No one objected against this method of marriage, not even the crowd or the bald priest who was too focus on getting this wedding moving.
She heard no murmurings of any sort.
Was this normal?
She really should have spoken to her father about the type of groom she was about to get married to instead of walking out on him, going to a club and having a one night stand.
A One Night Stand!
She smirked slightly underneath her veil.
The one night stand was not that bad though, so she didn't regret it too much.
"I do." She heard a deep and authoritative voice from the laptop, snapping her back to reality and her smirk disappeared.
The Priest said out loud the vows to her, they sounded a little different but the state her mind was in, didn't let her fully process the words.
Instead she replied, "I do."
Instead of the ring exchange, Ivy was headed a goblet.
Seriously?
She eyed it suspiciously before giving the priest a weary look.
He looked at her, almost annoyed at the oblivion she was trying to put forward.
"You know the rules. Drink."
Did she though?
Had handing over goblets taken over ring exchanges now? Was this the latest trend?
She wanted to ask but she could feel everyone's eyes on her and she immediately felt out of it.
Arrgh!
If only she had just taken her time to make her research about weddings nowadays, she wouldn't be so confused right now!
She took in a deep breath, then drank from the goblet in a gulp.
It wasn't until she had entirely drank from the goblet did she realize something, her eyes grew wide and she stared at the priest in shock.
"Is that b-blood?!" She yelled.
The crowd immediately hissed back at her, baring their teeth at her like animals.
Her heart raced as she looked around in confusion.
What kind of people were this?!
The Priest held his up hand and silence reigned.
"Have you drank it, Master?"
"Yes." The voice boomed from the laptop again, this time, deeper.
Someone collected the goblet from here, then the Priest raised his hands up in the air.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife!"
The crowd stood up at once then cheered, it seemed fake though but that was none of Ivy's business. All she wanted right now, was to get the hell out of here!
These people were insane! No kidding!
Immediately, Girald closed the laptop and along with some of the grumpy bodyguards, he led her back to the car. Making her sit between him and another hunk of a suited bodyguard.
That way, she wouldn't be able to escape by 'flying' out of the 'closed' window.
Not that she could but... protocols?
Ivy scoffed.
These people were ridiculous!
She must have a word with her parents immediately. How dare they make her get married into a family of lunatics like this?! She would definitely pay them back for this nonsense!
"I need to see my parents." She pressed the minute they got into the car but Girald who was sitting to her left, paid her no attention.
"Step on it." He ordered the driver who immediately hit the road.
"What the hell is going on?! I need to--"
"We need to take you to the Villa immediately, Mistress."
"Mistress? Just call me Ivy."
"Your cooperation will be greatly appreciated, but if you do otherwise, we might have to use force, 'Mistress'."
"What are you now? Policemen?"
"Bodyguards." Girald corrected matter of fact, looking a bit offended, the sarcasm completely flying over his head. "And those were the Master's orders."
"I would never have guessed." She muttered underneath her breath, her chest raising and falling as she felt the car swirl to a bend and sped up.
"My phone, please?"
"Not until you are safe and sound in the Villa, Mistress."
She nodded in defeat, knowing that there was nothing she could say or do that would make them stray from the rules they had already been given.
They wouldn't hurt her. Whosoever their Master was wanted his 'wife' safe.
Whatever next move she would have to make will just have to wait till they get to this so called villa.
She didn't even know what that move was. But she was sure she would know what next to do after giving her parents a nicely cut out piece of her angry mind.
***
Wealth!
That was the first word Ivy thought of when they drove into the villa but she was in no mood to access the scenery, all she wanted was her phone.
Girald immediately guided her into the masion where maids were already waiting downstairs for them. They bowed in respect to her and she spared them a smile before turning to Girald.
"My phone now, I'm safe."
She tugged at her wedding gown aggressively. This elaborate luxurious white gown was starting to really get on her nerves.
"You are dismissed."
Girald motioned to the servants and they rushed off to whatever it was they should be doing.
"My ph--"
"Please follow me, Mistress."
Girald started walking up the stairs. She followed, two bodyguards following immediately after her.
Then they got to a door, Girald opened the door and led her in.
"My phone." She pressed, trying as hard as she could to look in control.
"Colin."
Girald signalled to one of the bodyguards. The one who should be Colin stepped forward and handed her phone to Girald.
"All clear, Boss. No tracking devices."
Ivy was starting to get afraid now. What were they so careful about? Had she just married into problem? Was her life in danger now?
