Liam adjusted Chris' bow tie with a gentle touch and asked him to at least smile. "Suzy is looking gorgeous in the wedding dress. I wonder if you will be able to take off your eyes from her or not." He took out the phone from his pocket and showed him Suzy's picture which Peter shared on their WhatsApp group.
"Could you tell Peter to refrain from spreading Suzy's photo?" Chris responded with a hint of irritation.
"He sent it here only," Liam said and asked him to at least compliment Suzy.
"I hate her," Chris muttered as he sank into the luxurious, white chaise, its golden armrests and legs adding an elegant touch to the scene.
"I feel she can change you," Liam stated.
"No one can change me. I have made plans to get rid of her. Will you join me in my plans?" Chris inquired him.
"Absolutely not, my friend," Liam swiftly declined. "Suzy is not like the women we have come across. Considering you're going to be her husband, she might not take direct action against you. But she can file a complaint against me. She didn't even flinch to threaten Chris Onetti," he elaborated on the rationale behind his decision not to support Chris.
"Are you scared of her?" Chris asked.
"Yes, I am," Liam admitted.
Chris chuckled softly and lightly massaged his forehead. Observing Chris' distress, Liam offered, "Perhaps she is your destiny. Don't forget how your father tried setting you up with Natalie. I would say Suzy is better than her."
With a pointed look, Chris fixed his gaze on Liam. "I'd appreciate it if you never bring up the concept of destiny in my presence again," he declared firmly.
Suddenly, the ivory door swung open, revealing Chris' father accompanied by his stepmother. Liam quickly rose to his feet, opting to make his exit.
"Don't take another step towards me and leave from where you've come," Chris declared, his expression grave as he leveled a stern gaze at his father.
Patricia gazed at her husband, Brian Onetti, and said, "I told you not to come here, Honey." The annoyance on her face was evident.
"You should go downstairs, Darling. I will be soon there," Brian said. Patricia hummed and lifted her gown before leaving the room. He gazed at Liam, gesturing for him to leave.
Chris had picked up the brass vase from the table next to the chaise. As Brian took a step forward, Chris threw the brass vase toward him. Abruptly Brian halted in his way as the sound of the fall reverberated in the hall and their ears.
"When I said leave, then that means leave," Chris affirmed.
"It's your marriage day. I just want to—" Brian couldn't finish off his words because Chris interjected.
"Mr. Brian Onetti should leave before I have to kick him out along with his mistress," Chris stated, still glaring at him.
Liam intervened and told Brian he should go downstairs. Brian took a retreating step, pivoted on his heel, and departed through the doorway.
"Why did you hurl the vase at your father? What if it had struck him?" Liam reproached, urging Chris to rein in his anger.
"This is who I am, Liam. The mere sight of him fills me with more disdain than anything else in this world. How dare he show up today and further spoil my mood? And that wretched Patricia... I wish for her death," Chris muttered; his expression ablaze with fury.
"Okay. Calm down, now. You need to accept the truth that today you will wed Suzy Watson. Try to be happy even if it's for a few minutes or hours. I know you don't want this, but I also think Suzy feels the same as you," Liam advised him.
Chris stood up from the chaise and buttoned the white blazer's button. However, he didn't respond to what Liam said to him. He walked out of the room, followed by Liam, and soon reached downstairs.
Chris stood at the altar, where his grandfather was present. Arthur hugged Chris and patted his back before caressing it. "You'll love my decision after a certain time, Chris," Arthur said and pulled away. His hands rested on Chris' cheeks and he continued, "Your mother would have wanted the same for you."
Chris furrowed his brows together. "She would not have made me work against my wish," he whispered.
Arthur dropped his hands to Chris' shoulders and patted them before getting down the altar to take his seat.
Chris cast a glance at his trio of friends, their encouraging smiles falling flat against his emotions. How could he muster a smile in these circumstances? The guest list remained modest, consisting primarily of Chris' extensive family and a handful of his grandfather's close friends. Chris noticed that from Sophie's side, no one was present. Would she hide her marriage from everyone?
His attention shifted to the entrance, his thoughts a mix of anticipation and impatience. He pondered how much longer he'd have to wait for Suzy's arrival, eager to conclude this event swiftly.
At last, his vigil ended as eight young children stepped into the hall, all adorned in pristine white attire. Following closely was Suzy Watson, gracefully adorned in a resplendent white gown, holding white flowers in her hands.
A piece of soft piano music played upon her entrance. Chris didn't imagine Suzy to look beautiful. He shook his head to get out of that trance and found Suzy coming closer to him.
'Is she feeling the same as me? The urge to run away from this hall, from everyone's sight?' Chris thought when Suzy halted in front of him. The kids had run down the aisle and the ushers helped them take seats around a table.
"Why is he not bringing her to the aisle?" Peter muttered.
"Because he doesn't want to marry Suzy," Thomas replied. "Who has imagined that Chris would get married in this way?" He then chuckled. He told both Liam and Peter how terrifying Suzy was. "I never saw a woman CEO in my life. She is quite impressive and somewhere, I felt, Chris may fall for her. Because that kind of woman he never encountered," he explained to them.
"I have the same thoughts," Liam stated.
Chris offered his hand to Suzy, which she accepted, and together they ascended the altar. Their gazes converged, almost as if they were intricately analyzing each other.
"I thought you would run away," Suzy said.
"Why would I run away? I would make you leave my life," Chris stated confidently.
"You are handsome and you look good in this outfit. If you took out that lip piercing, you'd rival any dashing businessman," Suzy stated, her lips graced with a smile.
Chris couldn't help but chuckle at her statement. "I have piercings at many places on my body," he muttered.
A fleeting sense of unease washed over Suzy as she found herself caught in his intimate gaze, her eyes briefly widening.