The church was bathed in golden light, the stained-glass windows casting kaleidoscopic patterns across the marble floor. Ava stood at the end of the aisle, her fingers trembling around the stem of her bouquet. The air smelled of roses and old wood, the quiet hum of the string quartet filling the space with a melody that felt too sweet, too hopeful for the moment she was about to step into.
Liam waited at the altar, his broad frame a dark silhouette against the vibrant colors of the windows. He didn’t turn as she entered, but she could feel his gaze on her, heavy and unrelenting. Her breath hitched, her pulse roaring in her ears as she took her first step forward.
The aisle stretched before her, an endless path to a future she hadn’t chosen. But she lifted her chin, her spine straight, he
