“It doesn’t matter if you are my husband or not,” Mom said, voice trembling but fierce.“What comes first in my heart is my daughter, whom you neglect.I love her more than you do — so let her go.”She shook as she aimed at him.“If you do not let her go, I will shoot your brains out...just like how you threaten me."
The tapping of my foot echoed off the walls like a countdown; every click wired me tighter.I glanced over my shoulder and saw D’Angelo losing patience by the second.His fists balled, his jaw clenched.He wanted to give the order to shoot, but he knew he couldn’t — not with his own wife pointing a gun at him in front of everyone.That would be humiliation.
“And then what?You both run away?”he sneered.“You know, Valentina, you cannot run from me.I will find you wherever you go.”
Mom looked back at me, then returned her glare to D’Angelo.She kept the gun steady, fighting for each breath, pain written across her face.I stood in the middle of the aisle, eyes darting between them, praying like hell that nothing would explode.Nicola tightened his grip on my wrist so I couldn’t move toward her.
“The only thing that’s stopping me is you,” Mom said, voice breaking, “and I hate to do this, D’Angelo, but you made things complicated the day you built this empire that’s done nothing but ruin us.”Tears fell down her cheeks and it cut me open.She was right — he’d dragged us into this life and then acted surprised at the cost.She’d carried the fallout alone while he chased his power.
“And I’m sorry, Valentina,” D’Angelo muttered, but his apology was thin.“Now put the gun down.I don’t want to hurt you.”
“Vito D’Angelo,” Mom spat, fury replacing fear, “the only thing I can do right now is put a bullet in your head, because change means nothing to you.”Her voice trembled but she was steady.“Go to hell, D’Angelo.Go to hell.”
“You wouldn’t—” D’Angelo shook his head, disbelief flaring on his face.“Valentina, no.Don’t do this.I’ll send my men away.”He barked orders and, one by one, his men lowered their guns and backed off.
I thought for a moment she might listen.She didn’t.She raised the gun back up and aimed straight at him.D’Angelo trembled.
That’s when everything happened so fast.“I’m sorry...ti amo,” Mom whispered — and at that exact second a gunshot cracked through the air.I shut my eyes, arms instinctively covering my ears.
When I opened them again, D’Angelo was on the floor, a widening pool of blood spreading under him.My body froze.Was he dead?
Mom stood at the center of the church, weeping.I stared at her, then back at D’Angelo.He lay badly hurt; Nicola and his men moved to him instantly.
This was the opening I needed.
“Mom, let’s go,” I whispered, scooping her up.She pushed herself up and grabbed my hand.We ran for the exit.I risked one last glance back and, for the first time in years, felt sure D’Angelo wouldn’t make it out alive.
I didn’t feel remorse.Not for him.He’d built our misery.Seeing him fall felt like taking back what had been stolen from us — our lives.I ripped at my dress to make running easier and kept moving, heart pounding.
I hadn’t thought about what would happen if Nicola noticed we’d bolted.The thought made me move faster until I almost fell.
Then another shot rang out behind us; birds exploded into the sky and shook the air.Mom pushed me to run farther.“Ariana!Go hide.I’ll handle it here.Keep running until it’s safe,” she urged.
I started to run, then turned — and my escape vanished.Nicola was suddenly in front of me.I kicked and screamed, clawing at him, but he handled me like I weighed nothing and threw me to the ground.
I looked up at his face and froze.He stood a few steps off, pistol in hand, face carved with rage I knew too well.“After all I’ve done for you — treated you like a queen — you decide to betray me like this?What the fuck are you playing at, Ariana?!”he snarled as he hauled me to my feet, his nails biting into my clothes.
“Nicola, let her go!”Mom yelled.He sneered and rolled his eyes.
“Or what?You gonna shoot me dead like you shot D’Angelo?”he spat.
Mom charged, but before she could reach us, his men seized her and held her back—stopping her cold.
“Nicola, I’m sorry!”I cried as he gripped my wrists so tightly it felt like my bones would snap.
“I can’t believe you would do this to me, Ariana!”he shouted, shaking me violently.“I thought you fucking loved me!We were supposed to get married today!What the fuck?”
I covered my face and ears, sobbing.“Nicola, how can I marry you if I don’t love you?”My voice cracked.“I’ve never loved you.It was always Alessandro.It’s always been him.”
The second the words left my mouth, Nicola’s eyes flared with fury.He released my wrists only to seize my jaw in his hand, his grip crushing.
“You’re out of your fucking mind!”he roared.“Why?Why can’t you just accept me?”
“Because Alessandro is still out there!”I cried, pushing him off with everything I had.The move caught him off guard, and he stumbled back a few steps before glaring at me — the kind of glare that could kill.
His voice dropped, low and final.“If I can’t have you, then no one else can.”
He raised his gun, aiming it straight at me.
