Chapter 12 - FIRE IN THE CHAPEL
“Everybody out!”
Alessandro handed Livia to Rosalie.
“Take her outside!”
“No!” Livia screamed. “Daddy!”
“I’m right behind you.”
Smoke rose fast.
Guests surged toward the doors.
A bridesmaid tripped.
Daniel pulled her up.
Two staff members grabbed fire extinguishers.
Alessandro saw Bianca disappear through a side door near the altar.
Detective Harris went after her.
Alessandro followed.
“Moretti, stay back!”
“That door leads to the family wing.”
He knew exactly what else was there.
Livia’s overnight bag.
His laptop.
And the original financial documents Bianca had insisted they bring for signing the marriage trust after the ceremony.
Bianca had chosen this estate for a reason.
The side hallway was already filling with smoke.
Harris kicked open the first door.
Empty.
Second door.
Empty.
Then they heard glass break.
At the end of the hall, Bianca stood in Alessandro’s temporary office.
She had smashed the glass cabinet.
Papers were scattered everywhere.
“What are you doing?” Alessandro shouted.
Bianca spun around.
Mascara streaked down her face.
Her wedding gown was dirty at the hem.
“You won’t take everything from me.”
“You did this to yourself.”
“Stop saying that!”
She grabbed a folder from the desk.
Alessandro recognized it.
The Moretti Family Trust amendments.
Bianca pulled out a lighter.
Harris raised his weapon.
“Drop it.”
She laughed.
“Shoot the bride. That’ll look great on the news.”
“Bianca.”
Alessandro stepped forward.
“Give me the papers.”
“You were going to sign these today.”
“Not anymore.”
“I would have been protected.”
“From prosecution?”
“From being poor!”
There it was.
No romance.
No family.
Fear.
Ugly, desperate fear.
Bianca’s hand trembled around the lighter.
“You have no idea what it’s like to grow up counting every dollar.”
“No.”
“My mother did.”
Vivienne’s voice came from behind them.
She had followed.
“Mom, go away.”
“No.”
Vivienne stepped through the smoke.
“I worked two jobs.”
Bianca’s eyes filled.
“And reminded me every day.”
“I reminded you because I wanted you to value what we had.”
“We had nothing.”
“We had each other.”
“That wasn’t enough!”
Vivienne recoiled as if struck.
Bianca lit the flame.
Alessandro moved.
She threw the papers toward the fireplace.
He caught most of them before they landed.
Harris grabbed her arm.
Bianca fought.
The lighter fell onto a curtain.
Fire raced upward.
“Move!” Harris shouted.
The ceiling groaned.
Vivienne coughed.
Alessandro grabbed her.
They ran toward the hallway.
Then a beam collapsed behind them.
Harris and Bianca were cut off.
Bianca screamed.
“Alessandro!”
He turned.
Through the flames, he saw her trapped beside the detective.
For one second, every reason to hate her flashed through his mind.
Livia’s hair.
The forged application.
The kidnapping.
The lies.
Then he heard Bianca scream again.
May you like
“Please!”
And Alessandro ran back into the fire.
