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“Now,” he said warmly, “by the power vested in me, I pronounce you—”

BANG!

A gunshot exploded through the church.

Screams erupted. The music stopped. Guests dropped to the floor.

Amelia froze her bouquet slipped from her hands.

“Miguel?” she whispered.

Her fiancé stood still for a second, eyes wide. Then he looked down.

A dark red stain spread across his white shirt.

“Miguel!” Amelia screamed, rushing forward.

He stumbled, reaching out to her, blood dripping from his fingertips.

“A–Amelia…” he gasped.

She caught him just as his knees buckled. He collapsed in her arms.

“No, no, no… please!” Amelia cried, holding him tight as chaos exploded around them.

Guests ran for cover. Cameras clattered to the marble floor. The wedding choir screamed.

Amelia’s heart pounded in her ears. Her white dress was soaked in crimson.

“Miguel, stay with me!” she begged, shaking him. “Look at me!”

His lips trembled. He tried to speak, but only blood came out.

Then his hand fell limp.

Amelia froze. “No… no, please…”

Father Santiago grabbed her shoulders. “We need to get him to a hospital…”

“No… no, please, Miguel! Stay with me!” she sobbed, pressing her trembling hands against the wound.

She looked around frantically, her face streaked with tears. “Somebody help us! Please! Call an ambulance right now!”

“Oh my God blessed Holy Mary! Where are the medics?” Father Santiago shouted, panic in his voice.

Security guards rushed to the doors, shouting into their radios and scanning the crowd with their guns drawn.

Amelia’s eyes darted around wildly. “Leo! Where’s my son? Where’s Leo?” she cried, stumbling to her feet and pushing through the screaming guests.

Damien forced his way through the chaos and grabbed her arm. “Amelia, we need to get you out of here! It’s not safe!”

“Don’t touch me!” she yelled, pulling away. She dropped back down beside Miguel, her hands covered in his blood. “Why did this happen? Why today? This was supposed to be our wedding day!”

Damien knelt beside her and gently placed his jacket over her shoulders. “Amelia, please. Let me take you somewhere safe. You can’t stay here.”

Amelia’s lips trembled as she glared up at him. “You think I don’t know who did this? It’s them Katherina and my stepmother. I swear, they’ll pay for this.”

Before Damien could reply, a small voice echoed across the church.

“Mama!”

Everyone turned.

Little Leo ran down the aisle, tears streaming. “Mama, look! There’s blood there’s a man up there on the balcony!”

Gasps rippled through the guests. Phones flashed. Guards aimed their weapons toward the broken stained glass window high above.

Amelia rushed to Leo, grabbing him. “Don’t look, baby. Don’t look!”

But Leo cried harder, pointing at Miguel. “Mama! That’s Papa, isn’t it? Tell me that’s not Papa!”

Amelia’s voice broke. She forced a trembling smile. “No, baby. It’s not him. It’s okay.”

She turned to her father. “Papa, please… take him home. Don’t let him see this.”

Eduardo nodded, tears in his eyes. his hands shaking as he lifted Leo, who kept reaching for Miguel. “Papa! Wake up!”

Amelia fell to her knees, pressing Miguel’s body. “No… no, stay with me, please,” she whispered desperately, pressing her hand against the bleeding wound in his chest.

Miguel’s blood stained her wedding dress, soaking into the lace. His fingers twitched, reaching for her face. “Te… amo,” he murmured weakly. “Always.”

“Don’t you dare say that!” she screamed, shaking her head, tears spilling down her cheeks. “You don’t get to say goodbye to me like that. The ambulance is almost here, do you hear me?”

She brushed his hair away from his forehead, her voice trembling. “You’re strong, Miguel. You’re my warrior. I’m your wife now… You can’t die on me. Not today.”

Miguel’s fingers twitched around hers. His breathing was shallow, but he managed to whisper, “I’ll… fight. For you.”

“Good,” she said, her tears falling onto his face. “Fight for me. For Leo.”

The paramedics burst through the church doors a second later, shouting orders.

“Make way! Make way!”

They lifted Miguel onto a stretcher, working fast, pressing gauze against his chest.

Amelia tried to follow, but one of the guards held her back. “Ma’am, please, let them work.”

“Please save him,” she begged, reaching toward the ambulance as the sirens wailed and disappeared into the distance.

Amelia sank to her knees on the church steps, her wedding gown soaked in rain and blood.

“Please, God,” she whispered, “don’t take him from me.”

CLEVERLAND HOSPITAL

The hospital waiting room was cold and too quiet, except for the faint beeping of machines down the hall.

