officially become the future Director of Lucia Goods. Mike had willingly chosen to become her assistant instead of accepting a higher position. Every time he thought about it... He frowned. "My son-in-law..." "...an assistant?" "No..." "That won't do." "He deserves something better." Before he could continue thinking...

The butler announced loudly, "The Smith Family has arrived!" Instantly... Everyone stood up. Our group slowly walked inside carrying beautifully wrapped gift boxes. Peter immediately welcomed us with a huge smile. "My in-laws!" Quinton laughed before respectfully handing over the gifts. "We hope you'll accept these small presents." Peter smiled. "You're family." "You didn't have to."

Mary gently held Georgia's hands. "We couldn't possibly come empty-handed." Georgia smiled warmly. "You're too kind." Soon... Everyone gathered around us. Several relatives couldn't help admiring the outfits. "The colours match perfectly." "Those designs are gorgeous." "Where did you have them tailored?" Even Peter nodded repeatedly. "They're magnificent."

Before anyone could ask another question... Alicia quietly looked at me. "Husband..." "We should go upstairs." I smiled knowingly. "To get changed?" She nodded. Without another word... The two of us excused ourselves and headed toward her bedroom. The moment Alicia opened the bedroom door... She froze. Her cheeks immediately turned pink.

The room was still a complete mess. Sketchbooks were scattered across the desk. Pieces of expensive fabric covered one chair. Boxes of crystals, lace, ribbons and sewing equipment still lay exactly where she had left them after working throughout the night. She quickly covered her face. "This is so embarrassing..." I laughed. "So this is your designing battlefield." She pouted. "Don't laugh." "I didn't have time to clean."

Walking toward the mannequins standing near the window, she carefully removed two garment bags. "These..." "...are our engagement outfits." She slowly unzipped mine first. The moment the suit appeared... I was speechless. Sky-blue. Elegant. Every silver embroidery reflected the evening lights beautifully. Even before wearing it... I could tell she had poured her entire heart into making it.

Without hesitation... I began changing. Alicia, however, had underestimated how casually I would do it. She had barely turned around when I had already removed my shirt. A few seconds later... Only my boxers remained. She immediately covered her eyes. "Husband!" "You..." "Can't you warn me first?" I laughed while slipping into the trousers. "We're getting married." She became even redder. "We're not married yet."

Unable to look at me anymore, she quickly grabbed her own dress. "I'm changing in the bathroom." Before I could tease her again... She hurried inside and locked the door. Several minutes later... The door slowly opened. She stepped outside. Time seemed to stop. The elegant sky-blue dress hugged her figure perfectly. Tiny crystals around the neckline shimmered like stars beneath the lights. The lace sleeves added elegance without taking away her natural beauty.

She rarely wore heavy makeup. Tonight was no different. Only a light touch of makeup highlighted her already beautiful features. She looked... Perfect. Even "beautiful" no longer seemed enough. At almost the same moment... She looked at me. Her almond-shaped eyes slowly widened. The suit fitted me perfectly. Not too loose. Not too tight. As if every measurement had been taken personally.

For several long seconds... Neither of us spoke. We simply stared at each other. Finally... I broke the silence. "Wife..." She looked up. "How did you know my size?" She blinked. Before she could answer, another question escaped my mouth. "And something else..." "You once told me you didn't understand women's preferences." "When I asked you to help buy gifts for my parents after our first salary."

She nodded. "So..." "How did you suddenly become such an incredible designer?" I looked down at my suit. "When you bought clothes for my parents..." "I never told you their sizes." "You didn't ask Chris for Aunt Valeria's or Uncle David's sizes either." "So..." "...how did you know?"