I shook my head hard. "I can't do this."
The words broke apart coming out. Because all I could think about was dark eyes behind a devil mask. A stupid smile. Warm fingers wrapped around mine. Bein called little troublemaker.
God. What the hell was wrong with me? I barely knew him. Didn't know his name. Didn't know who he was. Didn't know anything. And somehow, my chest physically hurt. Because somewhere deep down, somewhere ugly and terrifying and impossible… I already knew. I knew I'd never forget him. Not for one second. And today, I was marrying someone else.
A tear slid down my cheek. Then another. Then I couldn't stop. Chiara wrapped her arms around me. I cried like something inside me was splitting open. Like my heart had finally realized what my brain had been refusing to admit.
My life was over.
Thecathedrallookedlikesomething pulled out of the afterlife. Which felt ironic considering half the men sitting inside it had probably sent people there.
White roses climbed polished marble columns in twisting arrangements taller than I was. Thousands of candles burned beneath crystal chandeliers overhead, dripping warm gold light across rows of pews filled with dark suits and diamonds and money. Sunlight poured through stained-glass windows and spilled ruby and sapphire colors over the floor beneath my heels.
Beautiful. Everything in our world was always beautiful. Even the ugly things. Especially the ugly things. Because monsters liked expensive wrapping paper.
The Five Families filled nearly every seat. Men sat with watches worth houses hidden beneath tailored sleeves. Women wore glittering diamonds around their throats and wrists while bodyguards lined the walls pretending they weren't carrying weapons beneath their jackets.
Luxury. Violence. Power. All dressed up for a wedding.
I barely noticed any of it. Because Sergio stood waiting at the altar. Waiting for me. His dark suit fit his broad shoulders perfectly. Dark tattoos disappeared beneath crisp white cuffs while candlelight reflected against his watch. His face looked calmer than I'd ever seen it.
And when his eyes found mine, he smiled. Guilt punched directly through my ribs. Because he looked happy. Actually happy. Like this was the beginning of something beautiful. Like he wasn't standing beside a girl mentally planning ways to fake her own death.
Music swelled around me. The veil brushed softly against my shoulders while my heels clicked over marble. One step. Then another. I couldn't feel my body anymore. Everything felt distant. Muted. Like I was underwater. Faces blurred together. Voices blurred together. The entire cathedral blurred together.
Until Sergio reached for my hands. Warm fingers closed around mine. Steady. Safe.
"Aurora." His voice was low enough only I could hear. Concerned. Gentle. "You okay?"
Fuck no I wasn’t. I smiled anyway. "Perfect."
The priest began speaking. Something about love. Something about family. Something about devotion. Words drifted around me without meaning anything. Because all I could think about was forever.
My stomach twisted. This was it. There wasn't another escape. No dramatic interruption. No miracle. No running away. No freedom. Just this cursed life.
"If anyone objects to this union..." Absolute silence. "...speak now or forever hold your peace."
One second passed. Two. Three. And then, someone spoke up.
"I object."
Everything stopped.
Because I knew that voice.
I turned. And saw him. No mask. No devil horns. No shadows. Just him. Dark hair pushed back neatly. Sharp cheekbones. Strong jaw. Tattooed skin disappearing beneath a black suit tailored perfectly across broad shoulders. Beautiful dark eyes locked directly onto mine.
Eyes I'd stared into while sitting in his club. Eyes I'd looked into while his hand held mine. Eyes I'd thought about every single night afterward even though I hated myself for it.
My blood turned to ice. The Devil. The man I'd kissed. My mouth parted.
Around us people began murmuring. Confused whispers spread through the cathedral. Sergio stepped slightly in front of me. Protective.
"What the fuck is this?" he snapped.
But I wasn't listening. Couldn't force myself to. Because I was staring at him. And the devil was staring back. Not at Sergio. Not at the priest. Not at anyone else. Only me.
Like the entire cathedral had disappeared. Like none of these people existed. Like he'd walked into this room and only found one thing worth seeing.
