Chapter 131 – Bloody wedding
Wedding Day
6:02 AM
The day had arrived.
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After years.
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After hospitals.
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After heartbreak.
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After enemies.
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After reunions.
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After countless almosts.
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Today—
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Dr. Care Patel was getting married.
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And somehow—
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The entire mansion was awake before sunrise.
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Which was terrifying.
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Because normally nobody except Rhys was functional before 7 AM.
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Bride's Floor
7:15 AM
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Care woke up.
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And immediately regretted it.
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Because the second she sat up—
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The door exploded open.
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JJ
"SHE'S AWAKE."
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Aera
"SHE'S AWAKE."
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Ash
"SHE'S AWAKE."
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Lyra
"SHE'S AWAKE."
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Care
...
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Care
"Good morning?"
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JJ
"NO TIME."
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Care
"What?"
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JJ
"YOU'RE GETTING MARRIED."
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Care
"I know."
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JJ
"ARE YOU SURE?"
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Care
"..."
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Care
"Jasper."
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JJ
"Okay good."
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Groom's Floor
Same Time
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Cole was already dressed.
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Mostly.
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Because he couldn't sit still.
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Keifer
Watching.
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Keifer
"You've checked your watch twenty-three times."
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Cole
"No."
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Keifer
"Twenty-four."
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Cole
...
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Keifer
"Nervous?"
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Cole
"No."
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Keifer
"You're lying."
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Cole
"Very."
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Silence.
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Keifer
Fair.
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The Great Security Operation
8:30 AM
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A mission was launched.
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A very important mission.
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KEEP THE BRIDE AND GROOM APART.
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Failure was not an option.
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Or so everyone thought.
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Bride's Hallway
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Care stepped outside.
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Immediately stopped.
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Because—
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Percy was standing there.
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Like a security guard.
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Care
"What are you doing?"
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Percy
"Protecting tradition."
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Care
"Move."
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Percy
"No."
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Care
"Move."
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Percy
"No."
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Care
"I'll call JJ."
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Percy
"..."
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Percy
"That's blackmail."
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Groom's Hallway
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Meanwhile—
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Cole attempted to leave.
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And found—
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Rhys.
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Alex.
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Yuri.
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Blocking the hallway.
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Cole
...
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Rhys
...
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Alex
...
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Yuri
...
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Cole
"Seriously?"
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Rhys
"Seriously."
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Cole
"I own this mansion."
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Alex
"Not today."
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Yuri
"Today you're just the groom."
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Cole
I hate all of you.
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Rhys
We know.
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9:45 AM
Bride Suite
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Hair.
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Makeup.
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Jewelry.
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Dress.
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Everything was happening at once.
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The room was chaos.
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Beautiful chaos.
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Aera
Crying.
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Already.
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Rhys
Not even here.
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Yet somehow—
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Aera was crying.
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Ash
"Stop crying."
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Aera
"I CAN'T."
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JJ
"ME NEITHER."
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Lyra
Also crying.
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Care
...
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Care
"You people are exhausting."
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Then
The Dress
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Care finally stepped in front of the mirror.
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And for the first time—
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The room became quiet.
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Completely quiet.
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Because suddenly—
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This was real.
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Not planning.
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Not jokes.
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Not teasing.
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Real.
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Lyra
Softly.
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"Wow."
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Ash
Smiling.
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"Yeah."
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JJ
Actually speechless.
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A historical event.
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Care
Looking at herself.
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And for a moment—
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She remembered everything.
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University.
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The hospital.
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The rooftop.
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The arguments.
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The late-night calls.
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The confessions.
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The proposal.
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And now—
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Today.
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Meanwhile
Groom's Room
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Keifer adjusted Cole's tie.
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Keifer
"You know."
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Cole
"Hm?"
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Keifer
"She's definitely going to cry."
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Cole
"Probably."
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Keifer
"You might too."
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Cole
"No."
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Keifer
"Sure."
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Cole
"I won't."
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Keifer
Brother.
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Cole
What?
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Keifer
You cried during a dog movie.
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Cole
...
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Keifer
You have no chance.
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The Final Minutes
10:58 AM
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Guests were seated.
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The venue was ready.
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Flowers everywhere.
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Sunlight filtering through glass.
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Music beginning softly.
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And two people—
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On opposite sides of the venue.
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Waiting.
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Not allowed to see each other.
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Not yet.
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Care
Heart racing.
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Cole
Heart racing.
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JJ
Heart racing.
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Aera
Still crying.
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Percy
Wondering how he got involved.
