Ch 1: The Lost Marriage

The main hall in the east wing of the God Sanctum Cathedral had been booked exclusively by the Kikanasih TV Company. Inside, a muscular man wearing a three-piece white tuxedo waited impatiently. Despite the great size of the main hall, only a few people are allowed to enter. The President of Kikanasih TV has booked it for a private wedding ceremony, and only a few people were invited.

This wedding was held for the President to marry the daughter of the Mentari TV company. Since Mentari TV company has accumulated debt to Kikanasih TV company, they had to do something to fix the financial issues. This may sound cliche, but using women as an asset to repay the company debt is a normal thing in a business relationship. Thus leads to Eka and Rina marriage, marriage based on money instead of love.

In front of the party hall door, there's Eka looking at his watch impatiently while tapping his left foot on the shiny marble floor. Not long after his endless tapping on the floor, he felt a sudden tap on his shoulder. It was Rizky Sunardi, his best friend since high school.

Rizky's parents lead the largest toy company on Surabaya, Rizky is chosen as an heir to the company due to his cleverness and decisiveness in work. He may play around with girls, but he gets his job done when the company requires him to.

Similarly to Eka, their families have close relationships with each other and they both hang out to fool around, although mostly it's on Rizky though.

"Eka, how are you feeling about today's party?", his friend asks lightheartedly.

"Not necessarily interested but I want to check what kind of body she has", Eka smirked playfully.

His eyes flared up with excitement, plastered on his face; his boastful look could make any woman kneel below him like a slave. Eka was known as a playboy who could make any woman become his. His boastful attitude is supported by the fact that he's charming and assertive to his job.

He leads the company to success within four years, which is also the reason why he's in his white tuxedo now. His bride, Rina Suliwati is the daughter of the dignified Mentari TV Company. Because of Eka company influence in the mass, Mentari Group lost its daily viewers leading to the bankruptcy of the company.

Eka can't help but be curious about the woman he will be wed to. His friend, Rizky has been nagging him endlessly about the woman's physical feature from the start of the ceremony until now.

"So what do you think she will look like?"Rizky stared at the President of Kikanasih Group teasingly.

"No idea" Eka replied with a curious smile.

"But aren't you interested in exploring her cave?" Rizky smiled at his best friend naughtily.

Eka may be less playful and less womanizer than Rizky, but his strong demanding aura made plenty of women give their body to him voluntarily. His touch is as smooth as silk, however, when he's in stress he can treat his partner rougher and more sadistic.

"I may be interested, but that doesn't mean I will treat her nicely because of our partnership", Eka clenched his fist.

He's looking at his watch, waiting for his unknown bride to come inside the large-sized party hall. He's skeptical about the marriage, but he heard that the daughters of the Mentari Group have unprecedented skills in Directing any TV show.

This piqued Eka's interest in her future potential for his company. He was soon called by the event organizer to prepare himself on the wedding scaffolds.

"Mr. Eka the bride is still in the changing room, the ceremony will start in fifteen minutes. If you have anything else you want to-".

"No, I don't have anything else to do anyway. Let's just start the ceremony", Eka cut mid sentences.

That's when suddenly an unfamiliar woman came from outside the party hall, with the beautiful white dress she walked aimlessly inside the hall.

"Oh no she must have lost her way again, I will be back for more briefing Mr. Eka".

"Yes, leave me alone and help that poor woman back to her place", Eka sighed as he saw the clueless woman wandering around the party hall.

The event organizer bowed down and ran toward the lost bride in a hurry. However, since that bride's arrival he can't part his eyes from her. Her beautiful wide eyes, the brownish colors are alluring like the brownish he usually eats in his leisure time. Her body figure is like an hourglass, sexy and appetizing.

Her frilly raven hair attracts his attention and her sharp eyes are certainly something to look forward to. He smiles satisfyingly as he licked his finger seductively toward his soon to be wife. He can't wait to corrupt her whole being and etched her mind with his figure.

