"and sometimes, you could be drowning in emotions but still can't feel anything"
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The woman standing at the altar looked beautiful in the flowing white dress that seemed to glow under the soft light of the chapel. Her black hair was arranged in an elegant bun, a few tendrils framing her face. A veil cascaded down her back, longer than her dress. Her sparkling blue eyes were gazing dreamily at the man standing before her.
He stood tall in a tailored black suit, the usually stern lines of his face had softened, replaced by an expression of pure adoration for the woman before him. This was the man who had promised her a life of love and happiness, a fairy tale that so many only dared to dream of. This was the man who had vowed to stay by her side until death parted apart.
This wedding was exactly what you'd expect when one of the city's most powerful men married a star in the fashion world. The ceremony was the talk of every social circle, every business dinner, and every fashion magazine for months.
Atticus Lennox was marrying Elena Ramirez.
Atticus Lennox was a man of few words and even fewer emotions. In the world of business, he was known as the devil himself whose very name could make corporate giants tremble. He was the CEO of Lennox Global Enterprises, a multinational company that had its fingers in everything from technology to real estate.
Since his first marriage ended, countless women had tried their luck with him, but he had turned them down without so much as a second glance. There was even an infamous incident where a woman feigned fainting in front of him at a party, hoping to be caught in his arms, only for him to step back and let her fall to the floor.
On the other hand, Elena Ramirez who would now be known as Elena Lennox was wild, beautiful, and dangerous to touch. No one really knew where she had come from or how she had risen to fame so quickly. She had just appeared suddenly and taken the world by storm. And now, she had stolen the heart of the man who had seemed untouchable, unreachable.
The two were nothing alike but together, they were the perfect fairy tale anyone could dream of. And for them, everyone was happy.
Standing near the front, Calix Lennox watched his father with a warmth he hadn't felt in years. He had witnessed the darkness that had consumed Atticus after their mother's betrayal. For years, he had watched his father retreat behind walls of work and responsibility, the light in his eyes dimming with each passing day. Now, seeing him smile – truly smile – made Calix's heart swell with hope for their future.
Nearby, Rowan Lennox, the second son, couldn't keep the grin off his face despite his theatrical grumbling.
"Who gets married at his age?" he had complained repeatedly over the past months. "He should be spoiling grandchildren, not planning honeymoons."
But those who knew him well could see the happiness dancing in his eyes.
The entire Lennox family seemed to be breathing easier, as if a dark cloud had finally lifted from their lives. The woman who had given birth to them had left wounds that had taken years to heal, wounds that still ached on quiet nights when memories refused to stay buried. But now, watching Elena smile up at their father, it felt like perhaps those dark chapters could finally be closed. And they could start a life filled with promise and the possibility of becoming what they had always yearned to be – a normal, happy family.
But while everyone was brimming with happiness and joy, there was one soul who stood apart from it all.
She wore a pale blue dress that cascaded around her like a waterfall. Her silver hair fell in soft waves, brushing against her waist. Her silver eyes were fixed on the couple at the altar. Her skin was pale, and the only color on her face came from her slightly pink cheeks and her red lips.
Many eyes were drawn to her, particularly those of the young men who couldn't seem to look away. She exuded an otherworldly beauty, the kind that made people believe in myths and legends. It was as though she were a goddess stepping into the mortal realm for a brief moment. The small crystal tiara she was forced to wear only added to her already mystical beauty.
But no one could see the emptiness in her silver eyes. They were hollow, devoid of the life and light that the others in the room carried.
Astra's gaze never wavered from her mother, who stood giggling in the arms of the man she was now expected to call her father.
She recognized that smile on her mother's face. It was the same one Elena had worn two years ago when she returned from that business trip. It was the first time she had seen a smile that brightened on her mother's face. It was also at that moment Astra had known. Things were going to change.
Astra knew she should feel something, happiness for her mother finding love, gratitude toward the family that had accepted them, and hope for their new future together. But as Astra watched the couple share their first dance, she felt numb.
It wasn't that she couldn't feel – quite the opposite.
She felt everything all at once, a tsunami of emotions that weren't entirely her own crashing against her consciousness. Happiness. Joy. Envy. Jealousy. Anger. It all swirled within her like a storm without a center.
Her curse—that was what she called it. This uninvited ability to feel what others felt. It wasn't a gift; it was a burden that left her drowning in emotions that didn't belong to her. It blurred the lines of her identity, leaving her trapped in a haze where nothing felt real.
Sometimes, she could manage it, erecting mental walls to keep the flood at bay. But on days like this, when the room was brimming with heightened emotions, the walls crumbled, and she was left to weather the storm.