The wedding
The soft sound of violin and the scent of lilies filled the air. Victoria looked at her face glammed up; she looked so beautiful with her fair skin. The veil felt heavy on her hair, her reflection a stranger in silk and diamonds.
Somewhere behind her, the choir hummed the same hymn she’d heard a hundred times in rehearsal, but today every note felt like her ears were about to pop off.
She forced a smile; this was the least she could do for herself and for Kelvin.
Lost in her thoughts, the bridesmaids tapped her. “It's time to walk the aisle”
“Hmmm”she nodded sliding her heels. It clicked against the tiles when she reached the altar. Kelvin smiled like the world finally made sense. Making her heart twitch with something unexplainable.
The priest’s voice echoed across the church.
“Do you, Kelvin Valen, take Victoria Hale to be your lawfully wedded wife?”“I do,” Kelvin said, calm and certain.
“And do you, Victoria Hale, take Kelvin Valen to be your lawfully wedded husband?”
She clenched her fist, her mouth went dry. The church stood in silence, waiting for her response.
“Victoria??” Kelvin nudged her.
She opened her lips. “I… I” ”then stopped.
The doors slammed open.
A single gunshot shattered the silence, breaking the stained glass above them, scattering color and light like falling stars.
Everyone screamed in fear. People dropped to the floor.
He stood there tall, dressed in black, his gaze colder than the barrel still smoking in his hand.
Kelvin quickly held her hands while she stood, forgetting how to breathe for a second.
“Who gave you the permission to marry my woman?” Dante Moretti’s voice boomed loud.
Victoria hand shook.
Was this who she thought he was?
She had wanted to see him one last time before getting married, but not like this.
He stepped forward; his aura and coldness made her shiver. Their eyes locked for a brief moment, but she was about to be married, and he was dead to her.
“Dante, today is my wedding, and you're not welcome.” Her voice pierced his heart more than any bullet wound had done.
“Why? My Vicky, you swore to only walk down the aisle with me,” he said, voice hoarse.
“Dante, what the hell…” Kelvin roared, stepping forward, shielding her.
“Don’t!” Victoria’s cry tore through the chaos.
“Then come with me, my mia. I'm back, Dante said as he grabbed her hand.
“No, I'm getting married; he loves me!”
Her voice broke into a sob.
“Who dares to make you cry? Come with me; it's not a request,” Dante growled, his hand tightening around her wrist.
“Victoria, he abandoned you!” Kelvin roared, furious, pulling her other hand. “You hate him. Remember?”
She stood there in pain, torn between two men, and tears threatened to fall from her eyes.
“Nobody leaves this church.” Dante Moretti c****d his gun as his men surrounded the people.
“Mia, you are coming with me today, he said.
His eyes lingered on the frail woman, the one he'd sworn to protect, the only one who'd ever believed in him. Watching her marry his former best friend was a death he refused to die.
He aimed his gun at Kelvin. “You deserve to die.”
“Don’t shoot him! I’ll go with you,” Victoria cried out.
Dante’s jaw clenched, his eyes darkening.
“You’d come with me… just to save him?” he whispered.
The silence that followed was louder than the gunfire.
Dante’s eyes met hers, unreadable, almost wounded then he nodded once.
He took her hand. Not tenderly. Possessively.
“Good girl,” he murmured, his breath brushing her temple. “You remember who you belong to.”
As he led her down the aisle, his men clearing the way, she didn’t look back; tears filled her eyes.
Kelvin's voice echoed behind her, shouting her name.
Glass crunched under his shoes as he tried to follow.
A shot rang out not at him, but the chandelier above him came crashing down between them, blocking Kelvin path as glass pierced his skin.
She screamed in terror, looking back.
He froze.
And in that brief, terrible silence, Dante pulled her into the waiting car outside.
The church disappeared behind them, swallowed by sirens and smoke.
Dante didn’t speak. Neither did she.
When he finally turned, his next words made her blood run cold.
“Welcome home, Mrs. Moretti.”
