Semua Bab Married by force : Bab 21 - Bab 30

AURORA POV “Congratulations Ryan," a voice spoke with false sincerity. It was Ryan's cousin James. His handshake was clammy, He forced a smile that seemed almost fake This was our engagement party. It'd been two weeks of intense silence and constantly avoiding each other. We had barely spoken to each other after the last encounter we had. The hall was beautifully decorated, an expression of the power and influence of both families. Soft music drifted through the air. Crystal chandeliers dripped light onto perfectly arranged floral displays, illuminating the – friends, business partners, and, undoubtedly, enemies each one lurking beneath their polished smiles. My father looked satisfied; too satisfied, while Damien laughed with a group of investors near one of the guests' tables. Both our families were present. Ryan wore a blue fitted suit, a white shirt, and a blue tie. As we greeted the endless stream of guests, his eyes kept drifting to me, staring shamelessly at my beauty

Aurora POV A wave of sickness wrenched me from my unconscious mind. I stumbled toward the bathroom and threw up, kneeling on the cold marble floor. I was too exhausted to get up so I shuddered. Miss Clara reached over me and flushed the toilet before stroking my hair back from my forehead. “Are you okay Miss ?” she asked My voice came out hoarse. “Yes… I’m fine.” She didn’t argue, but from her silence it was clear she didn’t believe me. The memory of how my stepsister had made a spectacle of me at my own engagement party washed over me again. Ryan had almost made me put a bullet in her head for it. I wondered why I hesitated even though she’d hurt me and snatched the man I loved from me. I had imagined things would turn out differently between Ethan and me. My mind drew back to the kiss we shared when we were kids. He had promised me that I would be the only woman he would ever be with. We even planned to have two kids; a boy and a girl. Reality dawned on me as I remembered f

Aurora POVThirteen hours later, I found myself in the middle of a shopping mall, searching for a wedding dress. My stepmother stood to my right, her face rigid as always, while my cousin Lia lingered on my left. Her sharp eyes glared at me.“Aaaaghh….” I screamed.I swayed as the seamstress behind me tugged at my laces. She yanked at the laces of the corseted gown.“You’ve got to suck in, Miss I’ve barely begun tightening it up.” She said, ignoring my incessant grumbling “I'm sucking in” I wheezed. The boutique smelled of expensive lace and perfume Mannequins lined the walls, draped in stunning gowns“Have you been eating more, Aurora? You seem to be gaining weight,” My cousin Lia asked with fake concern while grabbing my armI yanked my arm free, my face etched with anger “Don’t touch me.” She blinked.“Sensitive, aren’t we?”“Can we just get to the point of why we’re here?” I snapped, my patience thinning by the secondMy stepmother scoffed loudly, folding her arms over her che

RYAN POV The reception party had started .The hall was filled with guests,friends and enemies alike.My first cocktail was strong enough to burn all the way down in only a few minutes, and I instinctively pulled Aurora’s chair closer to mine as she sipped on her lighter cocktail. She didn’t say much all night, and she continued the trend as she sat at our main table and greeted each guest with a forced smile.The smile never reached her eyes. I couldn’t figure her out. She wasn’t dramatic. She wasn’t loud. She didn’t cry. She just folded inward.And that unsettled me more than anger would have.. “Come on , man,” my cousin Liam said, slamming an expensive bottle of brandy onto the table between us. “A swig of this is good luck for the wedding night.” He wiggled his eyebrows like an idiot. “Wouldn’t want to disappoint your bride.” My lips smirked . “I think I’ll manage.” I glanced down at Aurora.Her expression appeared indifferent.Maybe she's a bit tense. She said nothing a

AURORA POV It was my father. My fingers trembled. My entire body followed as if I had stepped outside myself and was watching the scene unfold from somewhere else. There was no hope of pulling myself out of this situation. The smile on my father’s face was the same one he had worn the day he handed me over to the Dmitris, as if I were something to be sold. He had already won this time ,the look of victory gleamed across his eyes. “Make sure you take care of my daughter,” Dad said, shaking Ryan’s hand. But my father never once bothered shifting his gaze from me. His eyes looked deep into my soul He stepped forward with his arms wide open My body reacted before my mind did. I stepped back. That single move was all it took for his gaze to turn hard. The warmth had suddenly disappeared. He could make a scene if I didn't hug him. I knew he could humiliate me without breaking a sweat. I couldn't afford that, not after everything that had happened. I forced my shaking arms to open. He s