Forged My Marriage, Stole My Baby—Now I’m the Judge You Kneel To - Chapter 43: Chapter 43

Rowena stood in front of the full-length mirror, running her fingers along the wedding dress.
She turned slightly, studying her reflection—she looked genuinely happy for the first time in forever.
"Mrs. Lincoln." The housekeeper knocked gently. "Mr. Lincoln says he has important news."
Rowena gathered up her skirt and turned to find Thorne leaning in the doorway, holding a financial section.
He'd actually put on a real suit today, which was unusual for him.
"Vellmore Corporation officially went under today." He waved the paper like it was no big deal. "Shane Vellmore's gone off the grid completely."
Rowena's hands stilled while she was fixing her veil.
Thorne walked over and suddenly whipped out a voice recorder like some TV reporter, holding it up with fake seriousness"Miss Sinclair, as the victim here, what's your reaction to this news?"
Rowena cracked up and poked his chest. "What am I supposed to say?" She dropped her voice playfully. "Plus I gotta be careful—the guy I'm marrying gets crazy jealous."
"Jealous?" Thorne cocked an eyebrow and pulled her against him. "I'm just wondering if my bride thinks I went a little overboard with the whole nuclear option."
Rowena melted into his shoulder, looking out at the ocean.
Those memories felt weirdly fuzzy now, like they happened to someone else.
"Nope." She said quietly. "Those scars, even after all the plastic surgery, still hurt like hell when it storms."
Thorne held her tighter and kissed her hair.
They'd chosen the same island where Rowena had healed for the wedding.
Small guest list—just the people who'd actually given a damn about them these past six months.
Walking down the makeshift aisle with Thorne, the sea breeze caught her veil.
She flashed back to that first night—some bloodied kid in a dark alley, now in designer formal wear, carefully catching her flying veil.
"What's that smile about?" he murmured.
"Just remembering this mysterious guy who dumped me without a word." She grinned. "If I'd known I was gonna end up marrying you, I totally would've charged rent."
Thorne stopped dead in his tracks and kissed her right there in front of everyone. "It's not too late to start paying up."
Their guests were whooping and hollering while Rowena went red and swatted his arm.
The old island pastor with a thick local accent "Mr. Lincoln, do you take..."
"Hell yes!" Thorne interrupted, eyes locked on Rowena. "Skip the speech. I've been ready since you handed me that umbrella in the rain."
Rowena's eyes got misty. She thought about that broken teenager, about him showing up at the bridal boutique, about him carrying her bloody body out of that nightmare...
"Yeah, I do too." Her voice cracked.
Thorne's hands were actually shaking as he slid the ring on, then kissed her while everyone went crazy cheering.
The reception was at this glass-walled restaurant right on the water.
Rowena was cutting into their cake when these church bells started ringing across the island. The old chapel marking the hour, the sound carrying way out over the waves.
"Those bells are like a hundred and fifty years old." Thorne wrapped around her from behind. "Story goes that sailors used to find their way home by that sound."
Rowena stared out at the endless blue. "Kinda like how I found you."
The sunset painted their shadows long across the deck until they blended together.
Miles away on some piece-of-shit fishing boat, a bent figure lifted a bottle toward the same setting sun...