The morning sunlight poured through the tall windows of my room. I stood in front of the mirror, adjusting my cufflinks for the hundredth time. The suit felt heavy, not from the fabric, but from the weight of the day. Today, I was supposed to marry the woman I loved, and yet… my stomach twisted in a knot I couldn't explain.
I smoothed the jacket over my shoulders, staring at my reflection. Adrian Moretti, heir to a powerful empire. Strong, feared, untouchable. But none of that mattered when I thought of her. Isabella. My heart raced just at her name.
I had never believed in love. Not really. Not until the day she walked into my life and changed everything. I remembered that first meeting like it happened yesterday.
The market square, sunlight bouncing off the cobblestones. She had dropped a basket of apples, and her hands trembled as she picked them up. I had offered to help, and she had looked at me with eyes so alive, so alive that even now, my chest ached remembering them. I had smiled. She had smiled back. And in that moment, I thought, maybe love wasn't a lie. Maybe it could exist for someone like me.
A knock on the door broke my thoughts.
"Adrian, you're going to be late," came Luca's teasing voice.
I turned. "I'm not late. The ceremony starts in an hour. Plenty of time."
Luca grinned, leaning against the doorframe. "Plenty of time? Ha! You're smiling like an idiot. What's gotten into you?"
"It's my wedding day," I said, adjusting my tie. "I can smile if I want."
"No," he said, shaking his head, "it's worse. You're in love."
I didn't reply. I just stared at the mirror again, thinking about her. The way her hair caught the sunlight, the curve of her smile, the way her voice could make the world stop.
A shadow passed over the doorway. I turned. My father, Vittorio Moretti, stood there, the very image of power and control. Every step he took made the room feel colder. The man I had loved and feared my whole life.
"Love makes men weak," he said, voice low, almost a growl.
I met his gaze without flinching. "No. It makes them human."
His lips pressed into a thin line. No one had ever argued with him like that. Not even me. Not yet.
"Today, you show your weakness in front of the world," he said. "Remember that, Adrian. The world does not forgive weakness. And neither do I."
I swallowed hard, but my heart remained firm. Today, I was marrying Isabella. Nothing—not even my father's cold words—could change that.
---
The walk to the chapel was quiet. The sea breeze carried the scent of white roses from the villa gardens. Guests lined the aisle, their eyes on me, but my vision was only for her. My heart hammered in my chest.
And then I saw her.
Isabella. She walked slowly, each step measured, her white dress flowing behind her like waves on the ocean. My chest tightened. She looked more beautiful than I had ever imagined. For a moment, the world stopped. Every sound, every movement faded. There was only her.
But… something flickered in her eyes. A hesitation. A shadow behind the beauty. I pushed it away. She loved me. She had to.
I reached out as she neared. Our hands touched, and a shiver ran through me. "I promise you forever," I whispered, my voice catching. "I will always protect you. Always."
Her lips curved into a small, polite smile. It didn't reach her eyes. But I didn't see it. I wanted not to see it.
The priest cleared his throat, raising his hand. "Do you, Adrian Moretti, take Isabella Rossi to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do," I said, my voice strong, unwavering.
"And do you, Isabella Rossi, take Adrian Moretti…"
Her voice came, soft, sweet, almost melodic. "I do."
I smiled, tears prickling at the corners of my eyes. Finally. This was real. Finally, I had her.
---
Luca nudged me with an elbow. "See? Nothing to worry about."
I laughed softly, brushing a strand of hair from her face as she passed. My fingers lingered. I wanted to memorize every detail. Every line, every curve. She was mine, and I was hers.
I took a deep breath as the priest spoke the final words. "You may kiss the bride."
And then… chaos.
Three loud bangs rang out. The first made my stomach lurch. The second—more screams. The third—pure panic.
Gunfire. Everywhere. Guests screamed, ducked, tried to run. Blood sprayed, white dresses turning red.
I acted before thinking, shielding Isabella with my own body. My suit soaked through with her blood or maybe mine—I couldn't tell. The screams, the chaos, the smell of gunpowder… everything became a blur.
I turned toward my father. Vittorio. He had been hit. Blood blossomed across his chest, dark and heavy. He looked at me, his face pale, lips barely moving.
"Someone… close…" he whispered. His last words, and then he fell.
No. No. Not him. Not my father. The man I had loved like a king… dying in front of me.
I caught Isabella's hand and pulled her behind a fallen table, shielding her from further gunfire. My chest heaved, my mind screaming. Why? Who would dare?
Luca was beside me in an instant, pulling a gun from his waistband, eyes sharp. "Adrian! Move!"
I nodded, dragging Isabella with me, my arms tight around her. Her eyes were wide, terrified. She was trembling, and I felt a strange, fleeting pang of fear—not for myself, but for her.
The gunfire stopped as suddenly as it had started. Silence fell over the villa, broken only by muffled screams and the groans of the wounded. Smoke hung heavy in the air, mingling with the scent of blood and roses.
I dared to look at my father again. He lay still. Cold. Gone.
Something inside me snapped. Rage, grief, shock—all blending into one. I swore then, as I held Isabella close, that whoever had done this would pay.
I turned to her. Her face was pale, eyes wide, lips trembling. "Adrian…" she whispered.
I gritted my teeth, anger rolling off me like a storm. "They killed my father. Now they will taste hell."
And in that moment, as I clenched my fists, I realized something terrifying. Today, nothing would ever be the same. Not the villa. Not the family. Not me.
I had lost a father, inherited a kingdom of blood, and in the chaos of my own wedding, I had learned a bitter truth: love could not protect you from betrayal.