Chapter 6: Forced to the Altar

Chandria's POV

"W-Where are you taking me?" I asked, my voice shaking slightly.

He didn’t answer.

He just sat there in silence beside me, his eyes fixed straight ahead like he couldn’t be bothered to acknowledge me. ‘

The car we were in felt too quiet, and the only sounds were the faint hum of the engine and the shuffling of guards sitting nearby, men who surrounded me like I was a prisoner.

Fear gripped my chest tighter with every passing second. My hands trembled on my lap as I looked around, trying to make sense of what was happening. I didn’t even know who he truly was. I didn’t know his real name, his status, or what he was capable of.

But one thing was very clear, he was powerful.

The kind of man who could destroy anyone without blinking.

Suddenly, the car came to a stop. I looked outside and froze. My breath hitched when I saw an airplane waiting for us.

“A plane? W-Where are we going?” I asked again, this time with more panic in my voice. “Please answer me.”

He finally turned to look at me, his gaze cold and unreadable. “I’m taking you to my private island.”

“What?” I asked, my voice almost a whisper. My eyes widened in disbelief.

But instead of giving me a proper explanation or trying to calm me down, he suddenly reached out and grabbed my hand.

The touch sent a jolt through my entire body, and for a second, my heart seemed to stop.

His grip was firm, possessive, and left no room for argument. Without another word, he led me toward the airplane and guided me up the stairs.

Once inside, we both took our seats.

“Tell the pilot to take off,” he ordered one of his guards.

“Yes, Lord Serpent,” the guard replied before walking away.

My eyebrows pulled together. Lord Serpent? I looked at him, confused. “Lord Serpent?”

“That’s just my title,” he said coolly.

His voice, it was icy and sharp, with no trace of emotion. It gave me chills. There was nothing comforting about it. Nothing familiar. Just raw authority that made my skin crawl.

“What is this?” I whispered. “Where are you taking me? Please, tell me what you’re planning. This isn’t funny. Just stop and let me go. Please…”

I was begging at this point, my voice breaking. But instead of showing any kind of sympathy, he leaned in close. Too close. He grabbed my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look at him. His face was inches from mine, and I could feel his breath as he stared straight into my soul.

“If you don’t want to get hurt,” he said, his voice low and threatening, “then you better come with me. Do you want to die?”

That was the moment fear completely took over. I stopped talking. I stopped struggling. I just sat there, frozen in place, too scared to move. I couldn’t fight someone like him. Not now. Not when I didn’t even understand what was going on.

The plane took off, and I stayed silent the entire time. My mind went blank as I stared out the window, too overwhelmed to think.

I didn’t know what to feel anymore.

When we finally landed, the view outside left me stunned. We were on a private island, secluded and far away from anything familiar. I could see a massive mansion perched on a hill, surrounded by dense forest. Below it were several smaller properties, like houses or quarters. It looked like something out of a movie.

As we walked down the airplane stairs, my eyes caught something in the distance, people gathering. It looked like a ceremony was about to begin.

My heart started to race again.

What kind of place was this?

And why was I brought here?

Flowers were everywhere. White, crimson, and gold. Lining the path as if a grand event was about to happen. I noticed something strange. There was a priest. And there were men. All of them wore black, solemn expressions on their faces.

"Go straight there," he said to me.

I hesitated. My stomach twisted with nerves, but I obeyed. I walked toward the mansion, into a hallway, and then through a heavy door. The room I entered had several women inside. They all looked up as I came in.

"Get her ready," he gave an order to one of the women inside.

He turned to leave, but I noticed something behind him. My eyes widened.

A wedding dress was hanging in the corner of the room.

I froze.

“Wait,” I called after him, stopping him just before he exited. “What’s the meaning of this? Why is there a wedding dress? What’s happening here?”

I was growing more and more suspicious. My instincts were screaming.

He looked annoyed, like I was making this more complicated than it had to be.

“Don’t overthink. Just follow along.”

“W-What?” I asked, my voice trembling. “What are you saying?”

He finally turned to face me fully. His cold eyes bore into mine.

“It’s a wedding.”

I stared at him, stunned. “What? Why?—”

“You ask too many questions,” he snapped. “It’s irritating.”

I swallowed hard. Fear crept up my spine, but I still stepped forward, desperate for answers.

“Please,” I whispered. “Tell me the truth. Why am I here? Why are you making me wear this? Is this really a wedding? Are you marrying…me?”

His eyes narrowed.

“Yes. This wedding is for us. You’re going to marry me.”

“What?” I choked out. “Why?”

I was panicking now, questions pouring from my mouth without pause.

But he didn’t give me any more answers. He just turned away.

“Start getting ready,” he said coldly. “And stop asking questions unless you want to see me angry.”

Then he walked out, leaving me there. Confused, overwhelmed, and terrified.

Before I could even process what he said, the women surrounded me.

“Come now, dear. Let’s get you dressed,” one of them said softly.

I didn’t have the strength to resist. My body moved without thinking as they guided me to a chair. They started doing my hair and makeup, gently but quickly. Then they helped me into the wedding dress. It was a beautiful white gown, elegant and fitting like it was made for me. By the time they were done, I could barely recognize myself. I looked… beautiful. Perfect. Like a bride from a fairytale.

But this wasn’t a fairy tale.

When I stepped outside, I saw the ceremony had already begun. The aisle was lined with petals, the altar was set, and at the end of it… he stood, waiting for me.

He was dressed in black, his suit sharp, his expression unreadable.

I clutched the bouquet they gave me. My heart pounded so loudly I could barely hear anything else. My throat tightened. Tears welled up in my eyes, but I tried not to let them fall.

This wasn’t the wedding I had dreamed of.

This wasn’t the man I thought I’d marry.

And yet, as I looked at him, something strange happened. The world seemed to fade away. I couldn’t see the crowd. I couldn’t hear the music.

All I saw was him. Tall, composed, and staring at me with an intense gaze that felt like it could burn right through my soul.

There was something in his eyes. Something that made my knees weak.

And for a second, I forgot everything.

I took a shaky breath and began walking down the aisle, step by step. But just as I reached halfway, something unexpected happened.

Gunshots.

Bullets flew through the air, tearing through the silence.

And just like that, everything shattered.