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Keifer
Already emotional.
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Lyra
Holding Care's hand.
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Ash
Fixing her veil.
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And somewhere beyond the celebration—
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Beyond the laughter—
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Beyond the wedding—
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A pair of unseen eyes watched.
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Waiting.
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For the perfect moment.
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For the final mission.
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For the choice that would change everything.
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But for now—
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The music played.
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The doors prepared to open.
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And the walk toward forever was about to begin.
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Wedding Venue
11:00 AM
The music began.
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Soft.
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Beautiful.
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The entire venue stood.
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And Cole Watson forgot how to breathe.
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Because the doors had opened.
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And there she was.
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Care Patel.
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Walking down the aisle.
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Radiant.
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Elegant.
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The sunlight caught the edge of her veil.
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For a moment—
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Everything else disappeared.
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The guests.
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The flowers.
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The music.
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The world.
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Only her remained.
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Keifer
Quietly.
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"Brother."
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No response.
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Keifer
"Brother."
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Still no response.
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Percy
"He stopped functioning."
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JJ
"Cole.exe has crashed."
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Even then—
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Cole never looked away.
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Not once.
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The Walk
Care tried to keep her composure.
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Failed immediately.
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Because halfway down the aisle—
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She saw him.
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And he was looking at her like she was the only person in existence.
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Her eyes filled instantly.
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Care
"Oh no."
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Lyra
Already crying.
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Aera
Already crying harder.
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Ash
Crying too.
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JJ
Full emotional breakdown.
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Percy
"Why are all of you crying?"
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JJ
"SHUT UP."
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The Vows
A few minutes later—
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The two stood facing each other.
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Hands intertwined.
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Hearts racing.
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Cole
"I spent years building companies."
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A small smile.
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Cole
"I thought success was numbers."
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Cole
"Power."
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Cole
"Winning."
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His gaze softened.
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Cole
"Then you walked into my life and changed the definition."
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Care laughed through tears.
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Cole
"You became the person I wanted to tell everything to."
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Cole
"The person I wanted beside me."
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Cole
"The person I couldn't imagine losing."
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A pause.
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Cole
"I promise to choose you every day."
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Cole
"No matter how difficult."
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Cole
"No matter how easy."
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Cole
"No matter what."
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The room had become completely silent.
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Care
Took a shaky breath.
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Care
"You were never supposed to happen."
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Laughter.
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Care
"You were stubborn."
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Cole
Fair.
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Care
"Annoying."
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Cole
Also fair.
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Care
"Terrifying sometimes."
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Cole
..."
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Laughter echoed again.
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Then her voice softened.
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Care
"But somehow..."
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Care
"You became home."
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The same word.
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The same feeling.
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Care
"I promise to stay."
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Care
"To fight beside you."
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Care
"To love you."
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Care
"And to keep stealing your coffee."
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Cole
"There it is."
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The guests laughed.
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The Kiss
The officiant smiled.
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Officiant
"You may kiss the bride."
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The room erupted.
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Cheers.
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Whistles.
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Applause.
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And then—
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Cole stepped forward.
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Care met him halfway.
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A gentle kiss.
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Warm.
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Certain.
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The kind that carried years of waiting inside it.
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The kind that said:
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We made it.
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The crowd exploded.
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JJ
SCREAMING.
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Aera
CRYING.
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Keifer
Actually emotional.
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Percy
Recording everything.
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Elsewhere
Reception Hall
Hours later.
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Music.
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Laughter.
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Dancing.
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Celebration.
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The happiest day.
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For everyone.
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Almost everyone.
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Because among the bridesmaids—
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A phone vibrated.
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Once.
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Twice.
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Three times.
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A woman stepped away from the crowd.
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Away from the laughter.
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Away from the dance floor.
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Her hands trembled slightly.
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The message was short.
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Only three words.
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EXECUTE MISSION NOW.
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Silence.
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The screen glowed in the darkness.
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The shadow stared at it.
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For a very long time.
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Then—
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Slowly—
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She looked back toward the reception.
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Toward the newlyweds.
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Toward the people she had watched for years.
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Toward the family she was never supposed to care about.
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And for the first time—
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The mission didn't feel like an order.
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It felt like a choice.
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A terrible one.
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Because somewhere beyond Kaizer—
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Someone was waiting.
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Watching.
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Expecting obedience.
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And the clock had finally run out.
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The shadow closed the message.
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The music continued.
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The celebration continued.
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Unaware.
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Completely unaware.
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That before the night ended—
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Someone would have to choose a side.