Amelia sat on one of the hard plastic chairs, her wedding gown still soaked in Miguel’s blood. Her hands wouldn’t stop trembling. Eduardo sat beside her, holding Leo, who had fallen asleep against his chest, clutching a small toy car.

Across the room, Damien leaned against the wall, his arms crossed tightly, eyes fixed on the floor. Alexander sat near him, face pale and serious.

No one spoke for a long time.

Finally, Eduardo broke the silence. “It’s been almost two hours. Why hasn’t the doctor come out yet?”

Amelia stared blankly at the tiled floor. “Maybe they’re still trying to save him,” she said softly, her voice trembling.

Leo stirred in his grandfather’s arms and looked up sleepily. “Mama… is Papa gonna be okay?”

Amelia forced a smile, though her lips quivered. “Yes, baby. The doctors are helping him. Papa’s very strong, remember?”

Leo nodded slowly and leaned his head back on Eduardo’s chest.

Damien took a step closer. “Amelia…”

She looked up sharply, eyes red and tired. “Don’t. Not now.”

He hesitated. “I just wanted to—”

“I said don’t,” she snapped, her voice breaking. “You shouldn’t even be here.”

Alexander placed a calming hand on Damien’s shoulder. “She’s right,” he said quietly. “This isn’t the time.”

Damien clenched his jaw, saying nothing, his eyes flickering briefly toward Amelia and the blood-stained hem of her dress.

Moments later, the door to the emergency room opened, and a doctor walked out, his face tired and serious. Everyone stood at once.

“Doctor, please,” Eduardo said quickly. “How is my son-in-law?”

The doctor sighed and looked at Amelia. “He’s in critical condition. The bullet missed his heart by less than an inch. We’ve stopped the bleeding for now, but he’s not out of danger.”

Amelia’s knees almost gave out. “Can I see him?” she asked, her voice shaking.

“Just for a few minutes,” the doctor said. “He needs rest. He’s still unconscious.”

She nodded quickly and followed the doctor down the hall.

HOSPITAL — VIP ROOM

Amelia sat quietly beside Miguel’s bed, holding his cold hand. The machines around him beeped softly. His face was pale, his lips dry, his chest wrapped tightly in white bandages.

“Hey… I’m right here, love,” Amelia whispered, brushing her fingers over his hair. “You’re going to be okay. You have to be. Leo needs you… I need you.”

Miguel didn’t respond. His chest rose and fell slowly, each breath weaker than the last.

Eduardo stood by the door, holding little Leo close. The boy’s eyes were red from crying.

“Is Daddy going to wake up, Mama?” Leo asked in a small voice.

Amelia forced a smile that trembled. “Yes, baby. He’s just sleeping right now.”

But suddenly the machine began to beep rapidly.

Beep… beep… beep-beep-beep!

Amelia’s heart stopped. “Doctor! What’s happening? Why is it beeping like that?” she screamed, gripping Miguel’s hand tighter.

The nurses rushed in, shouting orders. “We’re losing him get the crash cart!”

Miguel’s body began to shake violently.

“NO! Miguel!” Amelia cried, trying to reach him, but a nurse held her back. “Please don’t take him from me! Miguel, open your eyes, please!”

The doctor shouted, “Clear!” and pressed the defibrillator to Miguel’s chest. His body jolted once… then again.

“Clear!”

The sound of the monitor turned into one long, flat beeeeeep.

“Ma’am, please step outside,” the nurse said firmly, guiding Amelia and Leo out of the room.

Amelia stumbled into the hallway, her sobs echoing off the white walls. Her hands were shaking, her wedding dress torn and stained red. Eduardo quickly took Leo from her arms, holding the frightened boy close.

“It’s okay, mija,” Eduardo whispered, though his own voice was unsteady. “Just breathe.”

Leo clung to his grandfather’s neck. “Mama, what’s happening? Is Papa okay?”

Amelia couldn’t answer. She pressed her hands over her mouth, trying to hold in another scream.

Alexander and Damien rushed down the hallway, their faces pale and tense. “What’s going on?” Damien demanded. “Why are they keeping us out?”

No one replied. The silence was unbearable.

Then, after what felt like forever, the door opened with a soft creak. A female doctor stepped out, still wearing her gloves, her eyes filled with sadness.

Everyone froze.

The doctor took a shaky breath and spoke quietly. “I’m so sorry,” she said. “We did everything we could… but there was a second bullet near his heart that didn’t show on the scan. It caused massive internal bleeding.”

Amelia’s knees buckled. “No…” she whispered.

The doctor lowered her gaze. “At 6:57 p.m., Mr. Miguel Favino was pronounced dead.”