Despite their initial reservations, the board had co to a decision.
Marriage preparations began soon after. Contracts were drafted and reviewed by the legal departnt. Nothing was announced or clarified. Not even the reception or honeymoon was prepared and planned.
In the early hours of Saturday morning, a small chapel near the Rochefort Estate was reserved to hold the ceremony. The booking was set as private. No guest list was filed beyond what was required. The wind blew the while lace curtains at the window of the bridal room where Arianne was waiting.
Behind her, Aunt Estella was doing the final touches on Arianne’s wedding veil with careful hands. Gio stood near the doorway, checking his watch more often than necessary.
The wedding dress was simple, borrowed from Samantha, while the white lace veil had been purchased the day before, and Franz bought the wedding rings at the last minute after getting Arianne’s ring size.
The Chairman had already gained consciousness the day before, but he was still admitted to the ICU. Amanda was inford of the marriage arrangent between Franz and Arianne. She asked if the ceremony could be delayed, but was told it could not. She accepted the answer without argunt and chose to remain by her husband’s side.
Arianne looked at her reflection in the mirror for the last ti. There was nothing to adjust. The ceremony was about to start.
A knock on the door took their attention. The wedding coordinator announced that it was ti. When the door closed again, Lily and Leo entered the room together, dressed according to the occasion. They each took one of Arianne’s hands and led her down the corridor toward the chapel entrance, where Gilbert was waiting.
They placed her hand in his without a word. Arianne gave Gilbert a good look. He looked exceptionally dashing in his black suit with a white flower safely pinned in his lapel. It was as if he’d decided long ago how this mont should be handled.
"You ready?" he asked.
Arianne nodded.
Music began playing, signalling the cue for her and Gilbert to start walking.
They walked at a asured pace. He had rearranged his tight schedule to attend. Arianne noticed, but didn’t comnt on it.
She glanced to her right and saw the twins standing along with Samantha and Aunt Estella, while Gio stood alone behind them.
Arianne looked ahead and saw that Franz was waiting at the altar with an elderly priest. She expected that he would look nervous today, but it seed she was mistaken this ti. He looked calm and collected, with no hint of worry on his face.
There were no personal vows exchanged. When the marriage contract was placed before them, Arianne signed first. Franz followed.
Once completed, the docunt was passed to Lucas imdiately, who had been standing off to the side. He reviewed the pages once before closing the folder.
Nothing else was said.
An hour later, Arianne already changed back into her business suit. The Rochefort Group would announce that night that she would officially step into the Interim CEO role.
"It’s your wedding day. Do you really need to go back to work?" Samantha asked as they walked out of the chapel.
Arianne sighed. "There are papers Franz and I needed to sign. They are waiting."
"We’ll hold a private dinner tomorrow at ho. You should co," Franz joined the conversation. He, too, had also changed to another suit.
With his marriage to Arianne finally settled, her position as Interim CEO should take effect imdiately.
"We should get going," Arianne said, gesturing to Franz as she checked the ti on her watch. "The board is waiting."
They left together with Gio following behind.
Before eting the board, they visited Lucas’s office. Stacks of paper waiting to be signed by them were on his desk, each labelled and flagged.
Arianne raised a slender brow at Lucas.
"These are the contracts that were imdiately put on hold after Alex’s passing. I’m sorry, Mrs. Rochefort, but you’ll need to review and sign all of these before the day ends." Lucas explained, then pulled three folders from his other table and handed them to Franz.
"These three required joint authorization."
Arianne read the papers without comnt. Her pen then moved as soon as she reached the signature lines. She signed without hesitation.
Lucas watched her hands, not her face.
anwhile, Franz frowned at his cousin’s subtle teasing of Arianne. He waited for Arianne to finish signing before taking the folders from her. He looked at their nas printed next to each other. He didn’t look up until the last page was complete.
"Have these delivered to my office. I’ll review the remaining items this afternoon." Arianne told Lucas before excusing herself to step out to answer a call on her phone.
"I’m surprised how calm you are taking all of these," Lucas comnted as Franz signed the papers. He’d learned along ti ago that Arianne Sumrs was Franz’s apple of the eye.
Franz shook his head.
"It hasn’t sunk in yet." He admitted.
He knew later, today’s events would replay in his mind.
Lucas closed the folders and stood, just in ti for Arianne’s return.
"I’ll notify the relevant departnts. No announcent."
Arianne nodded at once. Their marriage would be kept private for now.
After finalizing the day’s schedule with Gio, Arianne left Lucas’s office with Franz. They walked together towards the conference room, neither saying a word.
Staff mbers who had passed them slowed and then stepped aside. No one offered congratulations, while others hesitated, as if considering how to address Arianne from now on.
The conference room was already open and occupied when they arrived. Everyone turned their heads to look at them, but Arianne and Franz didn’t seem like they just gotten married.
Arianne checked the ti before adjusting her coat and stepping inside without waiting.
By the ti she took her seat next to Franz’s, her na was already listed differently on the agenda.
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