Bianca's POV
The chapel doors slammed shut behind me with a sound like thunder.
I jumped and almost dropped the flowers in my hands. White roses. They smelled sweet, but all I could think about was how they looked like the flowers on Alessia's grave.
"Walk," Mrs. Chen hissed behind me.
The music started. It was supposed to be beautiful, but it sounded like a funeral song to me. Each note felt like a nail in my coffin.
I took a step forward. Then another. My legs felt like they were made of stone.
The chapel was full of people. Men in expensive suits. Women in fancy dresses. They all turned to look at me as I walked. Their eyes felt like knives cutting into my skin.
I recognized some faces from the newspapers. A judge who'd been in trouble for taking bribes. A senator who'd disappeared from the news after a scandal. These weren't good people. They were dangerous people.
And they were all here to watch me lie.
At the front of the chapel, Leo waited. He wore a black suit that made him look like death itself. His golden eyes found mine across the room. He didn't smile. He didn't look happy. He looked like a predator watching his prey walk into a trap.
I forced myself to keep walking. Each step brought me closer to him. Closer to this lie that would trap me forever.
"Breathe," I whispered to myself. "Just breathe."
But breathing was hard. The dress was tight around my chest. The bloodstains on the silk seemed to burn against my skin. I felt like I was wearing my sister's ghost.
Halfway down the aisle, I stumbled. The heel of my shoe caught on the dress. I almost fell, but a strong hand caught my arm.
"Careful," a voice said.
I looked up to see a man with silver hair and cold blue eyes. He was old, maybe sixty, but he looked strong. Dangerous.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"You're welcome, my dear," he said. But his smile didn't reach his eyes. "Such a shame about your sister."
My blood turned to ice. "What?"
"Alessia. Such a tragedy. Car accidents are so... unpredictable."
He said it like he knew something. Like he knew it wasn't really an accident.
"I have to go," I said.
"Of course. Can't keep the groom waiting."
He let go of my arm, but his fingers lingered too long. Like he was trying to tell me something.
I kept walking. My heart was beating so fast I thought everyone could hear it. The music got louder. The people kept staring.
Finally, I reached the altar. Leo stood there like a statue. Up close, I could see how tall he really was. How broad his shoulders were. How his hands looked like they could break bones.
"You look beautiful," he said quietly.
"Thank you," I whispered.
"Just like her."
The words hit me like a punch. Just like her. Like Alessia. Like the woman who was supposed to be standing here instead of me.
The priest started talking. He was old and thin, with shaking hands. He kept looking at Leo like he was scared of him.
"We are gathered here today," the priest said, "to join Leonardo Cavalcanti and Alessia Moretti in holy matrimony."
Alessia Moretti. Not Bianca. I was about to become someone else forever.
"Do you, Leonardo, take Alessia to be your wife?"
Leo's golden eyes stared into mine. "I do."
His voice was strong and clear. Like he meant it. But I knew he didn't love me. He couldn't love me. He didn't even know who I really was.
"Do you, Alessia, take Leonardo to be your husband?"
My mouth went dry. This was it. The moment where I had to lie in front of God and all these people.
"I..." I started.
Leo stepped closer. His hand found mine. His fingers were cold and strong.
"I do," I whispered.
"By the power vested in me," the priest said, "I now pronounce you husband and wife."
The chapel erupted in applause. But it didn't sound happy. It sounded like the roar of hungry animals.
"You may kiss the bride," the priest said.
Leo leaned down. His face came closer to mine. I could smell his cologne. I could see the gold flecks in his eyes.
"Don't run," he whispered against my lips. "You'll never make it out alive."
Then he kissed me.
It was supposed to be romantic. It was supposed to be the happiest moment of my life. Instead, it felt like a death sentence.
His lips were cold and firm. The kiss lasted forever and not long enough. When he pulled away, I felt dizzy.
"Welcome to the family," he said loud enough for everyone to hear.
But then he leaned close again. So close that only I could hear him.
"If you try to run, I'll find you," he whispered. "If you betray me, you'll end up like your sister."
My knees almost gave out. He knew. He knew everything.
"I won't run," I whispered back.
"Good. Because I'd hate to have to kill you on our wedding day."
The crowd was still clapping. Still cheering. They had no idea what had just happened. They thought they were watching a love story.
They were really watching a murder.
Leo took my hand and led me back down the aisle. His grip was so tight it hurt. But I didn't dare pull away.
As we walked, I saw the man with silver hair again. He was sitting in the front row, watching us with those cold blue eyes. When he saw me looking, he smiled.
It was the most terrifying smile I'd ever seen.
"Who is that man?" I asked Leo.
"My father," Leo said. "Adriano Cavalcanti."
His father. The man who'd built this empire. The man who'd probably ordered my sister's death.
"He seems nice," I lied.
"He's not."
We reached the back of the chapel. The doors opened, and sunlight poured in. It should have felt warm and welcoming. Instead, it felt like stepping into hell.
"Mrs. Cavalcanti," Leo said, testing out my new name. "How does it feel?"
Like a trap, I thought. Like a cage. Like the end of everything I used to be.
"Different," I said.
"You'll get used to it. Or you'll die trying."
The threat was clear. I was trapped now. Married to a man who could kill me without blinking. Living in a house full of people who wanted me dead.
But I had one advantage. I had Alessia's note. I had her message about the music box.
And I was going to find the truth, even if it killed me.
Because the truth was the only thing that could set me free or get me buried next to my sister.