The Grand Wedding.

Sera's POV

I threw up at five in the morning, kneeling on the cold marble floor of the hotel bathroom, one hand braced against the wall, the other gripping the edge of the sink.

Only this bathroom was the size of my entire apartment. Even the tiles were heated, I'd never seen anything like it before. I never even knew such beauty existed.

Richard Hale had done his thing and I can't lie, it was impressive.

But for some reason my nerves were everywhere.

This morning, I get married to the ‘absolute love of my life’ and assume a life as his lawfully wedded beloved wife.

I rinsed my mouth and looked at myself in the mirror. The woman staring back at me looked exhausted.

Dark circles sat beneath my eyes despite the expensive skincare products someone had left in the room, my hair was pulled back, my skin looked pale, my eyes were dull, no matter how much I tried to force life in them.

I barely recognized me.

Richard and his cohorts had moved me into The Meridian two days after I signed the documents.

I had spent the first night sitting on the edge of the bed in my old pajamas, unable to sleep, listening to the city outside the window and thinking about Martha.

They had transferred her to a private facility the morning after I signed. She was in a better room with better equipment, and a specialist assigned specifically to her case.

I had visited her for the last time before being moved to the hotel. She looked all around the room and back then at me. I couldn't even hold her eye contact.

"Seraphina. What have you done?"

"I fixed it, Martha. You can rest now."

I could tell she wasn't satisfied with my response. But she had not pushed. She just gave in to sleep with that same sad expression on her face.

Now I stood in front of the mirror staring at myself and tried to remember everything about Victoria.

The files Richard had given me to study that contained her mannerisms, her preferences, her social history, her personality. Including video clips of her talking, laughing, with friends, by herself. I had studied everything for four days, often testing myself to see if I now perfectly fit as Victoria.

I failed all my tests.

****

The stylist arrived at six. She did my hair first, then my makeup. Another woman appeared with my dress in a white garment bag.

The dress was extraordinary, but it had been fitted to Victoria's measurements. I was narrower at the waist and half an inch taller, the alterations were done hastily in two days to fit my size yet the bodice sat a bit awkwardly on me. No one would notice though.

At eight o'clock sharp, Richard arrived.

He stood in the doorway while the stylists finished their final adjustments.

For a long moment, he said nothing.

His eyes moved slowly over every detail. The dress, the hair, the makeup, the face that looked enough like Victoria to fool strangers.

When he finally spoke, his voice was as cold as ever.

"The car leaves in thirty minutes."

"I know."

"You remember everything we discussed?"

Every lie? Or was it the threats?

"I remember."

He continued studying me.

I wondered if he was searching for traces of the daughter he'd abandoned.

If he was, he wouldn't find any.

"Do not embarrass this family."

The words landed heavily in the room.

Before I could stop myself, a sharp bitter laugh escaped my throat.

Richard's expression darkened.

"What is funny?"

I looked directly at him.

For perhaps the first time since we'd met.

"You spent twenty seven years pretending I didn't exist."

His jaw tightened.

"You threatened me into marrying a stranger."

Nobody in the room moved. The stylists suddenly became very interested in their equipment.

"And your biggest concern today is whether I embarrass the family?"

For a second, annoyance flashed across his face.

Then it disappeared.

"This marriage protects a great many people."

"It protects you!"

His eyes hardened at me. Almost like he was about to do something crazy.

Finally, he checked his watch.

"The car leaves in twenty nine minutes."

And with that, he turned and walked out.

I picked up my bouquet from the table. White roses that were cold and heavy in my hands. Martha would have liked them.

I got in the car.

****

When we got to the church, the car stopped.

Richard got out first, came around to my door and offered his hand. To the public eye, it was a lovely father - daughter moment. But we both knew it for what it was. A farce.

I took his hand and stepped out.

The cool air hit my face, mixed with the smell of fresh flowers from the entrance of the church. It made me feel nauseous. Everything about this day made me feel nauseous.

My shoes were half a size too small and I could feel my toes squeezing inside but I couldn't even complain.

I walked up the steps beside Richard and tried to maintain a cheerful expression. I must look good for the wedding pictures like he'd said.

Immediately I stepped inside the church, the spotlight landed on me. A couple hundred eyes stared back, beaming and obviously very excited to witness the wedding of Richard Hale’s daughter.

I kept my chin at Victoria's angle.

Richard's grip on my arm tightened slightly as we approached the aisle.

And then I saw Adrian Kingsley.

He was standing at the altar with his back partially turned, speaking quietly to the man beside him. Dark suit, perfectly fitted by his broad shoulders. I noticed he was stiff. Every muscle in his body wound up tight.

Was he even aware he was standing in this rigid posture?

Almost like he heard my question, he slowly turned.

He looked down the aisle and found me immediately. He held my gaze.

I kept walking.

His face gave nothing away, that was the first thing I noticed. There was no smile of recognition, no warmth, no single expression. He wasn't even happy to see his bride. One would think this was his execution and not his wedding.

I would have managed a gloomy groom, or a nervous groom, or a groom kind enough to give his bride a little smile, anything but this.

At least those three were readable. This man was not.

I reached the altar and sealed my own cheerful expression to an unreadable mask. Two can play this game.

Richard placed my hand in his cold, calloused ones and stepped back, then it was just the two of us facing each other in front of four hundred people and a priest.

I made myself look up at him. He was easily 5 inches taller than I was. His dark blue eyes carefully studied me. Like he was trying to see beyond the surface.

No one had ever looked at me quite this intensely before. I tried not to squirm under his gaze.

He looked at my eyes, my hands around the bouquet, the way I was standing, the angle of my chin…everything.

Then the priest began to speak.

Adrian looked away toward the front and I exhaled without making a sound. I hadn't realised I was holding my breath that much.

The ceremony continued. Vows were exchanged. My voice stayed level. My hands stayed still. No smile either.

When the ring slid onto my finger it was too cold, representing everything I felt. This was my reality now.

I was on the verge of tears but I could only imagine the headlines at this point.

‘Billionaire Wife Sheds Hot Tears at the Altar.’

I made myself look back at him. He was already looking at me.

The priest announced us to the congregation and four hundred people applauded, sealing my fate. Richard watched from the front row with his hands folded in his lap.

Adrian offered me his arm.

I took it.

His voice came down to my ear level as we turned to face the aisle. He spoke to me for the first time ever…

"The Victoria I know is perfectly pleasant. Why are you acting strange?"