Zara's Pov
I clutched tightly to the bouquet of flowers as Father walked me down the aisle to be the bride to one of his many creditors. I do not know what my soon-to-be husband looked like, nor do I know who he is; still, I was hesitant to raise my head up and take a quick look at him.
This wedding wasn't supposed to be mine; it was supposed to be Zoe's, my twin sister's because my father and I had never been in a close relationship after he divorced my mom and took Zoe with him while mom took me. But now I got into a situation and was in dire need of money. My poor mother had a brain tumor, and I came back begging for my father to save her ... .Father proposed helping if I had married Zoe's fiance, whom no one knew anything about except Father.
I was not only hurting myself, I had betrayed my boyfriend Wallace, the one whom our wedding was supposed to take place two months from now. Tears slipped past my eyes, not caring if it was going to ruin my makeup….Finally getting to the altar, Father's hand left mine; I had never felt a sense of comfort with him before; I only turned even more nervous, my palm sweaty, fearing if I raised my head to find an old man in front of me since Zoe had said she didn't know who her now ex-fiance was.
When a rough palm caught one of my wrists, another curling on my waist and pulling me up, I froze as my hand met with a rock-hard chest.
My heart was palpitating wildly, and my eyes met with the burly chest of a man bulging madly through a neat, expensive-looking custom-made suit; I began raising my eyes slowly. Something daring swayed slightly in my guts, but this person suddenly pushed me an arm's length away from him like I was some sort of disease he would kill to stay away from.
I stared down at the floor until I felt dizzy and I was forced to look up when the priest had begun the ceremony. I was shocked and confused to find a tall, hot, too burly man standing before me in a mask that stopped at his nose. I could see those sea-deep blue eyes of his peering down on me; he was tall like an NBA player, big and bulging and making me lose my self-esteem right there.
I looked away, swayed by this dominating aura shrouding him. "We are here today…." The priest had started shortly, and all that he said felt like a rock hitting my ears because I barely heard anything, staring down at my soon-to-be mystery husband's shoes.
"Who was he?" I let my line of hearing go to the audience, murmuring instead, "He looks tall, good for a man, but why is he hiding his face in a mask?"
"He is ugly!! You should get it ugly; I know Solomon Blakely would never give out this daughter of a bitch to someone like Gideon Hayes; Zoe would have that one. They are twins, but since she had to stay with that whore, Zoe has more training than she." My lips trembling, my hand clutching hard on my dress, I do not care what they said about me, but I hated the fact that they had called my mother a whore.
I intended to mark the faces of those who had said such, until I felt a pull on my wrist and a ring was carelessly pushed into my ring finger "Focus," goosebumps found their home on my body at the depth of his voice, I raised my head to meet his again and I knew I would fumble greatly if I react to him this way. Now I wish I was as confident as Zoe but not as cowardly as her for not being able to carry her cross; I meant getting married to this man instead.
"Ms. Zara Blakely, do you take Zale as your lawfully wedded husband…" I had caught myself too deep in those women's conversations not to realize my soon-to-be husband had taken his vows. Had he said I do too, and his name was Zale, Zale what, Zale without a last name? "I…I do."
" With the power vested in me, I pronounce you husband and wife, you may now kiss your bride." I dreaded this moment, he was going to kiss me mouth to mouth. My eyes met with his through my veil to see if he was going to kiss a stranger's lips, and yes he was going to as he began inching closer. I closed my eyes like the victim in a horror movie waiting for my veil to be pulled open and the worst to hit me.
Instead, he had placed his thumb on my lips over the veil, and nothing came but the sound of fake cheers instead. I pulled my eyes open, to find my husband standing straight already, his hand coming to curl around my waist as he took me down the aisle, a dark Aura binding me to him.
People came to congratulate us, alongside was my stepmother, I mean Zoe's mom. Father had kept Zoe from coming here on purpose.
It became too bothersome to find out my husband had none of his family in the hall; no one from his side had clearly come to congratulate us.
"I would ask someone to come take you to the after-party when you are ready to leave," His husky voice sounded just above my head.
"No…I would just go with you." I said, as far as I do not want to be with him, I also don't want to be with the people here…I was scared of hearing their insults, if he left, they would come for me, their spit drowning me in defeat. I wasn't someone who knew how to stand up for myself; I had always been mom's little Lilly; she doesn't even know I am doing this for her sake because she is in her sick bed.
He nodded and we both left the church to a luxury car packed outside. Surrounding it were four burly men whose faces were as hard as stone. "Congratulations, boss," They bowed, and he just did the same, nodding before he helped with the door, helping me to the back seat…I made to pull the veil off me after getting into the car, thinking he had forgotten to do so earlier. "Don't!" That one-time order had me stop. Doesn't he want to see what he had married? Or had he seen Zoe before, because if he had, he had seen the better version of me.
"Okay."
The drive went on for what felt like an eternity before the car finally screeched to a halt in front of a jaw-dropping mansion, which seemed like King Midas had touched every part of it. I never expected my father to give me out to someone this rich and young, instead of his darling daughter Zoe. He had a luxury car, he wore a suit that I knew would have cost a fortune, and now this house. He couldn't have rented them to impress me; he doesn't even know me, and what was there to impress? I was ugly…I do not use makeup like Zoe, I do not wear heels, and on my wedding day today, I am wearing sandals because I can barely walk in heels, making me look shorter and unattractive.
We got down, and I trailed behind him as we made our way into the large foyer. "Hey." He suddenly stopped, and I did the same, and he turned to me, not with me melting at his gaze. "It's late, and this is where we'd be having the after-party, then we can have the list of rules you should follow later. We are going to my family now, where you'll be introduced as my bride. To me, you are just a vessel for my heir, but when we are with my family, you would be the woman I love…we would do what couples do outdoors, but indoors, you are just a woman to have my heir."
I stood confused, my brows furrowed, staring at the man in a mask ''what the heck was he spouting?' "Understood!"
"I would love an exp…" His hand went to the back of his neck, and my voice caught in my throat, hoping it was what I was thinking; I wanted to see the man behind the mask. It was weird to maintain eye contact with a stranger for too long, but I did with this man until the mask fell off in front of me. "Za..zale Falco."