* * *

Rina Suliwati lost her way and ended up in the party hall by accident, she just wants to unnerve herself in the toilet but now she feels like she's just bothering everyone around her. She sighed as she looked around the unfamiliar party hall for signboards. She was surprised when the event organizer tapped her shoulder and told her to get back to the changing room.

"I'm so sorry I lost my way, can you lead the way? This place is bigger than I thought", Rina can only intertwine her fingers nervously.

"Yes, it's this way", the man led her to the changing room that is located at the far end of the hallway outside the party hall. She nodded and said thank you to the event organizer member when she entered the changing room she was welcomed by her classmates.

"Rina!! Happy Wedding! Congratulations", a woman in glasses hugged her affectionately.

Rina hugged her back affectionately, she didn't feel like letting the hug end. She knows that she won't be able to see her classmates, her best friends, and soon they will be out of her reach. Rina letting her arms go, involuntarily.

"Rina, be happy okay? Now you don't have to try so hard anymore on your own. He can help you with your mum's condition", a stylish auburn-haired woman spoke to Rina worriedly.

Rina wishes they knew the truth behind her marriage with the man. She despises the marriage, but she knows that her family owes them a lot of money. Her father lost his all remaining stocks, leading the company to poverty.

Moreover her mother is in a coma because of her severe leukemia. What's worse is her older sister never contacted her and ran away with a random man, and his father tried to rise from bankruptcy by selling random music CDs online.

She is the only supporter of her mum's critical condition, they barely have money to pay her medical expenses. She knows that the reason her mum is still alive was that her family is under the mercy of Kikanasih company President.

She has plenty of her classmates and friends who support her marriage, thinking that this life will lead her into a better life. On the contrary, for her this marriage feels like hell. She is married to an unknown person that led her dad company into bankruptcy.

"Rina?" another classmate of hers called her.

She snapped out of her reverie, she flashed a fake smile to convince her friends that she will be fine.

"You're right, I'm sure he's a great man who can help my family", Rina smiled reassuringly.

Her grades and popularity can't help her to get out of this situation, although she wishes she can get out though.

That's when the event organizer member came in and signaled her to be prepared. Rina nodded to the man who led her to the changing room. She looks at her classmates dearly, there are five of them. They shake Rina's hand, grateful for the rich groom who wants to propose to her. They didn't know the whole truth of the marriage, and she wishes it stays that way.

She got out of the changing room slowly, her body feeling sluggish as the EO member yelled hastily about today's event breakdown. For her, this marriage seems unreal and too fast. She feels overwhelmed and sad.

Her sorrows were shown clearly when she walked on the aisles to the party hall. One of the bridesmaids notices her sorrow and pat her back.

"Miss I don't understand what makes you sad right now, but if you're sad you can try to think of a pony", the short-haired woman replies in confidence.

Rina laughed slightly, she looked at the short-haired woman's raven eyes. Her eyes are straightforward and honest, she decided to ask her identity.

"What's your name?", Rina asked her.

"Vanny, I am the groom's nephew", she smiled cheerfully.

Her smile soon faded when she heard the words groom, she has yet to know her groom's face. Rina anxieties kick in and her fingers start to become fidgety as they draw close to the party hall doors.

As soon as the door opened, the audience was looking at her. She soon got embarrassed but then she shook her head bravely. She decided to conquer her fear and look forward to the wedding scaffold. She saw a man with a white tuxedo, looking at her as if she's his prey. His dashing face attracted her attention for the first time, not only that but his muscular build is distracting her. After walking closer to the scaffold she was pulled by the man's strong hand, her fair skin brushing his caramel skin by accident.

"You're too stiff", the man spoke huskily to Rina.

"I know", Rina replied seriously. "My bad".

Rina took a glance at the dashing man next to her, she wonders whether his father's decision will bring fruitful results for her family's financial state. But his gaze toward her is not the gaze of curiosity nor kindness, it's the gaze of a hunter looking at his prey. She only wishes that her bad feelings are only her imagination.