I walked so slowly that I swore even a turtle would have passed me by. Every step felt heavier, like the weight of my own body was dragging me down. The sound of my heels on the marble floor was the only thing I could focus on as I moved toward the altar.
The only tiny form of protest I had left.
The bright lights in the cathedral made everything feel too close, too suffocating. My eyes kept darting to the floor, to the polished tiles that reflected everything around me — my life, already decided for me. I hated every single part of this.
“Isabella, hurry up!” My mother’s voice pierced through the air, sharp and impatient. “You’re making us look bad!”
I wanted to scream. I wanted to run. But I couldn’t. Not yet.
I turned my gaze toward Elio, who was standing at the altar with that smug look on his face. God, how I wanted to kill him. I wanted to push him off that altar, to rip away the smirk on his face and show him just how much he had taken from me.
But he just looked at me, his hand outstretched, expecting me to take it. His touch was cold and insistent, his fingers wrapping around mine like I was nothing more than a possession to him.
I felt my stomach twist. This wasn’t my choice. This wasn’t my life.
The priest started to speak, but I couldn’t focus. I closed my eyes, wishing for it all to end. Wishing that somehow, I could disappear into the shadows, never having to face this marriage, never having to face Elio and the suffocating life he represented.
The words blurred together. I couldn’t hear them. I didn’t want to hear them.
When the priest told us to say our vows, I felt the cold sweat trickle down my back. My heart pounded in my chest, and I couldn’t breathe. I felt trapped, caught in a web of expectations that I couldn’t escape.
Before I could even say a word, something happened.
Elio collapsed to the ground. The gasp that escaped from the congregation was the last thing I heard before chaos erupted. I froze, my heart stopping for a split second, my mind racing to understand what had just happened.
Before I could even process it, someone grabbed my hand, pulling me away.
I looked up in confusion, only to find Leandro, his face dark with determination. His grip on my wrist was tight as he dragged me away from the altar, away from the wedding, away from the life I was supposed to live.
“What’s happening?” I gasped, trying to keep up with him as he moved quickly through the chaos. People were shouting, running around in confusion, but I barely noticed it. All I could focus on was Leandro’s grip on me, the way he was pulling me, guiding me with a single-mindedness that left no room for argument.
“Run,” he said, his voice firm, commanding. There was no hesitation, no time for explanations. He was dragging me toward the back of the cathedral, where I could hear the doors opening.
“What’s going on?” I asked again, trying to catch my breath. I wanted him to explain, to calm my racing heart, but Leandro just shook his head.
“Don’t ask, just run,” he snapped, and the urgency in his voice sent a shiver down my spine.
We reached the back door, and just as I thought we were about to escape, I heard a loud bang.
The moment I heard the shot, everything froze. My heart stopped. The world around me turned to a blur as I whipped around, only to see Leandro stagger, then collapse to his knees. He grabbed his side, a sharp grunt escaping him as he fell to the ground.
I rushed to him, my pulse hammering in my ears. "Leandro!" I cried, dropping to my knees beside him. His face was pale, and his eyes were focused on me, but I could see the strain in his features — he was struggling to breathe, and there was so much blood. So much blood.
“No, no, no…” I muttered, panicking as I reached for him. “You’re bleeding. You need help.”
“Isabella, stop,” he groaned, his voice ragged, but his hands still managed to grip mine, holding me in place. His grip was strong, even though I could feel the tremor in his fingers.
“Leandro, you’re hurt. You’re bleeding,” I said, my voice breaking. “You need a doctor. Please, don’t do this. I can’t—”
“Listen to me.” His voice was low, rough with pain, but there was a command in it that I couldn’t ignore. His eyes met mine, and for a moment, the intensity of his gaze took me by surprise. “You need to drive. I need you to take the wheel. Don’t think, just do it.”
I shook my head, the panic threatening to take over. “But you’re—”
“I’ll be fine,” he interrupted, though the way his voice wavered didn’t match his words. “We don’t have time. We need to go, now.”
My heart was in my throat, and my hands were trembling, but I couldn’t just leave him here. Not like this. But I could see the urgency in his eyes. He was telling me to go, and I had no choice but to trust him.
“I’ll drive,” I said, my voice shaking, and I grabbed his arm, pulling him toward the car. But he was clearly struggling, every step more labored than the last.
“I’m fine, Isabella,” Leandro said, trying to sound calm, though the pain was evident in his tone. “I’ll be fine.”
I wanted to yell at him, to scream for him to stop pretending like everything was okay, but instead, I helped him into the car as gently as I could, doing my best not to jostle him too much. His face was twisted in pain, but he still tried to give me a reassuring smile.
“You need to calm down,” he said, his voice soft but firm as I started the car. “You’re not helping by panicking. Just drive.” I nodded, though it didn’t make me feel any better. Every glance I took in his direction made my heart ache. He was so pale, and the blood was still seeping through his shirt. His eyes were growing heavy, but he still managed to focus on me.
“Don’t close your eyes,” I pleaded, my voice almost a whisper. “Please, just stay awake, Leandro. You have to stay awake.” He looked at me, a small, almost teasing smirk forming on his lips despite the pain. “You sound like my mother,” he said, trying to make a joke out of it, but it didn’t ease the fear in my chest.
“I don’t care what I sound like,” I snapped, my voice shaking now with frustration and fear. “I just need you to be okay.”
Leandro’s hand moved, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, a soft gesture that felt out of place with the current situation. “I’m fine,” he said again, though his voice was a little weaker this time. “I’ve been through worse.”
I didn’t believe him, but I didn’t have time to argue. I pushed the car faster, praying I wasn’t making things worse for him.
“Leandro…” I whispered, my hands trembling on the wheel. “Why did you do this? Why did you have to get involved? You should have just stayed away.”
He exhaled sharply, wincing as he shifted in his seat. His voice was strained, but there was a determination in his words. “I couldn’t stay away from you,” he said quietly, his gaze still fixed on me. “Not after everything. I knew this would happen. But you’re worth it. Even if it kills me.”
I choked on the lump in my throat. The words hit me harder than I expected. Leandro was trying to keep it together for me, but I could see the way his hands were shaking, the way his breath was shallow. He was struggling more than he was letting on.
“I should have told you to stay away from me,” I whispered, my voice trembling. “This was never supposed to happen, Leandro. I never should’ve dragged you into this. I can’t lose you.”
He squeezed my hand, and for a brief moment, I felt his grip tighten despite the weakness in his body. “You won’t lose me,” he said, his voice steady, even though his face was pale and his breath was labored. “I promised I wouldn’t leave you. And I’m not going anywhere.”
But his words felt so fragile, so broken, and I knew we were both lying to ourselves. He was hurt, badly, and there was nothing I could do to make it better.
When we reached the car, I parked in a secluded spot, away from the main roads, and turned off the engine. “Leandro, please… stay with me,” I begged, my voice raw. “I don’t know what to do if you…”
“I’m here,” he interrupted softly, brushing my cheek with his thumb, his touch still gentle despite the agony he was clearly in. “And I’ll stay as long as you need me.”
But in the back of my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning. The chaos was just starting, and the world I had been trying to escape was only pulling me deeper in.
And Leandro... I wasn’t sure how much longer he could keep me safe.