Aria's POV
"Aria…?" Damon's voice wavered, his grip tightening around my trembling hand as the crowd gasped.
"I—I can't—" My words cut off, drowned in the sharp stab of pain tearing through my stomach. My knees buckled under the weight of it, the white of my wedding gown folding with me as I collapsed.
Gasps filled the hall. Someone shouted for a doctor. My chest rose and fell in jagged bursts as I clutched my swollen belly.
"Damon…" My voice cracked. "It's happening—now."
"What?" His face went pale, eyes wide with disbelief before panic replaced it. "No. No, not here. Not now."
Another contraction ripped through me like a wildfire. I doubled over, the pain unbearable, and screamed.
Marcus surged forward from his front-row seat, his usually cold and controlled demeanor shattered. "Get her to the hospital. Now!"
Margaret clutched her pearls, tears spilling down her face. "Oh God, she's in labor!"
