The applause still echoed through the chapel when everything went wrong. The last note of the organ had barely faded when the sound of shattering glass ripped through the air. Aria froze mid-step, her fingers entwined with Luca's as petals fluttered around them like falling ashes. For a brief, disorienting second, no one understood what was happening. Then the first scream pierced the silence.
"Get down!" one of the guards shouted.
The world erupted.
Bullets tore through the ornate stained glass windows, showering the marble floor in shards of color. Guests dove for cover behind pews and pillars as security rushed to form a shield around the bride and groom. Luca reacted instantly, pulling Aria against him and dragging her down behind the altar. The scent of gunpowder filled the air.
"Stay low," he ordered, voice low and sharp.
