"Do you really love me?" she demanded brokenly.
He saw no point in lying, and so he said simply. "Yes."
"And it's truly love, and not guilt?"
"Yes."
His ward threw herself in his arms. "I love you, too. Always have—-"
Gaël stiffened. "No, Juliette. You don't need to lie—-"
Juliette's arms tightened around his neck. "I'm not."
Gaël's jaw clenched. "I don't need your pity—-"
Juliette pulled back to shakily place a finger over her guardian's lips. "I have always loved you, Gaël. But I also knew Emilia Moretti was your near-perfect match—-"
Gaël cursed under his breath. He knew right away what those words meant, and Gaël didn't know whether to strangle or kiss his ward for always wanting the best for him...even if it meant sacrificing her own happiness.
"There is nothing going on between Emilia and me, and there never will be," he said tautly. "And do you know why?"
Juliette's breath caught when Gaël cupped her face.
"It's because I love you, Juliette. Our blood may not yet be fully compatible, but where my heart is concerned, you are my perfect match—-"
Behind Juliette, Gaël's three brothers groaned while the other wards laughed.
But Gaël didn't give a damn.
"You are the one who makes me strongest. I'm nothing without your love."
His brothers started gagging, and even Laura was now looking at Gaël like he had lost his mind.
Juliette, however, could only laugh and cry at the same time. The words might be too cheesy for some, and the venue of his confession a little too public and inappropriate, but she wouldn't have it any other way. This was how it should be, with their family around them, and as she looked up at Gaël, she just had to say it—-
"I love you, baby."
Gaël smiled down at her, and the love in his eyes had everyone looking away because it was just too intimate.
"I love you, too."
Epilogue
To hell with tradition, Gaël thought three weeks later. It might not be customary for the groom to see his bride before the wedding, but since he could hear Juliette's heart beating so loudly even when they were so far apart, the welfare of the woman he loved must take priority above everything.
Fang o'clock! Fang o'clock! Fang o'clock!
And so went the whispers as Gaël strode past the crowd of giggling students in front of UdLA's banquet hall.
When Aprilynne told him that Juliette had this secret dream of coming to school with Gaël as her boyfriend and not her guardian, Gaël had decided to take it a whole new level by choosing her university as the venue for their wedding.
One of the private rooms in the banquet hall had been converted into the bridal chamber, and the other wards, who were naturally also Juliette's bridesmaids, were still busy pinning fresh flowers to the bride's hair when the door suddenly opened.
"Gaël!"
But the wards' cries of disapproval fell on deaf ears, with Juliette's guardian-slash-husband-to-be having eyes only for his bride.
Juliette felt like swooning as she watched Gaël stride into the room and looking so dashing and handsome in his tux.
Gaël frowned as he knelt down on one knee in front of his ward, whose face was a little too wan for his liking. "You know you have nothing to be nervous about, don't you?"
The harshness of Gaël's voice made the other wards wince, but when they looked at the way Juliette's face glowed, it was as if the other girl was hearing something else. Was this the power of love at work...or was Juliette just too nice?
"This is our wedding," Gaël reminded her. "So stop worrying about inconsequential things, and just focus on us."
"I know that, but..."
Realizing that there was only one way to make Juliette shake off her bridal jitters, Gaël rose to his feet and politely asked the other wards to give them a moment of privacy.
Aprilynne was incredulous. "Seriously?"
Sydney only shook her head and dragged Aprilynne out of the room with her. When Gaël had that look on his face, there was no changing his mind until he did what he wanted to do. Or in this case, until he did who he wanted to do.
The unintended joke had her choking back a laugh, and Aprilynne looked at her suspiciously. "What's so funny?"
Luciella, in the meantime, was still in the room. "It wouldn't be a nice thing to make your guests wait," she said softly. "But Juliette does seem very tense. Would thirty minutes suffice?"
Gaël had to suppress his smile at how pragmatic Émilien's ward was, as always. "Half an hour would more than do," he agreed.
And with that, Juliette suddenly found herself all alone with her guardian. She smiled up at him uncertainly, wondering what he would say to talk her out of her worries, but instead she found him staring hungrily at the way her breasts had swelled over the strapless top of her wedding gown.