The wedding day came faster than I wanted. Too fast.

I stood at the altar, my jaw tight, hands clenched into fists. The weight of the black wedding band in my pocket already felt heavy, like a damn chain tying me to Alice forever. Around the grand church, her people filled the place—guards disguised as guests, their eyes sharp and focused. My men were here too, scattered among the crowd, ready to strike the moment I gave the signal.

But I couldn’t give that signal.

Not with Sage’s life on ...