THE REAL PROTEGE

There — framed by the arched doorway, silhouetted by the light — stood a woman clutching the hand of a small boy, no older than six. Her hair was windblown, her face streaked with tears, her voice trembling with urgency and emotion.

Four Eyes froze.

His hands, which had been holding Ling Li's so tenderly, fell limp.

The moment shattered.

Ling Li's heart cracked — not in confusion, but in sharp, bitter confirmation. She'd read the energy from the start. Her instincts whispered lies draped in silk. But what she couldn't read… was his reaction. And there it was.

That stagger in his breath. That flinch. That recognition.

He knew her... however, 'how could it be?'

"Chu Yan…" the woman continued, stepping forward. "I've been looking for you. They said you were abroad, that no one knew where. This…" She turned to the boy, "This is our son."

A strangled silence wrapped the cathedral.

It was her, Charissa. His first love. The woman lost to tragedy six years ago, presumed dead when the cruise ship vanished beneath merciless waves.

Four Eyes stepped back, lips parted, eyes clouding with something ...

And in that moment, he released Ling Li's hand.

The absence of that touch echoed louder than any scream.

Ling Li's spine straightened ever so slightly.

She had survived ambushes in alleyways, poison in porcelain cups, and betrayal through blade and blood. But that single moment — watching Four Eyes' hand fall away from hers — was the heaviest blow she had ever taken.

Yet her composure did not break.

Without a word, Ling Li turned from the altar, her gown trailing behind her like the tail of a phoenix descending in sorrow. She walked down the marble aisle, past guests too stunned to rise. Her twins rushed to her side, their wide eyes fearful.

She knelt to them, kissed their foreheads, and turned to Mushu and Pharsa, voice low and commanding, "Take the twins to Bayside Castle. Now."

Pharsa moved immediately. Mushu hesitated — torn — but nodded.

Then Ling Li left.

Alone.

Not a single soul dared follow.

Four Eyes tried to breathe, to step after her, to say something — but he was paralyzed. Torn between past and present, haunted by a ghost that never should have returned.

"Chu Yan," Charissa cried, her voice cracking. "I was rescued… I lost everything. My memory, my home. But when I remembered who I was, I came back. I had to. For him… for you."

Her tears spilled fast and unrestrained. The boy looked up, confused, clutching her sleeve. It would have been a tragic reunion — if not for the silence that followed.

And then—

An electric chill swept through the cathedral.

The stained glass flickered. Candle flames stilled.

A presence emerged at the doors.

Power draped in samurai silk, footsteps silent, the mask gleaming with deathless grace. A hush deeper than fear cloaked the hall.

Otako had arrived.

Every soul went still.

Otako stood with the gravity of a mountain, his voice slicing through the air like a blade unsheathed.

"I warned you, Chu Yan," he roared, his voice thunder-rolling through the stone arches. "That to betray Ling Li… would cost everything."

He raised a single hand.

Chu Yan collapsed.

His knees hit marble, a cry of pain ripping from his chest as something inside him burned, stripped from the soul down.

Guests screamed. Fatty tried to wheel forward but was blocked by an invisible force. Shi Min stepped forward, but Otako raised a single finger, stopping time itself.

"Why would you choose this over Ling Li? This impostor! This illusion!"

And with a single gesture—

The woman's face peeled away. The lifelike mask fell to the floor.

It wasn't Charissa.

It was Nina.

The room erupted in cries.

Chu Yan's scream tore through the cathedral. "NINA?!"

"Surprised, Brother?" she snarled, her voice mocking. "I wanted you to see how fragile your trust is. If I couldn't have your luxurious life, no one would."

Otako's presence ignited.

With a wave of his hand, masked warriors appeared from thin air, seized Nina, and disappeared into the shadows.

Silence returned.

Except for Otako's final words — words that would remain burned into every witness's soul:

"Ling Li is gone now. And with her, everything you once had. Your powers. Your future. Your place in this world. You betrayed her in the one moment that mattered — and now, you will wake up as nothing."

He raised his palm one last time.

Chu Yan fell silent, unconscious.

And Otako vanished.

The altar stood empty. Petals scattered like ashes.

The wedding was no longer the beginning.

It was a warning.

The ornate stillness of the cathedral trembled with residual shock. The air that had once been filled with sacred vows and floral perfume now hung thick with disbelief.

Amidst the murmuring crowd and shaken silence, Shi Min stepped forward — jaw tight, shoulders squared with duty, not grief. He turned to the guests, his voice clear despite the undercurrent of restrained fury.

"On behalf of my mom," he began solemnly, "I deeply apologize for what today has become. You've all traveled far, and your presence means more than words can offer. Please proceed to the hotel for the banquet. A sumptuous meal awaits you — just as intended."

Then, with grave respect, Shi Min bowed deeply — not just from the waist, but from the heart. Not a single guest moved at first. Then, one by one, the crowd returned the gesture with silent nods, hands on chests, eyes dimmed with empathy.

El Padre and El Capitan, calm yet commanding, moved through the pews, reassuring those who lingered. With knowing glances and gentle guidance, they escorted elders and high-profile guests toward the cathedral doors, shielding them from the rumors already brewing like a storm.

Shi Min's gaze swept the space, eyes locking on Mushu, who stood quietly near the aisle, one hand on each twin's shoulder. The girls clung to his sleeves in wide-eyed silence.

"Mushu." Shi Min's tone was clipped and professional.

Mushu straightened instantly.

"Take the twins to my penthouse," Shi Min instructed. "Grandma and Grandpa are already on their way. Stay with them until I give the next instruction."

Mushu didn't argue. "Yes, Young Master." He knelt to the girls' height, voice softening. "Let's go see Nai Nai and Grandpa, okay?"

Chin Chin looked up tearfully. "Where's Mommy?"

"She'll be with us soon," Mushu said gently, his smile calm, but his eyes betrayed his worry.