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But I'd been so tense all day, waiting for Massimo to jump out from somewhere. But Travis had said that they'd uninvited him from the wedding. And while I was glad he hadn't ruined their wedding, I was also terrified that Drake and I had gone through all of this for nothing and we’d still have to go to the auction in Italy. I would have much preferred getting this over with and being done.
I hadn't seen Drake’s friends. But I had a feeling if they were anything like him, I wouldn't have seen them. Granted, I got the impression that some of them were there because Willow was talking about some very hot men she'd never seen before in her life. If Drake's friends looked anything like him, I assumed it was them.
Slipping my shoes off, I headed toward the dressing rooms. All I needed was a minute of peace. The last three weeks had been a whirlwind.
In the quiet hallway outside the bridal suite, I paused a moment to catch my breath, the music and laughter of the reception fading away. I could hear the hum of the air conditioner, the only sound in the otherwise empty corridor. Taking a deep breath, I opened the door to the suite and stepped inside.
I found myself helping Willow change into her honeymoon outfit. You know, something sexy but not too revealing. She had a plane to catch, after all. Between you and me, the girl had packed enough luggage for a month-long vacation, but who was I to judge? A sister's gotta have options.
As we sorted through the bags and clothes, Willow and I shared one of those heart-to-hearts that make you remember why you love your sibling so much, despite their quirks and occasional snarky comments.
Willow, being the sensitive soul that she was, took a deep breath and looked me straight in the eyes. "Daphne, I need to say something," she began, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm so sorry I invited Mum to the wedding."
I sighed, not really wanting to talk about our mother. But hey, it was Willow's big day, so I let her continue.
"I had no idea what she put you through," she added, tears welling up in her eyes. "If I had known, I never would have asked her to come."
I looked at my sister, her face a mixture of pain and regret. And in that moment, I felt my heart soften. I had spent so many years resenting my mother for the things she had done to me. But that resentment had also kept me from opening up to Willow, from sharing my truth with her.
"It's okay," I said softly, giving her a hug. "I understand why you did it. You wanted your day to be perfect and felt like inviting Mum was the right thing to do."
In that moment, I knew that it wasn't just about the wedding; it was about forgiveness and understanding. And although I couldn't bring myself to fully forgive our mother yet, I knew that I could forgive Willow for trying.
There was so much I hadn’t told her. Where the hell did I even start?
"I should have told you," I admitted, my own voice cracking with emotion. "But I didn't want my nightmare to become yours. You had a right to your own story and relationship with her."
Willow hugged me tight, and for a brief moment, we were just two sisters, sharing a bond that couldn't be broken. But as they say, all good things must come to an end, and our moment of sisterly bliss was about to be shattered in the most dramatic way possible.
No sooner had we pulled apart than the door to the bridal suite burst open, revealing three masked men. My heart immediately raced into a gallop. I grabbed Willow and tucked her behind me before wrapping my hand around the bottle of champagne in the ice bucket.
One of the intruders came forward. Not saying a word, he grabbed for me, and I swung the champagne bottle in a wide arc, making sure the end met his temple.
He blinked at me for a second. Blinked again, and then went down like a sack of potatoes.
Willow screamed behind me. “Oh my God. What have you done, Daphne?”
“What have I done? I’m pretty sure that they want to kidnap us. And one kidnapping a month is enough for me, thanks.”
“Kidnapping?” Willow whimpered behind me as one of the other two masked guys came for us.
The second guy tried to grab me, and I kicked him directly in the nuts. He groaned but kept coming, and I swung the champagne bottle again, cracking him over the head. He didn't go down completely, but when he hit his knees, I dropped the champagne bottle and grabbed him by the ears, bringing my knee up to his face, and that did the trick. He fell over.
Unfortunately, his friend had Willow. I scrambled on the floor for the bottle of champagne. And just as my fingers grasped around the neck of the bottle to swing it, he pointed a gun at Willow's head.
“Oh no you don't,” he said.
I dropped the bottle immediately. “We don't have anything you want.”
He laughed as he leered at me. “Why don't you let me be the judge of that.”
He pointed toward the door, and I had no choice but to comply. Just as I turned the knob, I heard him groan. I whipped back to find Willow scooting away from him. “I remembered Gran always said smack a man on the balls if he’s trying to hurt you.”
The guy waved the gun in her general direction, but someone came barging through the door and said, “Put it down if you want to live.”
Drake.
Relief flooded my veins, making me somewhat dizzy. I swayed a little on my feet. He'd come. He noticed I’d left the ballroom, and he'd come.