Then Girald handed the phone to her and she quickly grabbed it, holding onto it like as if her life depended on it.
"Your ring." He offered.
So, there would be ring after all. What was it about the goblet sharing then?
She quickly collected it and slid it around her finger.
"If you need anything, click on the green gem." He signalled to the ring and she nodded.
She hadn't seen that coming but she needed them to get out already, so she could make her call.
"Alright. Can I have some privacy, now? I really need to freshen up."
Girald eyes squinted. "The villa is highly guarded against penetration from outside and within."
He nodded lightly after that, then left with the bodyguards.
Immediately the door click shut, she started dailing away on her phone but a news headline popped up, interrupting her.
It read:
'Shame of the Century: Lorenzo Richerman, the 72 years old owner of Richer Men Foundation, a multi International company, got stood up on his wedding day."
She swiped the headline aside and continued dailing away on her phone.
Lorenzo Richerman's wedding was none of her business. Her business right now was to give her parents a piece of her angry mind.
She placed the phone against her ear.
She started pacing around the room while it rang, angry words ranging in her heart, as she yanked her veil off, stripping out of her wedding gown angrily, leaving her in her white underwear gown.
Finally someone answered the call.
"How--"
"Oh, so now you are returning the calls, huh?" Came Elsa's sarcastic response.
"Elsa, I need to talk to--"
"Is that Ivy?" She heard her mother ask distantly.
"Ivy Romina Rominnez," came her mother's angry voice. "Did you forget that today is your wedding day?! We have been here for hours waiting for you. Do you know what huge mess your father is in now because of you, the mess the whole family is in now. The business is on a huge blacklist. How dare you betray us like this?"
"Wh--"
"Speak!"
"This joke is not funny," she chuckled humourlessly. "I was at the wedding, tried looking for everyone but they didn't let me, I got married to this laptop guy--"
"Ivy, will you stop lying to me?" Her mother sounded heartbroken and angry. "We all just arrived from the church, you were not there and your groom left in anger. So, just please stop lying to your mother and get down here right now so we can fix this mess."
Ivy's heart raised with panic as a realization crashed on her.
Had she been a bride at the wrong wedding?
At that moment, Girald busted in, looking a little tense for the first time."Hellooo?" She threw her free hand in the air dramatically, gesturing to her half naked state. "Knock kno--" "You are not Viky Laridga." He stated flatly, his eyes brewing with anger."Obvio--.""Cease her."Bodyguards immediately rushed in, snatching the phone away from her while trapping her hand painfully behind her back."What is the meaning of this?! Do you know who I am?! My lawyers will be seeing your lawyers in court because of this!""Exactly." Girald took a step forward. "Who are you?""Ivy Romina Rominnez." She answered threateningly, a bit of sassiness in her tone. "Search it up.""Wrong answer." "W-what?!"Girald titled his blad head to a side, signalling to the bodyguards who still had her confined in their painful grips. Next thing she knew, a mask was thrown over her head, they dragged her out of the room, down the stairs, into another room. By the time they pulled the mask off, she was sta
"Master, I---"The voice of another person rambling for her life, then a bang of a gun interrupted him."I'm too busy for any situation going on over there right now." There was a ding from the laptop, signifying the arrival of a mail."Fix it."The line went dead and immediately Girald turned to her, walking intently with the laptop in his hand.Ivy started scurrying away, almost falling from the chair."I won't press charges, I already said I wouldn't. There will be a peaceful annulment, I won't ask for anything, I swear. Please don't kill me."Unlike before, she wasn't worried about her face. The cut on her neck still hurt terribly, and she didn't want to imagine how badly it would hurt, if he decided to carve a larger cut."I will not kill you." He sat down on a chair in front of her. "Yet." He added and she gulped."Whatever you want me to do, I'll do it. Just let me go.""Desperate? Good." He turned the laptop towards her so that she was staring at the screen. "The Master has s
Just like that, they were in front of her masion. She hadn't given Colin her address or anything, but he had dropped her off right in front of her mansion, and now she was walking into the large gates. Honestly, after seeing the Villa, she really didn't think big and the house she lived in, could be rightly used in the same sentence anymore. Why? Well, she had seen bigger. "Romito--" she heard her mother call out to her, well she half ran half walked. Her mother welcomed her home with open arms and just as Girald had said, she was right in time for lunch and hopefully, her father would be able to take get his usual 6pm nap. She didn't spend too much time with her parents though, she quickly excused herself and went up to her room. Giving an excuse that the meetings had been tedious and she needed all the rest in the world. Her mother had not suspected anything and if her father had, his mouth stuffed with food didn't let him say anything about it. Once the door was closed
