Chapter 4No Longer Waiting for You

Sofia stood right behind Dario, wearing my custom silk robe and holding my bridal bouquet.

Her eyes were slightly red, but her makeup was flawless, and her hair had clearly been professionally styled.

So she hadn't been sleeping at all. She had simply hijacked my bridal suite and comfortably soaked up every bit of Dario's blatant favoritism.

Sofia looked at me with a meek expression and offered a soft apology.

“I’m so sorry, Erin. Dario saw that my clothes were all wrinkled from sleeping, so he just lent me your robe to wear.”

Dario, on the other hand, didn't bother to offer any explanation. He simply snatched the wedding dress from Mom's arms and shoved it into mine.

“Hurry up and go change. We still have three minutes. It's enough time if you rush.”

Mom tightly held my hand.

“It takes more than three minutes just to put on the bodysuit! How do you expect her to walk down the aisle in three minutes?!”

Dario glanced down at his watch, his tone growing impatient.

“Then skip it. We can't make everyone wait on her. The ceremony has already been delayed, and we've stripped down the whole schedule. If she moves fast and slips in through the side door, she'll definitely make it on time.”

He then turned on his heel and barked instructions into the walkie-talkie to the wedding coordinator. “Have the flower girls wait by the side entrance. The bride will be there in three minutes.”

I stood rooted to the spot, unmoving.

“Who told you I was going in there?”

The last lingering thread of patience drained from Dario's eyes.

“Erin Moretti, just how much longer are you going to throw this childish tantrum? The room has been handed back to you, and Sofia has already stepped out. Do you really have to humiliate both of our families completely before you're satisfied?”

I let out a bitter, angry laugh. “Am I the one who ruined and delayed this wedding today?”

“What is the point of pointing fingers right now?!” Dario’s voice turned raspy.

“You know better than anyone how long this wedding took to plan! The guests sitting outside aren't just family. They're long-time business partners and key connections.

“If you bail today, how do you expect your family’s winery to keep doing business in Sicily?!”

Elena chimed in from the side, pressing me in a stern tone. “Erin, Dario is trying to meet you halfway. Stop making a scene, go change, and we can move past this.”

The corners of my mouth curled into a cold smile.

Assuming I was giving in, Dario let out a long sigh of relief.

“Alright, stop being mad.”

Without a word, I shoved the wedding dress right back into his arms.

He instantly froze.

“What is the meaning of this?”

“It means I'm not marrying you anymore.”

Static buzzed over the walkie-talkie as the coordinator began the final countdown.

“One minute remaining. Bride, please prepare for your entry.”

Dario stared daggers at me, his voice dangerously low. “Erin, if you dare to step out of this estate today, we're done.”

He actually believed that a single threat would keep me here.

Instead, I turned around, wrapped my arm through Mom's, and walked straight toward the exit.

“Erin, where do you think you're going?”

“Home.”

“The ceremony is about to start!”

I stopped, glanced back over my shoulder, and threw my last words at him.

“And what does that have to do with me?”

Dad had already instructed his men to pull a car up directly outside the estate gates.

Dario tried to rush forward to stop me, but Dad's bodyguards stepped in, forming an impenetrable wall and shoving him right back.

The engine purred to life as we rolled away. Dad reached over, taking my hand gently into his. “Don’t worry, Erin. I won't let them humiliate you like this.”

With that, he pulled out his phone and dialed his old mafia contacts.

“Those docks, luxury hotels, and underground casinos we handed over to the Catania family? I want every single one of them reclaimed before tomorrow morning.”

“And schedule a meeting with the elders for me. We meet at the usual spot in one hour.”

Behind us, inside the grand estate, the wedding march was setting up to play.

But from the second I walked away, that wedding, and everything attached to it, no longer had anything to do with me.