2 - The Runaway Bride

ADELINA'S POV

The best day of my life slowly turned into a scene from a nightmare I could not wake up from.

Sitting in a white pool lace of my long princess wedding dress, my face was pale, and I froze. "Papa," I said again but it came out like a whimper this time around. The flower bouquet in my hand was on the floor. I grabbed my face with both hands, shaking my head over and over again, thinking it was a nightmare, but it was real.

All that was on my mind was to reach my father's side, but Viktor had other plans. He firmly held my arm. "Where are you going, Mrs Romanov ?" He asked me.

I did not care about that title. All I wanted was to run to my father's side. Why did Viktor shoot Dad? We were his allies. No matter how I think of it, my head could not think of a reason why.

"This is a wedding present from me to you." He grinned at me. Everyone was in shock because of the sudden gunfire. Soon, it sank into my father's men's heads that their leader was shot, and then everything turned into chaos.

Viktor made me watch as everyone I loved fell on their knees by the hands of his men. The Russian mob was more brutal so we didn't stand a chance.

"Please stop Viktor. I am begging you please stop this madness. Why are you doing this?" I cried over and over again but my tears all fell on deaf ears. It was hard for me to comprehend what was happening and what exactly went wrong.

I had no idea why he was doing this; marrying me would make him one of the strongest bosses since my family would be under him, with the fraction being led by my brother.

Viktor tilted his head to the side with his eyes having a crazy glint in it. "Why did I do it, you ask?" He asked. Viktor twisted my arm and pulled me closer, slamming on his firm chest that felt like a wall.

His arm immediately circled my waist and he whispered into my ears. "I did it because I wanted to. I enjoy the chaos, dear wife. Plus, there was no way I would have let a large group like this exist as a potential threat, and the best idea to gather all of them was at a wedding where their guards would be low."

His voice didn't sound sympathetic. He just enjoyed the chaos he created like a fucking psycho.

My face twisted with anger and disgust; the same hands that were my haven were now the hand that sent me to hell. I never knew I would say this but I hate him so damn much the urge to rip him apart seems very pleasurable.

I kicked him in the balls disgusted by him. Viktor winced because of the pain and shot my arm, but the pain was the least of the problems.

"You little bitch." He grunted, his voice laced with pain.

Using the chance I had, I rushed to my father's side. His body was still warm but his eyes were devoid of life. Mum kept on crying and hugging him. Her make-up was ruined with her mascara all over her face due to her tears.

Lorenzo was leading our side against Viktor's people, but there was no way we would win. "Run," Mum told me.

"Run Adelina, this is our end." She snapped at me, breaking me from my reverie. I was holding Dad's hand, which got colder with each passing second.

After Viktor shot me in the arm he didn't bother about me because I was his harmless wife and focused on screaming commands at his men.

It was hard to believe this was my wedding; the priest was already hiding behind the altar. "I can't leave you." I cried as my hand reached my mouth.

Tears streaming down endlessly, this was my fault. I was the one who brought up the idea because I thought we were in love, but all Viktor cared about was violence and power.

"You have to run before you catch his attention. Viktor might not kill you, but you would serve under the man who killed your family." My face got ugly, knowing Viktor could make my life worse than it already was.

She pushed me away. I clenched my hands by my side. I didn't want to leave them, but only a living person could get back at Viktor.

My heartbeat spiked up when someone grabbed my hand, whipping my head to the side. I saw it was Lorenzo, my brother, and he seemed to have been caught in a couple of crossfires, but he was still standing.

"Get your sister out of here," Mum instructed him. "No, I don't want to, Mum; let me die by your side." I cried my eyes out, but Lorenzo didn't care and dragged me away, using his body as a shield as we ran down the aisle, amidst the chaos.

Bullets flew around and echoed in my ears; the air was thick with the smell of gunpowder and blood. The perfect wedding dress, which I could not wait to wear, was now ruined and stained red. I was too stunned and let Lorenzo pull me away.

Lorenzo took me out of the cathedral. "Get out of here Adelina ." He instructed me, then turned back to go back in, which was suicidal.

I grabbed his hand. "You can't go back inside, let's run away together," I begged him, but knowing Lorenzo, there was no way he would let his men fight alone.

"I can't, Adelina; please survive for us and don't think of getting revenge. Viktor is a devil you can't fight." Those were Lorenzo's last words he said before going back to the chaos.

Due to the barring sounds of gunshots coming from the cathedral, the street was also in chaos. I needed to run, but where? Viktor would find me no matter where I ran to.

Gathering my gown, I ran to the middle of the road to stop a taxi. The car stopped just in time before hitting me. "What the hell is wrong with you?!" The driver screamed at me but I ignored it and ran into the backseat. My hands were shaking and my tears couldn't stop

"Take me to the Victorian hotel." I urged the driver instead. He sensed the urgency in my tone and stepped on the accelerator. At that moment, Viktor walked out of the cathedral, his black suit still perfect despite being in a gunfight.

His eyes locked with mine, and fury filled them, seeing I was getting away. He tried shooting at the taxis, but luckily, the driver successfully evaded him and got away.

Why? Why? That was what I asked myself over and over again. I loved Viktor, but why did he have to do this? The driver was silent with my endless sob, the only sound that could be heard in the car that sped on the road with our environment blurring behind us.

I ripped a part of my dress to tie above my wound to reduce the blood loss, but it didn't do much.

The car arrived at the Grand Five-Star Victorian Hotel. I didn't have money to pay the taxi driver, so I pulled out my diamond earrings for him.

"Are you sure you don't want to go to a hospital?" He asked hesitant to leave me behind with a bullet wound that didn't stop bleeding.

"I will be fine," I answered, wiping my face with my bare hand. I didn't have time to waste because of the mission I had here.

Lorenzo said that revenge was pointless, but how do they expect me to live with myself knowing everything was partly my fault?

To fight a devil, you need another devil, and that was what I was going to get. There was a grand event being held at this hotel right now and that was where he would be.

I gritted my teeth due to the unbearable pain in my arm as I made my way into the hotel. There was no need to ask for directions because I knew where the party was being held.

The hall was on the ground floor, the door was pushed open and I entered in a bloody wedding dress with blood trickling down my arm. Everyone's attention was drawn to me too, but it didn't matter to me.

"Ma'am you can't be here." A security personnel stopped me because of my appearance. I tried to evade him but he didn't let me advance. "Please let me through." I could barely say because of the piercing pain I felt in my arm.

Panicking, my eyes started searching the crowd for him, and there he was, standing proud in the crowd. The tyrant of the business world. As if he sensed my gaze on him, he glanced at me and his deep blue eyes met mine. My breath hitched, being caught in my throat.

He was even more gorgeous than how the rumours described him. My heart started beating wildly knowing I had to do everything I could to convince him to help me. I struggled to go past the security but it was futile.

He got bored of looking my way and turned away. My pulse spiked up, knowing if I didn't meet him today, there might not be another chance before Viktor came for me. Using every ounce of strength in me I broke free from the guard and ran towards him.