"You sure about this princess?" Gregory asked his daughter lovingly as he scooped some ice cream from the glass bowl they shared." Yes paapa, Liam is also on the same page. Ours will probably be a one-day event fixed in between Arya's bridal shower and wedding ceremony. There's like a three-day interval ,but we've not discussed the details and made final plans yet", May responded ,"Oh. I meant in-between Arya's cocktail and the wedding ceremony",she corrected herself. Her father looked tenderly at her, intently, he made sure he caught her e she mentioned Arya's wedding. Something flashed across her face and he saw it clearly,it was as clear as day. He held her hand lovingly and said "dear, you don't have to rush into things ,you've only dated for about four months, I want you to take your time, iron things out and walk down that aisle with no doubts whatsoever"
"Paapa, I have no doubts, and I've known Liam for more than four months,he's a great guy. Besides, you and Momma's courting duration was way less than this". Her last sentence made him smile, then chuckle, and then he gave out a loud hearty laugh,"you kids act so smart, don't you? Well, if you feel optimistic about this ,I support you", he said as he stroked her cheek. He then added cheerfully," It looks like both my daughters are moving out in two weeks. I'gotta plan a relaxing vacation for my dear wife after this stressful event".
" So you won't miss us then?", May pouted childishly. "Of course I will, my little princess".
Arya tiptoed quietly to her room after accidentally over hearing and eventually eavesdropping on the father-daughter conversation. Now on her bed, she recounted the events of the evening, from her engagement party to her long phone call with Ross, during which he told her how much of a help her sister was to make the surprise party happen, the night's event that ended about four hours ago.
She'd only gone downstairs to grab a glass of milk, as she was hungry from barely eating anything all day, and then she heard from her sister's own mouth that she'd be sharing her wedding week with her. She knew The Caltons had generational wealth and were more affluent than the Wellingtons ,but she wondered how they'd pull off an ostentatious event in just two weeks. Hers and Ross's wedding preparation had been going on for months now, attention paid to every detail. The only option was for her to wait and watch how events unfold.
Tatiana, her picture brought a hurricane of emotions to Liam. He stared at the image so hard that his head started to spin and memories from eight years ago hit him . Tatiana's involvement in his life or rather, their lives dug up ugly truths, hidden insecurities and sibling squabbles. He fell in love and dated a girl who loved his brother and was only with him to get close to Todd, his elder brother. Todd was every girl's dream, handsome, charming and rich, or at least his parents were, and Tatiana had come for the money, knowing he was the Caltons' eldest son and heir to their empire and overflowing wealth.
Todd had taken this opportunity to hurt his brother, whose intelligence had always unsettled him. He used Tatiana, who was equally planning to use him to rub his charm on his brother's face. Liam realized he wasn't the only one jealous, the feeling was mutual. He'd always envied Todd's ability to attract people and his undeniable seductive confidence. Well, it's a relief that Tatiana was out of their lives for good. It'd been a long night and Liam dozed off as soon as his head hit the pillow.
May's heart sang in sync with the birds that serenaded the inhabitants of the Blackwood mansion, an infectious smile plastered on her ever radiant face. She was leisurely going through her morning skincare routine , the warm early morning sun caressing her skin, its brightness weakly piercing into the room through the large windows whose curtains had been raised and pinned by pink pearl-like clips. The air was filled with the subtle smell of Arabian incense, mixed with designer perfumes and the rose-infused mist that she used to tone her skin gently with her fingers as she stood in front of a lavish vanity in her spacious majestic room fit for a princess.
"Good morning, twin," a voice gently interrupted her, causing her to turn around. There stood her sister, Arya, wearing a delicate petal pink off-the-shoulder dress and just the right amount of makeup to enhance her features. Her petite feet were adorned with Gucci kitten heels, adding a touch of grace without overpowering her dress. She looked incredibly endearing, almost like a cherished doll come to life!
"Good morning bride-to-be, looks like you've started dressing up for the ceremony" ,May said, with a faint smile. "I've been preparing for it for months now,I didn't just start last night". Arya responded crisply, also smiling. She entered the room and sat down elegantly on the ribbon-tied chair, not far from where May was standing in her robe ,her face covered in moisturizer. "Sure twin, only few wealthy people can afford the cost of last-minute preparations" May clapped back, in the sweetest tone ever, paying attention to her face in the mirror.
Arya stood up looking unbothered, she raised her right hand and brought it close to her face, exposing her three-karat diamond ring, "Ross and I are going for our pre-wedding photo shoot at a private resort,I don't want to run late" she said casually ,then flipped her beautiful hair. May paused and looked at her sister, and said "alright love, have fun", then went back to applying sunscreen to her face. "Thanks, I will", Arya responded as she made for the door. As soon as her slender fingers touch the door handle, she gasps as she remembers why she'd come to May's room in the first place. She turned to face May ,who was now done with her routine, "Sis, since your wedding comes before mine, will you still join my bridal train?" She walked towards her while stroking her hair, smiling sincerely at her,"of course, silly, my wedding wouldn't change a thing,I'm here for you". Arya sighed. She smiled thankfully and left the room.
Arya was absent-minded throughout their ride to the resort. Ross was the one. There was no driver or chauffeur, as they wanted to spend some quality time alone after their shoot. The news of May's rescheduled wedding had left her with mixed feelings. She'd feigned ignorance when their parents told her the previous morning and her dad added that it would in no way disrupt her big day. As Ross took a final turn to the resort, she wondered if their dad had discovered the secret she and May had been, hiding all these years, hiding in plain sight.
Since they never quarreled, fought or pulled each other's hair, their parents assumed that they were at peace. But there's always been the presence of silent competition in their lives, a subtle struggle to outdo each other in academics, beauty , fashion tastes and now choice of men.
Their social media handles were filled with happy ,cute, twin sister photos . There were many people who loved and admired the bond that they shared. All vacations and birthdays were duly publicized. They did care about each other a lot and could protect each other at all costs. Ross interrupted Arya's train of thought, "babe, let's go in, the photographer has set up his camera and props", he gently led her inside the resort.
They had their photo session on the balcony, which had a breathtaking view, even though Arya had wanted an indoor experience with cinematic lighting. Cindy, Ross's social media manager, was there to ensure these cute moments were immediately uploaded,
They went to the water park as soon as they were done. There was greenery around and the golden sun bathed them with its glow. They splashed around for a bit and settled down for a quick snack. Ross dipped a chip into the guacamole and fed it to Arya ,who took it ,blushing ,but jumped up after swallowing, her face turning purple ,as an itch moves up her face.I'm allergic to garlic ,she screamed asshe frantically scratched her neck. Ross didn't move an inch,he smirked and burst into uncontrollable laughter which draws the attention of the pool butler and cabana boy. Arya looks towards Ross and from behind him, she sees a man walking towards them; Haydar, her ex!