The Wedding

Chapter 4

My father tensed his jaw. Hayden continued, “and since I’ll marry your daughter, you’ll be part of the family. It won’t be a disadvantage. Just give the power to the right hands.” 

My hands curled into fists under the table. My mom is still in the hospital, and her condition is critical, we have to agree. The Pierro wanted to “fix everything fast,” so they set the wedding for tomorrow. 

The day of the wedding, I stood in front of the mirror wearing a white satin A-line dress. Deep V-neck, a big bow at the back and a long, flowing skirt. 

When the priest said, “You may now kiss the bride,”

I froze. 

Hayden lifted my veil slowly like he was taking his time to study my face. His eyes didn’t look cold, they looked… curious. The moment our eyes met, my heart jumped. His brows pulled together a little, as if silently asking, What are you scared of? He was wearing his groom’s suit, and now I notice his sharp jaw, thick brows, deep dark eyes, and that neat beard that made him unfairly handsome. 

I closed my eyes. I didn’t even realize a tear slipped down my cheek. He stepped in gently, his hand brushed the side of my face, wiping my tears with his thumb, slow and careful, and then he kissed me….

Not on the lips, on my forehead. My eyes opened in shock, and for a second, he wasn’t the cold, annoying man I thought he was. The applause followed after, loud and echoing. All I could focus on was the lingering feeling of his lips on my skin.

The reception was beautiful, I followed Hayden to the front table, but something in the corner of my eye stopped me. Nairovi. She was standing near the giant wedding cake, staring at me like I was the worst person alive. The cake had “Salvatore” written on one side and “Pierro” on the other, with a tiny figurine of a bride and groom. Her eyes were swollen, she turned away so I followed her, but she slipped out of sight. 

A man in a hoodie and mask appeared and called my name, like he wanted me to come closer. Before I could react, he doused my dress with flammable liquor and he flicked a lighter. And the fire caught instantly. Flames shot up my dress, bright and fast. I screamed, the sound ripping straight from my chest. Panic shot through me as heat crawled the fabric.

The crowd didn’t even breathe. They watched me like I was part of some twisted show. I stumbled back, trying to put out the flames, but the spotlight followed me… trapping me inside its circle light. I wanted Hayden—God, I hated that I wanted him but people were pulling him back, stopping him from getting to me. 

His face, though.. He looked furious. Then everything shifted.

The fire didn’t burn, the heat didn’t hurt. Instead, it started changing — white satin dissolving into shimmering red like the flames were melting it on purpose. Sparkles spread the skirt, glowing under the spotlight until I was standing there in a glittering red gown. The gasps turned into applause and the lights flashed back on.

“Surprise!” Elly Rose chirped into a microphone. “Do you love my idea?” She was smiling like she won an award for traumatizing me. 

Hayden stoop up so fast his chair scraped the floor, his voice boomed across the reception.

“That’s enough, Elly,” the whole room went quiet. Hayden came straight to me, ignoring everyone. 

As I walked toward him, I shot Elly a sharp look, the kind that said I could strangle her if I wanted to. Hayden's hands rested lightly on my back, steadying me.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, voice low, controlled, and protective. He didn’t realize he cared until now.

“I’m fine,” I muttered. We sat down, and I glared at him, “your sister is insane.” 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “She is, and yeah. I should've warned you.”

“A warning? She really set me on fire.” 

He almost smiled. “I’m not happy about it.”

“You look happy.” I said, contradicting him.

“I’m not,” he said, leaning closer. “But you did look incredible out there.” I rolled my eyes. “And…” he added, “earlier, I wanted to kiss you on your lips.”

I stepped on his foot, he was referring to the kiss at the wedding. 

He winced, “Fair. I deserved that.” Then he laughed. “Red suits you. You look hot,” he added. 

“Shut the f*ck up,” I bubbled, and before he could talk again, I stuffed food into his mouth. He choked on a laugh, shaking his head. 

After the wedding, I rested my back in the car and closed my eyes. I just wanted the day to end. 

Another day, I woke up on the couch in the same room as Hayden. My whole body aches. I chose the couch on purpose, I don’t want to share a bed with him, I don’t want him touching me, I know my desires and dreams don’t match the things I say, but still.

When I sat up, I noticed an exquisite envelope on the table. I opened it, and inside was a decorated sheet of paper containing the mansion rules: NO FIGHTING. NO ABSENT OR LATE AT THE DINING TABLE. BE HONEST. I laughed softly. “Do people here never fight?” It felt silly. 

“Get ready. We’re eating with the family,” Hayden as he walked in. 

I changed into a simple, comfortable dress and followed him downstairs. The dining hall was huge, and their family…wow. They had fewer than twenty chairs, but compared to my tiny family of five, it felt massive. Something is off, why were there only four people here? Five, including me. Where were the others?

We took our seats, and then his grandparents arrived. They explained the house rules again, no long explanations, just expectations. 

“It’s important, especially for you,” Grandma Aurora. “You’re part of the family now.” 

Her words hit me in a strange way — comforting but heavy. I wasn’t sure if I should smile or panic. 

Hayden leaned closer and whispered, “Don’t worry. I’ll help you survive them,” I pinched his side hard under the table.

And he yelped. “Ouch!”

I shot him a look, telling him to shut up. Now everyone’s staring at us. Great. I feel like I’m in trouble.