The sky over the Upper East Side was thick with gray clouds.
Outside St. Patrick's Cathedral, a line of black luxury SUVs idled at the curb. Paparazzi pressed against the velvet ropes, their cameras flashing rapidly.
Daisy wore the cheap black suit she bought at the thrift store. She kept her head down, a pair of oversized sunglasses hiding her face. She slipped into a group of distant relatives dressed in mourning attire and walked right past the security checkpoint at the main doors.
She stepped into the cavernous hall of the cathedral.
The air was heavy with the cloying scent of hundreds of white lilies. A massive pipe organ played a low, mournful hymn that vibrated in the floorboards.
Daisy scanned the crowd. She spotted him immediately.
Emmett sat in the very first row. He wore a tailored black suit that made his shoulders look impossibly broad. His profile was sharp and unreadable.
Sitting right next to him was Eryn. She wore a sheer black lace dress that looked more suited for a gala than a funeral. She was leaning heavily toward Emmett, her shoulder brushing his arm.
A cold smile touched Daisy's lips. She reached up and pulled off her sunglasses. She reached into her pocket and pulled out the folded motel stationery.
She stepped out from the back row and walked directly down the center aisle.
The sharp click-clack of her cheap heels echoed loudly over the organ music. Heads began to turn.
Corinne, Eryn's manager, was standing near the front. She saw Daisy approaching and her eyes widened in horror. She stepped into the aisle to block her.
Daisy didn't slow down. She locked eyes with Corinne and shot her a glare so venomous that the manager instinctively stepped back, letting her pass.
Emmett felt the shift in the room. He turned his head.
When his eyes landed on Daisy, his breath hitched. Shock rippled across his stoic features.
He immediately started to stand up, his body turning toward her.
Seeing this, Eryn let out a dramatic gasp. She swayed on her feet and collapsed sideways, falling directly against Emmett's arm.
Emmett's reflexes kicked in. He caught her by the elbow to stop her from hitting the floor.
Daisy saw his hands on Eryn. Her heart turned to stone.
She reached the front row. She slammed the piece of paper down onto the wooden prayer kneeler directly in front of Emmett.
"Sign it," Daisy said. Her voice was crystal clear, cutting through the murmurs of the crowd. "Don't make me embarrass you in front of a dead woman."
The people sitting nearby gasped. Whispers erupted through the cathedral like wildfire.
Emmett stared down at the cheap paper. He read the words Divorce Agreement written in her handwriting. The veins in his neck bulged.
"Are you out of your mind?" Emmett hissed, his voice a lethal whisper. "Get outside with me. Now."
He reached out to grab her arm.
Daisy jerked backward to avoid his touch.
At that exact moment, a worker pushing a heavy metal cart loaded with massive floral wreaths came down the side aisle. His vision was blocked by the flowers. He lost his footing on the slight incline of the floor.
The heavy metal cart rolled forward, picking up speed, heading straight for Daisy's back.
Emmett's eyes widened in sheer terror. "Daisy, move!" he roared.
He lunged over the pew to grab her.
He was a second too late. The sharp metal corner of the cart slammed brutally into the back of Daisy's calf, tearing deeply into the muscle.
Daisy let out a sharp cry of pain. The impact knocked her legs out from under her, and she crashed to the floor.
Blood instantly soaked through her black trousers, pooling onto the pristine marble floor.
Screams echoed through the church. Chaos erupted.
Emmett vaulted over the wooden pew. He didn't care about the dirt on the floor. He didn't care about his severe germaphobia. He dropped to his knees right in the middle of the growing puddle of blood.
He pressed his bare hands violently against her bleeding leg, trying to stem the flow. His expensive suit cuffs soaked up the red liquid.
"Emmett!" Eryn screamed from behind him, trying to grab his shoulder.
Emmett snapped his head back. He shot Eryn a look of such murderous rage that she shrieked and fell back into her seat.
Emmett slid his arms under Daisy's body. He lifted her into his chest, ignoring the blood smearing across his shirt.
"Clear the hall!" Emmett roared at his bodyguards. He turned and sprinted toward the private rooms at the back of the cathedral.
