The first thing Clara Higgins heard when she reached the altar was not the priest asking her to repeat her vows.

By late afternoon, the city of New York belonged entirely to Clara and Sebastian.

The official wedding reception was held in the Grand Ballroom of the Plaza Hotel—the very same room where Clara had been publicly abandoned three years prior.

Sebastian had personally bought out the entire hotel for the week, transforming the grand ballroom into an enchanted winter garden filled with cherry blossoms, warm fairy lights, and live orchestral music provided by the Vienna Philharmonic.

As Clara and Sebastian entered the ballroom hand-in-hand, the entire room erupted into a standing ovation.

Clara looked around the glittering room. Three years ago, she had stood in this exact spot clutching stems that cut into her palms, listening to a microphone click before her world fell apart. Now, she stood in the same room wearing a crown, surrounded by people who truly respected her, held by a man who adored her very existence.

Sebastian took a microphone from the master of ceremonies.

The room fell into a respectful silence.

Sebastian looked around at the assembled guests, then turned his gaze toward Clara.

"Three years ago, a foolish man stood in this room with a microphone," Sebastian said, his voice deep and ringing with conviction. "He looked at a masterpiece, but because his heart was filled with greed and vanity, he called it cheap painting. He thought he could destroy a woman’s worth by humiliating her in public."

Sebastian took Clara’s hand and lifted it gently to his lips.

"He did not realize that true beauty and strength cannot be destroyed by the words of a coward. Clara did not run away to hide; she went away to heal, to build, and to teach me what true grace looks like. I am not standing here today as a prince bestowing a favor upon a commoner. I am standing here as a man who was saved by the purest heart he has ever known."

The guests cheered wildly. Tears shone in Clara’s eyes as she wrapped her arms around Sebastian’s neck and kissed him deeply.

As the party continued late into the night, Lady Eleanor walked over to Clara with a subtle, triumphant smile.

"Your Highness," Eleanor whispered, handing her a leather folder. "A final update regarding the Carmichael situation."

Clara opened the folder. Inside was a legal document confirming that Carmichael Global Enterprises had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Tristan’s family home had been put up for public auction, and Tristan himself had been stripped of his corporate board seats. Furthermore, the video of his wedding disaster had surpassed fifty million views, completely erasing the old "Plaza Bride" viral narrative and replacing it with what the internet was now calling "The Karma of the Century."

Clara closed the folder softly and handed it back to Eleanor.

"Thank you, Eleanor," Clara said quietly.

"Shall we pursue further legal damages against them, Your Highness?" Eleanor asked.