Chapter 6 - The Wedding Trap
Luca slammed Sophia to the ground.
Stone shattered behind them.
Security flooded the terrace.
Another shot.
Then silence.
The sniper disappeared.
Sophia lay beneath Luca.
"You okay?"
"Yes."
"You?"
"Yes."
He checked anyway.
Hands over her arms.
Her shoulders.
Her face.
"Luca."
"I'm fine."
He pulled her against him.
For several seconds, the giant man shook.
Sophia realized something.
He wasn't afraid of dying.
He was terrified of losing her.
"I'm here."
His arms tightened.
"I'm here."
Vittorio's message changed everything.
The estate became a fortress.
Sophia hated it.
"You can't lock me inside."
"I can try."
"You'll fail."
"I know."
Margaret watched them argue from the breakfast table.
"You two are definitely ready for marriage."
Elena laughed.
Luca did not.
Sophia did.
Then Marco entered.
"We have a location."
Everyone stopped.
"Vittorio?"
"Gabriel."
They found him at an abandoned hotel.
Alive.
Wounded.
And abandoned by Vittorio.
Gabriel surrendered.
In exchange for protection, he talked.
Vittorio had one final plan.
"The wedding," Gabriel said.
Luca's expression hardened.
"What wedding?"
"Yours."
Sophia frowned.
"We haven't announced anything."
"You don't need to. Vittorio knows Luca."
Gabriel looked at Sophia.
"He knows Luca won't let fear determine his life."
Sophia understood.
"He expects us to marry."
"Yes."
"And he'll come."
"Yes."
Luca immediately said, "Then there is no wedding."
Sophia looked at him.
"There is."
"No."
"Luca."
"Absolutely not."
"He's going to keep hunting us."
"I don't care."
"I do."
"You're not bait."
"Neither are you."
Gabriel watched them.
"The ledger isn't enough to convict Vittorio of Carlo Moretti's murder. My testimony helps. Arthur's helps. But Vittorio has survived worse."
Sophia looked at Luca.
"If he comes to the wedding..."
"We catch him."
Luca stood.
"No."
Sophia stood too.
"You're not deciding alone."
His eyes flashed.
"I won't put you in danger."
"I'm already in danger."
"I said no."
"And I said you don't own me."
Silence.
Luca flinched.
Sophia regretted the words instantly.
But she didn't withdraw them.
Finally he nodded.
"You're right."
She softened.
"We decide together."
He sat.
Hours later, they had a plan.
The wedding would happen at the estate.
Small.
Controlled.
Every guest screened.
Police hidden among security.
Arthur would attend under protection.
Margaret too.
Vittorio would believe the original ledger was being transferred during the ceremony.
It was insane.
Sophia knew that.
But she also knew she was tired of running from a man she'd never chosen to fear.
Three days later, she stood in front of a mirror.
Not in the yellow dress she'd worn when she arrived.
A simple ivory gown.
Elena adjusted the veil.
"You can still cancel."
Sophia smiled.
"Your brother said that too."
"He loves you."
Sophia looked at her.
Elena blinked.
"He hasn't said it?"
"No."
"Idiot."
Sophia laughed.
Then the bedroom door opened.
Margaret entered.
She stopped.
Her eyes filled.
"My baby."
Sophia's throat closed.
Eleven stolen years stood between them.
They couldn't repair those years in weeks.
Maybe they never could.
But Margaret crossed the room.
Sophia let her hug her.
"You look beautiful."
"Thanks, Mom."
Margaret cried harder at the word.
Downstairs, Luca waited.
Black suit.
Black tie.
No armor anyone could see.
Sophia walked toward him.
The enormous man looked at her.
And forgot every person around them.
Sophia saw it happen.
His guarded expression disappeared.
Completely.
She reached him.
"You look terrified."
"I am."
"Good."
"Why?"
"Now we're even."
Father Alessandro began.
Sophia barely heard him.
Her eyes stayed on Luca.
When the vows came, Luca spoke first.
"I spent most of my life believing people eventually leave when they see all of me."
Sophia's eyes filled.
"You saw me at my worst before you saw anything worth staying for."
She squeezed his hands.
"You stayed anyway."
His voice lowered.
"I promise never to make your choices for you, even when I'm afraid of them. I promise to protect your freedom before my pride. And I promise that if you fall..."
Sophia smiled.
"...which apparently happens often..."
People laughed softly.
"I'll catch you."
Sophia wiped a tear.
Then she gave her vows.
"I came here because somebody else made a bargain."
She looked at Arthur.
Her father lowered his head.
"But I'm standing here because I made a choice."
She looked back at Luca.
"I choose the man who gave me every opportunity to leave."
His eyes glistened.
"I choose the man who frightened me only until he spoke."
A tiny laugh moved through the room.
"And I choose the man who bought me a commercial mixer because he didn't know how to say he wanted me to stay."
Luca glanced at Marco.
Marco looked innocent.
Sophia smiled.
"I love you, Luca."
The entire room disappeared for him.
His lips parted.
Sophia saw the words hit him.
Not because nobody had ever said them.
Because he believed her.
"I love you too."
Father Alessandro smiled.
Then the lights went out.
Sophia stopped breathing.
Not again.
Emergency lights turned red.
Security moved.
Luca pulled Sophia behind him.
A voice came through the speakers.
Vittorio.
"Congratulations."
Luca looked toward Marco.
Marco shook his head.
They hadn't found him.
"Carlo would be proud."
Sophia felt Luca tense.
"Come out," Luca said.
Vittorio laughed.
"You still think size makes you powerful."
"No."
Luca's voice was calm.
"She does."
Sophia almost laughed despite everything.
Then a screen lowered behind the altar.
Live video.
Arthur.
His chair was empty.
Sophia turned.
Her father had disappeared.
"Where is he?"
Vittorio answered.
"Returning a favor."
Another camera feed appeared.
Arthur stood somewhere beneath the estate.
Beside him was a metal case.
Margaret whispered, "The tunnels."
Luca looked at her.
"What tunnels?"
"Your father built escape tunnels beneath the original house."
Sophia stared at the screen.
Arthur looked into the camera.
"Sophie, I'm sorry."
Then Vittorio appeared behind him.
Gun against Arthur's head.
"Bring me the decoded ledger."
Luca said, "No."
Vittorio smiled.
"Then Arthur dies."
Sophia looked at her father.
He was crying.
For once, he didn't beg.
Instead he shouted:
"Don't give him anything!"
Vittorio struck him.
Sophia flinched.
Luca took her hand.
"We end this."
They entered the tunnels with police surrounding every exit.
Margaret guided them.
Stone corridors.
Old doors.
Darkness.
Then they found Arthur.
Alone.
Alive.
Sophia ran to him.
"Dad."
"It's a trap."
Luca turned.
Too late.
The steel door slammed behind them.
Gas began hissing through a vent.
Luca fired at the lock.
Nothing.
Sophia coughed.
Margaret searched the wall.
Arthur staggered.
"There!"
A hidden lever.
Luca pulled it.
Another door opened.
Fresh air.
They stumbled through.
A staircase led upward.
Sophia emerged into the estate kitchen.
Wedding guests were gone.
Security had evacuated them.
Everything was silent.
Too silent.
"Luca?"
No answer.
She turned.
He hadn't come through.
The hidden door slammed shut.
"Sophia!" Luca shouted from beneath it.
She grabbed the handle.
Locked.
Then someone behind her applauded.
Slowly.
Sophia turned.
Vittorio stood beside the old brick oven.
He held a gun.
And beside him, bound to a chair, was Elena.
May you like
Vittorio smiled.
"The bride finally arrived."
