25 — A Beautiful Lie

I walked down the aisle slowly, letting the wedding hymn guide each step forward. Petals scattered under my heels, soft against the ground, like the world had dressed itself for something I was not fully ready to believe in. Everyone was standing. Faces turned toward me in a way that made my skin feel warm, like I was being watched from every direction at once.

If wishes had weight, I would have folded under mine right there.

The beach stretched endlessly on both sides, waves folding into the shore like they were whispering to themselves. The aisle had been carved through sand and flowers, velvety red petals pressed into the ground, antique lanterns swaying above us, glowing against the early evening sky. Painted shells and scattered pebbles lined the path like someone had tried to turn the entire coastline into a memory. Hailey’s mom did that. It was just scenic. It was picturesque.

It was too beautiful for something that wasn’t real.

How I wanted it to be real anyway.

My mother stood near the front, tears already gathered in her eyes. She smiled at me like she was trying to hold herself together through it. There was pride in it. Something fragile underneath too. She believed this was real. Or maybe she just needed it to be real enough to survive the moment.

Her dress suited her beautifully. Strapless, beaded, with a scalloped fringe that moved when she shifted. She looked tired in a way she tried to hide, but she still stood like she always had, like exhaustion never fully won against her.

Then I felt it.

His eyes.

Trevor.

I looked at him, and my breath slowed without permission.

He stood at the altar like the ocean behind him belonged there too. A black tux fitted cleanly against his frame, a white shirt pressed sharp, bow tie in a muted red-orange that somehow matched the tone of my bouquet. His hair was styled back, every detail of him put together in a way that felt unfair.

And then he smiled.

Not polite. Not careful.

Real.

It caught me off guard more than I wanted to admit. My fingers tightened around the bouquet. Circus roses, bright and almost ridiculous in my hands, suddenly felt louder than everything around me.

My thoughts became messy in an instant.

This is not real. It is not supposed to feel like this. He is doing what he is supposed to do.

But my body never really listens when it comes to him.

Still, one thought kept pushing through everything else.

What if I stayed here long enough to forget how to leave?

Beside him stood a man I almost did not recognise at first. Dark suit, composed face, eyes that didn’t soften when they met mine. I had only ever seen him in photos—online articles, gossip pages Trevor’s name always seemed to attract. Marcello Massimo. The name came with a reputation. Dangerous. Untouchable. The kind of man people lowered their voices for. On the other side, Hailey was glowing in a beaded gown that fit her like it had been made just for her. She caught my eye and gave me a small smile that almost steadied me.

Scott, Hailey’s father, guided me through the last few steps. When we reached the altar, he placed my hand into Trevor’s.

The moment our fingers met, everything in me paused.

It wasn’t peace. It wasn’t comfort. It was just stillness.

Trevor did not let go. He held my hand like he had already decided it would stay there.

That alone made my chest tighten in a way I did not want to examine.

The officiant’s voice carried over the beach air.

“Do you, Trevor Vitaly Reynolds, take Alessia Nicole Maxwell to be your lawful wedded wife, to cherish in friendship, to love her faithfully, to trust and honour her through the best and the worst, for as long as you both shall live?”

“I do,” he said without hesitation, grinning at my face like he had been waiting for this moment his entire life. If only. I was aware it’s a lie, a beautiful lie.

Then it was my turn.

The silence behind the words felt heavier than the sea wind brushing past us.

“Do you, Alessia Nicole Maxwell, take Trevor Vitaly Reynolds to be your lawful wedded husband, to cherish in friendship, to love him faithfully, to trust and honour him through the best and the worst, for as long as you both shall live?”

I looked at him.

He was already looking at me.

Waiting.

Behind us, everything had gone still in that way crowds do when they are holding their breath for something they think might break.

My throat tightened.

If I said no, everything would fall apart in ways I could not control. His company. His parents. My mother. The arrangement. The fragile structure holding all of this together.

Trevor’s hand shifted slightly against mine.

That was what made it harder.

I exhaled once.

“Do you, Alessia—”

I bottled up my thought and sighed out loudly.

“I do. I really do,” I said. I almost slapped myself the moment the last three words left my mouth. What was I trying to prove? Because that definitely made me seem eager, and for sure, Trevor noticed.

God. Stupid, stupid Alessia.

