Every head in the church whipped toward the doors. There, disheveled and breathless, stood Vincent.
My stomach dropped.
Immediately, the security team stepped forward to block him, but his eyes never wavered from mine, intense and burning.
“Andrea!” His voice cracked as he pushed forward, “I’ve made things right for you! I made them pay for what they did – you can’t marry him!”
He was talking about what he did to Sable. His version of revenge, as if that somehow erased everything he’d done to me.
I stared at him, my voice steady, “You can’t undo the past, Vincent. Pain doesn’t cancel out just because you want it to. This is my wedding and you’re not welcome here. Leave.”
“No!” he shouted, his voice breaking. “You love me! I know you still love me deep down.”
I stayed quiet, letting him spiral.
“I know I was an asshole. I messed up. I let my pride blind me and I only realized after you left how much you meant to me. Please, Andrea, I swear I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you. Give me one more chance.”
If only these words had come years ago… maybe part of me might’ve softened back then.
But not now. Not anymore.
“I don’t love you, Vincent,” I said firmly. “Not anymore. It’s too late.”
He shook his head in disbelief, like my words physically knocked the air out of him. “No. No…
you can’t mean that.”
But I did. Every word. My heart belonged to someone else now. It belonged to the man standing next to me, holding my hand through all this chaos.
Damian’s jaw clenched, his patience snapping. “Get him out of here.”
The security team moved again, but before they could reach him, Vincent suddenly pulled out a gun. The whole room gasped as he pressed the barrel against his own temple.
“If you walk away from me now,” he said hoarsely, “I’ll blow my brains out. Right here. Right now. In front of everyone.”
“Are you insane?” I screamed,
He smiled
–
a sick, hollow smile. “See? You still care. I knew it.”
I shook my head. “No. I just don’t want you ruining my wedding with your blood.”
He staggered a little, as if my words physically knocked the wind out of him. “So you really don’t care about me anymore? Not even a little?”
I didn’t answer, Instead, I turned to Damian.
“Let’s continue.”
With a silent signal to the guards, Damian nodded at the priest. As we exchanged rings, Vincent
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stood frozen, eyes wide with disbelief. Damian cupped my face and kissed me, sealing our vows as cheers erupted through the crowd.
That was the final blow for Vincent. His face contorted into something unrecognizable and right as his finger squeezed the trigger, one of Damian’s bodyguards lunged forward and knocked the gun away. The shot fired into the ceiling instead, sending pieces of plaster raining down.
Panic rippled through the church, but Damian’s family and staff quickly calmed everyone. And just like that, the wedding resumed as if nothing had happened.
—
Damian pulled me into his arms, shielding me, his voice calm in my ear. “Let’s get out of here.”
We were ushered straight to the wedding car. As the doors slammed shut, I could finally breathe again. But the nightmare wasn’t over yet.
Vincent wasn’t done.
Through the rear window, I spotted Vincent barreling after us in his car like a man possessed. His headlights grew closer, dangerously weaving through traffic.
He’s going to try to run us off the road.
Panic gripped me.
“Don’t worry.” Damian squeezed my hand, calm and firm. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
–
He started giving orders to the security convoy. But then – out of nowhere another car barreled into Vincent’s from a side street. Sparks flew as both vehicles skidded toward the edge and plunged into the river.
A loud explosion echoed behind us as flames and water shot into the air.
Staring, breathless, I finally whispered, “Was that… Sable? Was she in that car?”
Damian nodded grimly.
Rescue teams arrived quickly. Sable was pulled from the wreckage, already lifeless. Vincent was barely alive, slipping into a coma that lasted for days. In the end, he never woke up. The doctors declared him in a permanent vegetative state.
And just like that, the past was finally buried.
Damian and I? We moved forward. Straight into our honeymoon.
On our final stop, as we watched the sun sink behind the mountains, Damian pulled me close,
is voice soft.
‘Do you remember you still owe me one wish?” he asked.
smiled against his chest. “I do. Have you made up your mind?”
‘Yes.” He leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, “I wish… Andrea live a ong, peaceful and happy life.”
Warmth bloomed in my chest, overflowing. I rose up on my toes and kissed him softly. (The End)
Chapter 29
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