INVISIBLE STRING ☆ DANIEL RICCIARDO

bonus: wedding bells

AUGUST 10th 2025; LEGAZPI, PHILIPPINES

song of the chapter:
fade into you - mazzy star

Isla was stood in the middle of their makeshift tent by the beach, the wooden beams towering above her and creating their venue for the night. Her eyes were fully set on the decorators as they hung all the lanterns, vines and flowers across them to prepare for the night ahead.

She had been sat in the middle of the reception venue for over the past hour, just watching everything come together and it almost made her cry. Isla couldn't comprehend the fact that she was actually getting married, tomorrow.

All week, people had been arriving to the small island she called home, Daniels family being the first to arrive along with her father. Isla and Daniel had taken the time to show them around the coastal city, showing them all of Islas favorite spots and the kids trying out all of her favourite childhood snacks every chance they got.

Upon everyones arrival, a couple days ago, they had finally hosted their rehearsal dinner. It felt so good finally seeing all of their family and friends together. In all honesty, Daniel didn't really care about anything other than how beautiful his fiancé looked in her white jumpsuit, clung to his side the whole night.

"They'll fall over if you keep staring at them like that." Amani giggles as she comes up next to her, her arms wrapping around her best friend tightly. "It looks amazing, Isles, so stop stressing."

Isla sighs, resting against her maid of honour. "I just need everything to be a hundred percent perfect."

"And it is!" Luisinha calls from where she was stood with their wedding planner, helping organize the name cards.

Both of her friends had found only twenty minutes ago, going over everything for the hundredth time ever since they landed in the Philippines over a week ago. Rather than pester her and beg her to go do something else, they stuck around just to make sure that everything was how she wanted.

So, while Isla watched and dictated exactly how she wanted the decorations to drape across the space, her friends had helped lay out the table settings. They had laid down the table covers, along with the center vases.

Amani was being fully serious when she said everything looked perfect. Wooden beams formed their space, flowers and vines wrapping all around until the center point in their ceiling. White chiffon sheets were flowing across the roof delicately, bamboo lanterns dangling from between them and forming their lighting for the evening.

They would be getting married just across the way from their venue, a beautiful plateau above the sand with an archway in the middle. The seating and the flowers for the outdoor ceremony would be arriving tomorrow, a task she had left up to her mother and Grace to sort out.

"Oh, wow." an added individual, that definitely wasn't supposed to be present at the moment, makes their entry into the little tent. "I knew I made a smart decision when I left the decorating up to you."

"You're not supposed to be in here!" Luisinha yells at Daniel, stomping her way behind him as he makes his way to where Amani and his fiancé were stood.

Amani turns around at the sound of commotion, hiding Isla behind her— who was full on laughing at the exchange before her. "Oh no, Ricciardo, you're not supposed to see each other until the wedding!"