Guests smiled indulgently, whispering about sweet wedding nerves. A few people dabbed at their eyes with tissues. Emma didn’t smile. She watched Daniel instead. Daniel wasn’t looking at her or Vincent. His gaze was fixed solely on the elderly man in the back row. That was when Emma knew she couldn’t go through with the wedding. “Wait,” she said gently.
The officiant paused mid-sentence. Vincent turned to her, startled and confused. “I’m so sorry,” Emma said, already stepping back from the altar. “Just one moment.” Murmurs rippled through the crowd as she walked away from the altar, offering quick, apologetic smiles to the guests in the front rows as she passed them. She headed straight for the church entrance. Rex was there.
His leash was looped tight around a stone pillar just outside the doors, the metal clip pulled taut from how hard he’d been fighting to break free. The second he saw Emma, his furious barks turned into strained, desperate whines. His body leaned toward her, muscles shaking, paws scraping the ground, as if sheer will alone could drag her away from the church.
