Falling For My Accidental CEO Husband-Chapter 252: A Beautiful Bride

"You make a beautiful bride. I knew it," Mabel Hawk said with a wistful smile, her eyes softening as she adjusted the delicate veil resting on Serena’s head. She sighed, her fingers lingering on the fabric. "Thank you for wearing this veil, Serena. It means more to me than I can put into words. I know it is a bit old fashioned but it was passed to me by my mother."

Serena tilted her head up to meet the older woman’s gaze, her own eyes sparkling with affection. She reached out and gently clasped Mabel’s hands. "And thank you for agreeing to walk me down the aisle. It wouldn’t feel right without you."

Mabel’s lips curved into a warm smile. "Hey, you’re my granddaughter. Walking you down the aisle is a privilege, not a chore. It makes me happy, Serena." Her expression shifted to one of playful guilt as she glanced at the veil again. "Although, I have to admit, I’m almost feeling bad for insisting you wear this old-fashioned thing. It hides that pretty face of yours."

Serena chuckled, shaking her head. "Honestly, I think it’s a blessing in disguise. This way, Aiden won’t spend the entire walk staring at me like he’s forgotten how to breathe."

Mabel laughed, a soft, tinkling sound that filled the room. "Oh, sweetheart, don’t kid yourself. That boy will be staring at you no matter what. Veil or no veil, you’ve got him wrapped around your little finger."

he two women dissolved into giggles for they both knew that was the truth. After a moment, Mabel let out a soft sigh, her laughter fading into a contented smile. "All right, I should go lie down for a bit. A quick nap will do me good—need to save my energy so I can give you a proper escort down that aisle. There’s still time while the guests are arriving."

Serena stood up at that, intending to walk grandmother to the next room but the older woman shook her head," No need for that, my dear. You’ve got enough on your plate without fussing over me. Besides," she added with a sly wink, "you should go answer your phone before Aiden starts tearing the place apart looking for you. That boy gets awfully impatient when you ignore his calls. And you’ve been doing that for the last ten minutes."

Serena laughed and shook her head, a warm blush creeping into her cheeks as Mabel shuffled out of the room. She turned toward the table where her phone sat, its screen lighting up with Aiden’s name for the nth time.

Shaking her head with an amused grin, Serena accepted the video call, "What is it now, Aiden Hawk?" she asked, her tone light and teasing.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence on the other end. Then Aiden’s voice broke through, laced with cautious confusion. "Why exactly am I being shown the boobs of a mannequin?"

Serena couldn’t help but burst out laughing, her grin widening as she tilted the camera slightly, still aiming it at the mannequin. "Well," she began, mischief sparkling in her eyes, "since we’re not allowed to see each other before the ceremony, I thought I’d give you something else interesting to look at. Thought you might appreciate the view."

Aiden groaned loudly, the sound equal parts exasperated and amused. "That view is not interesting. Now, if I was looking at yours..."

His answer to that was a little giggle and he continued, "This isn’t fair, Serena. You can see me, but I can’t see you. How is that remotely fair?"

"Oh, I’m not looking at you either," she replied with mock seriousness, turning the camera away from the mannequin and toward the window, where the parking lot stretched out, "I’ve got my hand over the screen. Totally playing by the rules here."

"Sure, you are," Aiden shot back in a tone that said he definitely did not believe her for a moment. "Come on, Serena. Let me see you. Just for a second. You know I can’t wait that long."

Serena shook her head, her resolve unwavering. "Nope. Absolutely not. Rules are rules, Mr. Hawk. You’ll just have to wait. Besides, it is bad luck to see each other before the ceremony."

Aiden sighed dramatically, though she could hear the smile in his voice. "This is torture, you know that, right. You’re really going to make me wait a whole hour?"

"Yep," she replied cheerfully, leaning back in her chair. "And don’t think I’m going to cave, either. You’ve got sixty minutes. Surely, you can survive that long without sneaking a peek."

"Sixty minutes might as well be sixty years," he muttered, making her smile widen.

"Patience is a virtue," she teased, glancing at the clock on the wall. "And besides, I hear the groom is supposed to be surprised when he sees his bride. Don’t ruin the surprise, Aiden."

"Surprised? Serena, I already know you’re going to look perfect," he said, his voice softening. "I just want to see you. That’s all."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Hawk. Now go focus on whatever it is grooms do before a wedding. I’ll see you soon enough."

Aiden groaned again, though it was clear he wasn’t really upset. "Fine. But only because I have no choice. You’re lucky I love you, Serena."

"Hmm. I know that. You’re lucky I love you too. Now behave yourself, or I’ll start sending you mannequin pictures."

"Hey hey! We can still talk. Can’t we? Even if we cannot see each other?" Aiden called out.

Before Serena could say another word, a sharp knock echoed from the door behind her. She sighed, her shoulders slumping slightly. "Well, looks like someone’s at the door."

Before she could respond, a faint knocking sound carried through from his side of the call as well. Serena couldn’t help but giggle, her amusement bubbling over. "Looks like you’ve got company too," she said with a grin. "Seems like it really is time to go. No more stalling. See you soon, Hawk."

With that, Serena placed the phone on the table and went to open the door. However, her smile froze when she opened the door and saw the person standing outside.

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