Angel's eyelashes fluttered. The dying flames of the candles seemed to merge with the lights of the miniature chandelier flickering on the ceiling.
Her gaze locked on a slender woman in her late twenties holding a white wedding gown. The lady looked at her with indifference. Behind her was a devilishly handsome man with deep dark orbs. His black hair was parted from the side, and the low taper fade on the sides and back made him appear casual but rugged because of the overnight stubble on his chin.
Angel's eyes dimmed. She tilted her head and looked toward the floor-to-ceiling glass wall where the ray of the morning sun seeped through the blinds.
It was the third day she was held captive in her hotel and the day of her wedding. She was so tired last night that she fell asleep without eating. She hadn't eaten for an entire day yesterday and was hungry. She intended to go on a hunger strike as a show of her defiance.
"I heard that you hadn't eaten the whole day yesterday. Angel Hart, you listen carefully. I don't want you to faint on my wedding day. There is breakfast on the dining table outside. If you still don't eat, your father will not have any food for a day. Every meal you skip will be equivalent to your father's missing three meals." A harsh voice beside her caused Angel to scramble to the inner side of the bed. She did not notice when he moved close to the bed.
"You have one hour and a half to eat and get dressed. The wedding will be held at 9:00 am in the grand ballroom. Remember what I told you yesterday? If you piss me off, a body part of your parents will be sent over."
Angel's body shuddered at the coldness of his voice. She scampered from the bed and hurriedly entered the bathroom. She wanted to get away from him, as far away as possible.
Madeline and Dylan were her only hope. Yesterday, she learned that all the guests from her birthday party were escorted out of Miravide Isle, and all trips to the island were canceled. There was no way for her to contact the outside world other than by telephone. But the phone from her hotel room was confiscated, along with her cell phone.
Angel took a quick shower and changed into the silk robe. She left the bedroom and saw a few covered plates at the dining table. She finished the soup in three gulps and ate the sandwich. After that, she brushed her teeth and let the stylist do her work.
After an hour, Angel looked at a stranger in the mirror. Her lashes were thick and long, shrouding a pair of green eyes that had lost their sparkle. Her eyebrows were dark and neat, forming a beautiful arch accentuating her almond-shaped eyes. Her lips appeared fuller with the red lipstick.
The stylist braided a section of her hair and wound it around the neat bun on top of her head. She wrapped the base of her bun with a string of pearls and handed Angel a South Sea pearl necklace and matching earrings.
Angel did not like pearls. She preferred jewelry made of silver and diamond. But then it was precisely because she hated pearls that the 'monster' let her wear those.
"You are the most beautiful bride I have ever styled. The emerald pendant suits you very well." The stylist praised her. Angel could tell that she was honest and not pretending.
After a few brush-ups, the stylist accompanied her to the banquet hall.
Leoric has changed into a black tuxedo at the presidential suite opposite hers. He was sporting a formal hairstyle partitioned from the right side. His fringe covered a small portion of his forehead.
"I can't believe that you are marrying her! With your ability, you can cease his property even without sacrificing yourself to be her husband." A man two centimeters shorter than him and wearing black-rimmed eyeglasses spoke in exasperation.
"Alec, I know what I am doing."
"What about Emily? She was making a fuss in her room and demanding to meet you. She even threatened me and told me that she would cut her wrist if you didn't talk to her." Alec Boden would not give up on persuading him.
"Don't let her out of her room until the wedding is over. I have planned this for a long time, and I don't like taking risks." Leoric said as he straightened his tie.
Alec let out a deep breath and sighed. It looked like no matter what he said, he could not persuade Leoric.
"On the other hand, that Hart woman is very beautiful. She has the most unique combination of eye and hair color and has the face and figure men could die for." Alec's eyes darkened for a fleeting second.
Leoric glared at him. Alec shut his mouth and pretended to smoothen the sleeve of his shirt. Despite their many years of friendship, he still could not understand why Leoric was so fixated on getting his revenge. It has even become his obsession.
...
For the nth time, Angel found herself standing in front of the banquet hall's wooden double doors.
'How I hate this door. I hope I am having a nightmare and will wake up soon. I hope that when the door opens, Dylan will stand there just like he did on her birthday.
She waited for thirty minutes, but the door remained closed. She was wearing a stilleto smaller than her size, making her even more uncomfortable. She slid out of her shoes and stood barefoot on the carpeted floor. Somehow, it relieved the stress on her foot, but she could already feel the blisters.
After another fifteen minutes, Angel's legs felt like jelly. She wanted to sit down, but for some reason, no hotel attendant was in sight to give her a chair. She pursed her lips and continued to endure. She entertained herself by relieving the happy moments she had with Madeline and Dylan.
When she thought of Dylan, her heart ached. She remembered the helpless look on his face when they were escorted out of the banquet hall.
'No. Not this memory. I should think of something happy, like the first time we met when a bully bumped into me and wanted to harass me. He came like my knight in shining armor and beat the scumbag.'
"Angel, sorry I am late." A baritone voice brought Angel back to her senses.
She turned around and looked at the middle-aged man with a pot belly who came from the elevator together with a few other men of a similar age range.
"I came to give you away as your Dad could not make it."
Angel saw a glimmer of hope. Her Uncle Paul was her father's trusted subordinate, his second in command.
"Uncle Paul, I am being forced into this wedding. That man wanted to cease my father's properties. You have to help me escape from here, Uncle." Angel looked at him with big, pleading eyes.
For a fleeting moment, the middle-aged man looked at her coldly, like he was looking at a stranger.
When Angel looked at him, he was smiling gently.
"Come, I'll take you away."