Chapter 6 - The Final Announcement
"Thank you all for being here today," Valentina began, her voice echoing perfectly off the vaulted ceilings. "I understand that some of you have traveled a very long way to be here, and that truly touches me. I appreciate your presence."
She paused, letting the genuine gratitude hang in the air for a fleeting moment before her facial muscles tightened into a mask of pure stoicism.
"But this wedding will not proceed."
An electric murmur instantly ripped through the room. Rodrigo's aunt dramatically clapped a gloved hand over her mouth. In the front row, the father of the groom, Bernardo Cabrales, suddenly leaned forward, resting his elbows heavily on his knees and burying his face in his hands.
May you like
It was only then, after the definitive declaration had been made, that Rodrigo finally found his legs. He stepped forward, a frantic micro-expression of panic flashing across his eyes as he reached a hand out into the empty space between them.
"Val, wait," he pleaded, his voice half-begging, half-calculating. "We can talk about this, my love. Please, let's just go to the back. Don't make a scene..."
