The Blood Debt Bride

Bianca's Pov I stood at the back of the cathedral with my hands folded because no one had told me what else to do with them. The doors were still closed. The music hadn’t started. Everything felt paused, like the room was holding its breath and waiting for something bad to happen. My father stood beside me, stiff in his suit, smelling like sweat covered up by expensive cologne. He didn’t look at me once. He kept adjusting his cufflinks like they mattered more than I did. “Straighten your shoulders,” he said under his breath. “You look nervous.” I didn’t answer. If I spoke, I might say something that would ruin this. And ruining this wasn’t allowed. The dress was heavier than I expected. Not because of the fabric. Because of what it meant. It had been chosen by people I didn’t know, paid for with money that wasn’t mine, approved by a man who barely remembered my name. I wondered, not for the first time, if Don Moretti would even recognize me tomorrow. The doors opened. The music started, loud and echoing, filling the cathedral too fast. Heads turned. Phones came up. I didn’t look at the guests. I kept my eyes forward, fixed on the long aisle and the man waiting at the altar. Don Alessandro Moretti looked older up close. Not just older hard. His face was carved into something permanent and cold. He didn’t smile when he saw me. Didn’t nod. He looked bored, like this was a task he wanted finished. I took my first step. My father’s arm was rigid under my fingers. He walked quickly, like he wanted this done as soon as possible. I matched his pace automatically. The faster it happened, the faster it would be over. That was the lie I kept telling myself. People whispered as I passed. I caught pieces of it. “So young…” “Poor girl” “Valenti made a smart deal.” No one said my name. When we reached the altar, my father placed my hand into Don Moretti’s like he was handing over documents. No squeeze. No pause. Just release. I stood beside my husband and felt very small. The priest started speaking. Words about unity. About commitment. About God. I heard them but didn’t absorb them. I focused on breathing instead. In through my nose. Out through my mouth. Slow. Controlled. Don Moretti leaned slightly toward me. His grip tightened around my fingers. “Don’t embarrass me,” he muttered. I nodded once. The priest asked the first question. That was when I heard it. A dull sound. Not loud. Almost easy to ignore. Like something heavy hitting stone far away. Then another. I lifted my head. The guards near the doors shifted. One of them reached for his radio. The explosion came in a heartbeat later. The cathedral doors blew inward. Smoke. Fire. Shattered glass. The force knocked people backward, sending screams ripping through the room. My ears rang so badly I thought I’d gone deaf. Gunfire followed immediately. Sharp. Controlled. Not panicking. Don Moretti cursed and yanked me closer. Men in black flooded the cathedral, moving fast, spreading out like they’d practiced this. The guards didn’t last long. They dropped where they stood. Clean shots. No hesitation. I froze. I didn’t run. I didn’t drop. I stood there and watched white marble turn red. Watched bodies collapse where people had been smiling seconds earlier. Then I saw him. He walked through the smoke like he owned it. He didn’t rush. His suit was dark. His steps were measured. He didn’t look around like someone afraid of getting shot. He already knew where everyone was. His eyes locked on Don Moretti. Don Moretti shoved me forward suddenly, pulling me tight against him. His hand crushed my arm. “Dante,” he snapped. “This is a mistake.” The man didn’t answer. He raised his gun. The shot was loud. Close. Final. Don Moretti dropped instantly. His grip loosened as his body hit the floor, dragging me down with him. I screamed without meaning to. The sound tore out of me, ugly and raw. Blood soaked into the front of my dress. Hands grabbed me. Not rough, but firm. I was pulled upright, turned away from the body, spun toward the man who had just killed my husband before the vows were finished. He stood too close. He was taller than I expected. Broad shoulders. Scar at the edge of his jaw. His eyes were dark, unreadable, like he was studying something already decided. A drop of blood had splashed onto my cheek. He reached up and wiped it away with his thumb. I flinched. “You’re wearing the wrong man’s ring,” he said quietly. My knees almost buckled. I tried to speak. Nothing came out. Around us, the cathedral was in chaos. Screams. Footsteps. More gunfire. But he didn’t move. His attention stayed locked on me like the rest of the world had stopped existing. He nodded once to his men. They pulled me away. I didn’t see my father. I didn’t look for him. I was dragged past shattered pews, past bodies I didn’t recognize, out into the open air where black vehicles waited with engines running. They shoved me into the back of one. The door slammed shut. The silence inside was suffocating. I stared down at my hands. They were shaking. Blood smeared my fingers. The ring on my finger caught the light. Gold. Heavy. Useless. The door opened again. He got in. The car moved immediately, smooth and fast, like it had been waiting for him alone. I pressed myself against the door without thinking. He didn’t touch me. He didn’t look at me right away. He loosened his cuffs instead, calm, unbothered, like this was just another meeting. Finally, he turned his head. “My name is Dante,” he said. “Your husband owed me a blood debt.” I swallowed hard. “I didn’t know,” I whispered. “That doesn’t matter.” The city blurred past the windows. “Since he’s dead,” Dante continued evenly, “the debt transferred.” I stared at him, my chest tight. “Transferred to who?” His gaze held mine, steady and unyielding. “To you.” The car sped forward, carrying me away from the only life I’d ever known. And I understood then this wasn’t a rescue. It was a claim.