Chapter 5 - The Halting Hand
Valentina raised her hand. It was a simple gesture, but it carried such sudden, unexpected authority that the two heavy-set security guards stopped dead in their tracks.
They froze automatically, blinking in confusion, almost not understanding why their bodies had obeyed her silent command over the matriarch's verbal one.
"Do not move," she commanded.
Her voice was not loud. It didn't need to be. It possessed a low, resonant timber that cut through the cavernous space of the room, vibrating with absolute certainty. The guards looked at each other, then at Élida, but they remained firmly planted where they stood.
May you like
Valentina slowly turned away from the altar, framing herself perfectly against the backdrop of the stained-glass windows, and faced the congregation. Two hundred guests stared back at her with wide, unblinking eyes. Some had their phones half-raised, desperately wanting to record the scandal, yet lacking the courage to press the button.
Valentina took three seconds. Just three long, agonizing seconds to look at the sea of faces, letting the spatial tension build until the air felt tight enough to snap. Then, with her head held high, she prepared to speak.