A large warm hand slidding down her thigh, lower and lower, pushing her baby blue silky nightgown slowly off her.Her fists tightened around the sheets as she threw her head back in pleasure, her eyes shut tight, toes curling, sweat glittering across her forehead despite the open window and the heavy rainy and the wind that threw her red curtains up.She could feel the warm breath of someone across her bare neck, the warm hard on her inner thigh, now griping a little tighter. She arched her back, wanting desperately to shove herself into whoseover that was.She could feel the cold lips, plant lingering kisses along the crook of her neck.A low moan slide out of her mouth as she felt pointed teeth graze her ear lobe, her breathing became rasp,desire lit through her veins.Then she saw the farmiliar face, the same face she had seen yesterday night - Handsome man?He looked just as breathtaking as she remembered.She let go of the sheets, reaching out to his bare chest, only to be stopp
Duck!This mustn't be happening right now. She saw them approaching quickly but she knew she was not ready to face Handso--Chris or even the situation that her and her best friend might just have fancied the same man!"Hi, umh, where is the exit?"The waiter immediately eyed her table, seeing the wine and wondering if she was trying to run from 'a bill gone wrong' situation. "I don't know if this is right but I have to get out of here fast." Ivy flipped opened her purse and handed her some bills. "For the wine. So now, where is the exit?"The waiter eyes lit up immediately. "Ex situation." He mumbled underneath her breath. "Quickly, it's around here."He said, leading her outside in no time. She played along, telling him how her non existent ex had some stalker tendencies and temper issues. Non existent because Ivy wasn't one to believe that there was anything such as an ex. A man could either be yours or not, it didn't matter if he was in the past.So no one was her ex and she w
"You won't believe what happened on my way here. So many chocolates and flowers are still in the car but--" she paused, giving her a one over, "A receptionist?! Are you kidding m--Chris!"She flung her arms around him and he held her in a warm embrace."Hello, Amryelsa."Ivy's eyes widened at that.He calls her full name?! Wow! A lot of wows.These two must really be an item and if not, then they were probably really close to it by a few steps. Ivy felt like an absolute unneeded piece in this lovey-dovey moment.Could she just disappear?"What are you doing here? I thought you said you had a meeting." Elsa said, sounding the most caring and careful that Ivy had every heard her sound before. That meant that she cared about how he viewed her and Elsa had never really given a damn about that before. Once again, could she just disappear?"I just finished the meeting." He guestutered over to the table some distance away. "I was just standing here to make a reservation for tomorrow. Matt
Christopher had taken the 'see you around' promise really seriously.He had meetings in the restaurant everyday! Plus a dinner or Lunch with Elsa here and there.She was stuck with having to see him everyday, his gaze doing things to her, her wet dreams about him increasing just as the nightmares about her mysterious groom.It was all overwhelming, which was why she took a day off.Her father had been a little worried, and he had chipped in a question or two about her state of health, while intently observing the bags underneath her eyes and her back-breaking, neck-snapping posture on the sofa."Are you sure you are okay? I've been observing you. I'm glad that you are becoming more responsible but--""I'm good, Pa."His hand tightened around his briefcase."Are you entirely--""Romito is fine. Will you stop worrying for nothing?" Her mother stepped into the sitting room in her loose blue shirt and black baggy pants, flats, and her branded handbag.She could be a century old and she wo
"I don't understand, Elsa. What did I ruin?" Even she was surprised by how firm and controlled her voice was but she kept going, despite her thundering heart. "Is this about your birthday?"Elsa looked at her dead in the eyes and there was silence for a while before Ivy continued again.This didn't look good. This didn't look good at all!"Elsa, I might have not being talking about it but you mean a lot to me. I have plans for you. I did not forget your birthday."Something had glimmered in Elsa's eyes, at that point where Ivy had said she meant a lot to her. She staggered forward, clumsily falling into her embrace."I'm so sorry that I was being cranky. Yes, it was about my birthday." Ivy let out a breath of relief, she patted her back lightly, yet she couldn't help but worry. Had that really been it? It had seem like it was more than that. But Elsa had always taken her birthday super seriously, so it wasn't out of character.She felt Elsa squeeze her tightly to herself before she