Alex's Point of View
The day was beautiful, the sun shining at its peak, and I was ready to go and get married to Isabella. I walked out the door with Faith by my side. Dressed in my blue tuxedo and pants, my heart beat faster, and the anxiety was overwhelming.
"Can you feel it too?" I asked Faith.
"Your awkward face glaring at me, yes." Faith joked as she opened the door to the car.
I walked to the driver's seat and got in, my thoughts overwhelming and my hands trembling softly. "This feels different." I said, my voice barely audible as I revved the car's engine to life.
"Dude, you're getting married for the money. Don't forget how much she owns. We're taking that bag and making ourselves some retirement fees, so cheer up and let's get the job done." Faith said, as if she's been reading my mind, she spewed it all at once.
"Thank you." I muttered slowly, and Faith smiled at me.
We drove into the busy city, everywhere packed to the brim. Several voices overlapping and several aromas wafting through the air, but even though I was keen on driving, my thoughts were somewhere else.
"How do I get all that amount of money from this girl?" I thought everything felt like a dream, and this way I could become a billionaire overnight, but I needed a solid plan.
The game has begun, and I haven't even come up with a solid strategy; she was different from other women I've dealt with. Even though we were almost the same age, everything about her seemed mature, and she was perfectly my type.
My blood pumped faster and my heartbeat faster as I pressed on the brake, suddenly jolting us to the front while I gasped for breath.
"Are you okay?" Faith asked, "You almost killed us." She continued mockingly.
"I guess I'm feeling nostalgic from this wedding; I've never done anything like it, and it's making me really nervous." I said, taking a subtle deep breath.
"You really are the coward I think you are." Faith said, laughing.
"What do you mean by coward?" I replied, sounding serious and almost angry.
"You're getting worked up over a mere marriage, you who pulled off over five hundred million heists without any hitch?" Faith said, her voice filled with confidence and encouragement.
"I guess I'm thinking about it a little bit too much; that's not my style." I said, revving the engine back to life.
"That's my boy; now let's get this wedding done." Faith said, with a subtle smile on her face.
Faith had always been a constant in my life, a sister, a mother, and a guide. She knew everything about me, but for some reason her own life remained an enigma, a mystery that would remain unsolved.
When it came to her personal life, Faith was so vague that nothing could open it up. At one point I wanted to start digging into her past, but I was really bad at it.
What impressed me more about Faith was the way she handled and got information about a client; her ways were mysterious, but that's exactly what makes her who she was.
The tires screeched to a stop in front of the court, and I stepped down and walked in; all we wanted to do was sign an agreement and snap some pictures. And Faith had our lawyer signed up for that.
I walked through the hallway, and the scent of freshly painted wood filled the air, somewhat unpleasant but manageable.
We finally got to the room, and I opened the door, my eyes landing on the gorgeous work of art that stood at the other side of the room, and for a moment I was lost in a trance just by looking at her.
Her long black dress decorated with silver stones brought out her shapes perfectly, her light makeup exuded her beauty, and her eyes shone across the room, leaving me short of words. I closed the gap between us, and for a moment I forgot the marriage wasn't real.
"How can you be so gorgeous?" I mouthed, while staring deep into her eyes.
"Do I give you an answer, or should I take it as a compliment?" She replied, smiling softly at me.
A lot of thoughts traveled through my brain, and my blood started pumping faster. Somewhere in my brain, a stupid thought trickled in, like the gravitational pull. Somewhere amidst the chaos in my mind, I felt a pull I couldn't explain.
Am I attracted to her? Or this was just another plot amidst the scene she's casting. I couldn't help but ask myself if I was playing her or if she had me under her thumb.
I realized my weakness; all these years I was tied down by my sin of greed while punishing people for their sin of lust. All that was filled in my brain was the fact that I wanted more money, and I knew exactly what to do to get it.
But this was different, more than the situation she was in. The moment I got lost in a trance, that single moment I forgot what I was chasing and also didn't know what to do to get what I wanted. I succumbed to my foolish feelings.
For years I had always prided myself on being above the sin I exploited in others; greed was my weapon, and lust was their downfall, but for some reason I see myself teetering on the edge of both for the first time.
"I would win this game." I whispered, dispelling all other traveling thoughts that lingered on in my mind.
But she heard me, and she replied with a subtle smile on her face, "A puppet would never become a master." She said, her voice dripping with a quiet dominance. "if it can't conquer its fear of the strings." She turned away, leaving me rooted to that spot.
Her words tangled around my thoughts like a noose whilst sending chills throughout my body. I questioned myself, "Am I the puppet or the master?"