Chapter 9 - THE WEDDING BEGINS
The chapel was full.
Two hundred guests.
White roses.
String quartet.
Crystal candles.
Everything Bianca had spent fourteen months controlling down to the inch.
Guests turned as Alessandro walked in.
Whispers spread instantly.
His shirt sleeve was torn.
His tie was gone.
Livia held his hand.
Her hair was still uneven.
Rosalie walked on her other side.
Bianca stood at the altar.
For one second, she looked relieved.
Then she saw Livia.
Then Rosalie.
Then Daniel, entering through the back doors with security.
Her smile died.
The minister cleared his throat.
“Mr. Moretti?”
Alessandro looked at him.
“Continue.”
Bianca whispered, “What are you doing?”
“Getting married.”
Her eyes searched his face.
She knew him well enough to be afraid.
The music stopped.
Guests settled uneasily.
Alessandro led Livia to the front row beside Margaret.
He kissed her forehead.
“Stay here.”
“Daddy.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t marry her.”
He smiled sadly.
“I won’t.”
Livia blinked.
“But you said—”
“Trust me.”
He walked to the altar.
Bianca hissed through her smile.
“You’re humiliating me.”
“You’ll survive.”
“What is Daniel doing here?”
“Interesting question.”
The minister looked between them.
“Should we begin?”
“Yes,” Alessandro said.
“No,” Bianca said at the same time.
Murmurs spread.
Bianca grabbed Alessandro’s arm.
“Private. Now.”
He removed her hand.
“You wanted a public wedding.”
“Not like this.”
“Neither did Livia.”
Bianca’s face hardened.
“You’re still angry about the haircut?”
Rosalie, sitting in the front row, actually laughed.
Alessandro stared at Bianca.
“My daughter was kidnapped.”
“I had nothing to do with that.”
“Mara Collins does.”
Bianca went silent.
“And Mara works for you.”
“She works for my company.”
“She forged my signature too?”
Bianca paled.
“What?”
He pulled the boarding school application from his jacket.
Gasps rippled through the closest rows.
Vivienne lowered her head.
Bianca whispered, “Put that away.”
“No.”
“Alessandro.”
He turned to the guests.
“I apologize. This ceremony will be shorter than expected.”
Bianca grabbed his sleeve.
“Don’t do this.”
He looked at her.
“You should have thought of that before you laid hands on my child.”
He faced the minister.
“Father, there will be no wedding.”
The chapel erupted in whispers.
Bianca stared at him.
“You bastard.”
“No. Just a father.”
She slapped him.
Hard.
Livia gasped.
Security moved.
Alessandro raised one hand.
“Don’t.”
Bianca’s chest heaved.
“You think you can destroy me in front of everyone?”
“I don’t have to.”
He looked toward the rear doors.
Two detectives entered.
“Mara already started talking.”
Bianca’s expression collapsed.
Then she reached beneath the folds of her wedding dress.
Rosalie shouted.
“Alessandro!”
May you like
Bianca pulled out a small black object.
And Livia screamed.