My voice came out quieter than I expected.

A flicker crossed his face, gone before I could name it. Then he slid the ring onto my finger. The stone caught the lantern light and reflected it back in a soft glow on my face. My breath caught when it settled there, like it had always belonged there.

He wiped a tear from my cheek without saying anything.

I did not even realize I was crying.

“You may kiss the bride,” the officiant said.

For a second, neither of us moved.

Then Trevor stepped closer.

It was happening, the moment. A tingling feeling started brewing inside my body in expectation of what was to come.

His hand lifted to my face, slow enough that I could have stopped him if I wanted to. I did not.

I met him halfway.

I stood on my tippy toes and leaned in, savouring his minty taste. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, I arched my body closer to him. We were pressed up against each other. He slightly bit my bottom lip and I let out a breathy moan, which he heard. I opened my mouth and let his tongue in; he responded with equal ferocity. We were like two peas in a pod. It was so perfect. It was both gentle and fierce. It was heaven. The world fell away. There was only him—well, until—

“Ehm…ehm,” a sound cleared somewhere behind us.

Then laughter.

Honestly, I knew nobody wanted to see live p**n, especially our parents.

I pulled back too quickly, heat rising to my face. Trevor let out a low breath that sounded almost like amusement.

Well, good for him.

“Sorry,” I muttered.

He did not answer. He was still looking at me like nothing had ended.

***

The reception unfolded like something that did not quite belong to real life.

The hall was built near the beach, open to the ocean air. It was a grand wedding with ruby as its theme. It was everything my father had always wanted my wedding to look like, and for that, I had my mother-in-law and Gracie, Hailey’s mom, to thank. There were lanterns hanging above in soft rows that swayed with the wind. Red tones threaded through everything—flowers, fabric, light. The sound of waves reached us between music and voices.

It was crowded. Too crowded.

A thousand guests at least. People I knew. People I didn’t. People who would never know me at all but would still talk about this night like it meant something permanent. It was no surprise Trevor’s mom, Camilla, invited others, from relatives to close associates and the rest. I had no idea. She had a pretty high position in society; I didn’t need to social climb for one.

Still, it was beautiful.

In a way that reminded me of my father.

That thought stayed longer than I wanted it to.

My eyes met Trevor’s for the umpteenth time. His gaze held a dangerous glint. He worked his way through the throng of well-wishers, coming in my direction, holding my gaze. I felt him before I saw him, the way people subtly moved aside when he walked. He stopped in front of me and held out his hand.

“Dance with me,” he said.

Not a question.

I placed my hand in his.

The music softened as we stepped onto the floor. At first, I was careful with every movement, unsure where to place my thoughts, unsure where to look. Trevor guided me without speaking, steady enough that I eventually stopped overthinking and just followed.

His hand rested at my waist. Mine stayed on his shoulder.

We moved together slowly.

It should have felt unfamiliar.

It did not.

There was something about the way he held the space between us that made it hard to pull away. His eyes stayed on mine without wandering, and it made every hair on my skin rise.

The noise of the room faded until it felt distant.

For a moment, I let myself stay there. The music. The movement. The way he led without hesitation.

The way we were twirling and gazing into each other’s eyes—it almost felt real, like a fairytale. My fairytale. I wanted that moment to last forever. His hands caressed my clothed skin like a lover would. His lips whispered unspoken words, and somehow I could hear them. His body swayed with mine in the most beautiful yet perfect way possible, like we were made for each other. It suddenly dawned on me: Mr Reynolds wasn’t just a billionaire, he was a lover. That… I understood. He may dislike me, but he definitely didn’t hate love or romance. Call it what you want, I could have sworn he enjoyed every moment just like I did.

That thought came and went before I could hold onto it properly.

His hand settled slightly at my back, grounding me when I drifted. I looked up at him again.

He was still watching me.

Not like a statement.

Like he was actually seeing me.

I did not know what to do with that.

So I stayed in the moment, moving with him until the song began to slow, stretching into its ending.

His hand tightened slightly at my waist, like he noticed it too.

My breath caught before I could stop it.

His gaze dropped for a second to my lips.

Then back to my eyes.

Something in me reacted before I could think. A small step back formed in my mind, not yet in my body.

And just as I started to move—

his hand did not let go.