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And that choice could change everything.
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Reception Hall
8:47 PM
Music filled the ballroom.
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Laughter echoed everywhere.
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The wedding had been perfect.
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Almost too perfect.
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JJ was dancing on a chair.
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Keifer was trying to get her down.
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Percy had given up controlling anyone.
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Aera stood quietly near the edge of the room.
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Watching.
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Observing.
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Waiting.
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Just like she always had.
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No one noticed.
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Why would they?
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She was family.
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She was trusted.
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She belonged.
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Dance Floor
Care laughed as Cole spun her around.
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The lights reflected in her eyes.
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The wedding ring on her finger caught the glow.
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Everything felt unreal.
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Beautiful.
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Perfect.
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Safe.
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Cole
"You happy, wife?"
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Care immediately rolled her eyes.
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Care
"Don't start."
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Cole
"Too late."
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He kissed her forehead.
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A simple gesture.
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One he'd done countless times.
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One he would have done forever.
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Across The Room
Aera's phone vibrated.
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Once.
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She didn't look at it.
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She already knew.
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The final order.
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The final mission.
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The final moment.
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Years.
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Years of work.
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Years of waiting.
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Years leading here.
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Her expression never changed.
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Not even slightly.
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Nearby
Rhys was talking with Lyra.
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Alex was laughing at something Ash said.
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JJ was stealing desserts.
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Keifer was pretending not to notice.
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Everyone was alive.
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Happy.
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Together.
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For the first time in years.
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Then
Everything happened at once.
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One second—
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Music.
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Laughter.
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Happiness.
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The next—
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Movement.
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Fast.
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Precise.
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Silent.
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Aera stepped forward.
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No hesitation.
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No fear.
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No regret.
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Nothing.
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Only purpose.
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The knife appeared.
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Hidden.
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Sharp.
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And aimed directly toward—
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Cole Watson.
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One Second
Cole saw movement.
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Too late.
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One Second
Rhys turned.
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Too late.
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One Second
JJ stopped laughing.
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Too late.
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One Second
Keifer moved.
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Too late.
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One Second
The entire world froze.
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Then
Someone moved.
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Fast.
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Faster than thought.
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Faster than fear.
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Faster than reason.
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Care.
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She stepped between them.
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Between the knife.
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And Cole.
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Between death.
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And the man she loved.
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Silence.
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Absolute silence.
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For one impossible moment—
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Nobody understood what had happened.
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Nobody.
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Not Cole.
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Not Rhys.
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Not JJ.
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Not Keifer.
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Not even the music.
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Which slowly died.
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Care looked down.
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Then back up.
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At Cole.
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Her eyes wide.
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Surprised.
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Almost confused.
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Like she couldn't quite believe it herself.
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Cole
...
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The color drained from his face.
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Immediately.
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Completely.
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Cole
"Care."
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A whisper.
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Barely a sound.
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Cole
"Care."
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Again.
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Broken this time.
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Around Them
Panic exploded.
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JJ
"CARE!"
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Rhys
Already running.
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Lyra
Frozen.
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Alex
Shouting something.
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Percy
Catching JJ before she fell.
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Keifer
Moving toward Aera.
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The room descended into chaos.
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Pure chaos.
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But Cole Saw None Of It
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Nothing.
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Absolutely nothing.
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Because all he could see—
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Was her.
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Only her.
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Cole
"No."
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His voice cracked.
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Cole
"No."
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Like saying it enough times would change reality.
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Like refusing it would somehow fix everything.
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Cole
"No."
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Care looked at him.
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Still looking at him.
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Even now.
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Even here.
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Even when the entire world was falling apart.
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Her hand found his.
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Weakly.
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Instinctively.
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Like it always did.
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Across The Ballroom
Keifer finally reached Aera.
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Everyone staring.
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Everyone horrified.
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Everyone unable to understand.
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Because she was one of them.
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One of their own.
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One of their family.
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And yet—
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She stood there.
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Silent.
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Expressionless.
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As if nothing had happened.
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As if this had always been the plan.
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The Wedding
The flowers.
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The lights.
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The music.
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The laughter.
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Everything beautiful.
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Everything perfect.
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Destroyed in a single moment.
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A bloody wedding.
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A broken celebration.
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A nightmare nobody saw coming.
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And In The Center Of It All
Cole Watson knelt beside Care.
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Holding her hand.
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Refusing to let go.
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While panic consumed the room.
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And for the first time in years—
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The most powerful man in the room looked completely helpless.
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Chapter End.
