CHAPTER 4: Marry me instead
734 Words
Absolute silence filled the cathedral.
Then Alessandro smiled.
And somehow that terrified me more than anything.
For several seconds, Alessandro simply stared at me.
The cathedral held its breath.
Then one corner of his mouth lifted.
"That depends."
Confusion rippled through the crowd.
My heartbeat stuttered.
"On what?"
His gaze never left mine.
"Are you asking because you love me?"
The question hit like a bullet.
"No."
The smile in his eyes deepened.
"Good."
A murmur swept through the cathedral.
"Love makes people stupid.”
I simply smiled then
“Yes”
The cathedral fell silent for exactly one second before chaos erupted around us. Matteo's voice thundered through the church as guests shot to their feet, whispers exploded from every corner of the cathedral, the orchestra stopped playing mid-note, and Father Rossi nearly dropped his Bible. Vivienne looked seconds away from fainting while Seraphina stood frozen in complete disbelief as though someone had ripped the ground from beneath her feet.
I almost smiled.
Matteo stormed toward us with fury written all over his face.
"You can't be serious."
I turned toward him calmly.
"Why not?"
"Because you're my fiancée."
A laugh escaped me.
"Not anymore."
"Charlotte."
His voice dropped dangerously low.
"Stop this nonsense."
I folded my arms and met his gaze without flinching.
"No."
His jaw tightened.
"You can't marry my brother."
"Of course I can."
A loud gasp swept through the cathedral and several guests exchanged shocked looks, but I could not have cared less. For the first time in a very long time, I was doing exactly what I wanted.
Matteo looked ready to explode.
"Have you lost your mind?"
I smiled sweetly.
"No. I'm just choosing the better brother."
The reaction was immediate. Gasps echoed across the cathedral, whispers spread like wildfire through the crowd, and somewhere in the back a woman actually dropped her purse. Seraphina's face turned so red that I thought she might burst into flames while Vivienne looked dangerously close to suffering a heart attack.
Father Rossi finally cleared his throat and stepped forward.
"Miss Vercelli, this is highly inappropriate."
I turned toward him politely.
"Father Rossi, the wedding is still happening."
His eyes widened.
"What?"
"The wedding is still happening," I repeated before pointing directly at Alessandro. "Just with a different groom."
Father Romano looked horrified.
"Miss Vercelli, that isn't how weddings work."
Before I could respond, Alessandro spoke.
"If there is a legal issue, my attorneys will handle it."
The priest went silent.
Several guests exchanged nervous looks.
When the future head of the De Luca empire made a statement, people listened.
The poor priest looked completely horrified.
"So there isn't a problem then."
A few guests struggled to hide their laughter.
Father Rossi rubbed his forehead as though he was developing a headache.
"If both parties agree..."
I immediately turned toward Alessandro.
"Do you agree?"
His dark eyes met mine.
"I do."
My heartbeat skipped.
I looked back at the priest.
"And I agree too."
Father Romano sighed the sigh of a man who regretted every life decision that had led him to this moment.
Meanwhile Matteo looked ready to murder someone.
Possibly me.
Possibly Alessandro.
Possibly both.
"I object."
The entire cathedral turned toward him.
I smiled.
"Noted."
A ripple of laughter spread through the guests.
Matteo's face darkened.
For the first time in his life, he had absolutely no control over me.
And he hated it.
Good.
"Very well," Father Romano finally said.
A fresh wave of whispers swept through the church as the ceremony restarted. Nobody could believe what they were witnessing, and honestly neither could I, yet there I was standing beside the most feared man in Sicily while my former fiancé watched helplessly from a few feet away.
The vows began.
When it was my turn, I answered without hesitation.
"I do."
The words rang through the cathedral.
Father Romano then turned toward Alessandro.
"Do you take Charlotte Vercelli to be your lawful wife?"
The entire church held its breath.
Alessandro looked at me for a long moment before a small smile appeared on his lips.
"I do."
The cathedral exploded.
Gasps.
Shouting.
Applause.
Chaos.
And standing in the middle of it all, I realized something that made my pulse race.
For the first time since waking up in the past, I had changed the future.
Completely.
And somewhere behind me, Matteo and Seraphina looked absolutely terrified.
- Writer
