Just silence.
And then—
Elena.
Standing in front of me like a ghost I never expected to see again.
His blood.
The last piece of him.
The last living remnant of the man who had stripped me of everything.
My hand shifted slightly—
Just close enough to the dagger concealed at my back.
I didn’t draw it.
But the intent was there.
One word.
That’s all it would take.
One command to Renzo.
And she would be gone.
Dragged. Forcibly.
Down the aisle.
Forced to her knees in front of the entire church.
Every eye watching.
Every witness marking the moment.
Italians.
The few Spanish families allowed inside.
My bride.
The woman I was expected to marry.
And then—
Execution.
Clean. Public.
A message written in blood.
The daughter paying for the father’s sins.
That was how this world worked.
