Falling for Mr.Detective

Chapter 4 - A Marriage Couple in Accident

Aira and Alden arrived at a luxurious building with a modern exterior and a grand stage. The atmosphere in the building was still quiet.

Of course, the event was scheduled for 7 P.M, and it's still 7 A.M. Alden led Aira to a room backstage. Aira noticed the word “VVIP” written on the door.

Alden and Aira entered the room, which contained two vanity tables with large, lighted mirrors lined up in the corner. There, Puri, the person who had invited them, was applying makeup to a stunningly beautiful woman dressed in an eccentric outfit.

"Didn't you know about it?" Alden asked as they sat on a sofa in the room.

"About what?" Aira replied.

"Puri is a professional makeup artist," Alden said proudly, explaining his sister's profession.

"Wow … I didn’t know. That’s surprising."

Puri finished her work and glanced at Alden and Aira, who had just arrived. Puri whispered something to the woman she had just made up, who then turned to Alden and Aira with a sweet smile.

Suddenly, a man entered the room with a panicked expression. He yanked several notes off the mirror in front of Puri and the eccentric woman.

Then he said something in a language Aira didn’t understand. The woman, now visibly upset, started scolding Puri, who stand in front of her.

Puri tried to explain something while pointing a couple of times toward Alden and Aira, who were seated and observing from the sofa.

Approaching them, Puri explained, “That woman is Maiden, the designer whose clothes will be showcased by the models in tonight’s fashion show. She’s not very fluent in English. The man beside her is Jay, her assistant.”

After calming her client, Puri invited Alden and Aira to another room, which turned out to be the fitting room for the wedding attire the models would wear.

"Why? Just thinking of leaving suddenly?" Puri asked Aira and Alden, who were frozen in place, staring at the rows of luxurious wedding attire in front of them.

A slim woman approached Aira, while a somewhat effeminate man went over to Alden.

Alden suddenly glanced at Aira with a look that seemed to plead for help. Aira suppressed her laughter, enjoying seeing Alden so uncomfortable with that man.

Aira was fitted with a mermaid-style wedding gown that accentuated her figure. The dress was beautifully tailored, with an off-shoulder neckline that revealed a hint of her shoulders.

Looking in the mirror, Aira was amazed at her own reflection. Suddenly, the slim woman helping her tightened the waist ties so hard that Aira found it difficult to breathe.

“Hey, are you trying to kill me?” Aira exclaimed in surprise.

“Models need to look like walking skeletons,” said the woman, who was part of the event’s wardrobe team, replied nonchalantly.

After trying on several dresses, the designer’s choice settled on the first one Aira had worn—the white mermaid gown.

‘So why should I trying all those other dresses?’ Aira grumbled inwardly.

After finishing the fitting, Aira changed back into her casual clothes and went looking for Alden. She wondered if the effeminate man had "devoured" him yet, her overactive imagination running wild.

Noticing Aira searching for her brother, Puri asked, “Are you sure you’re not my brother’s girlfriend?”

Shocked by the question, Aira quickly denied it. “No! It’s not like that. We’re just … friends.”

“Why do you sound hesitant about your answer?” Puri asked teasingly.

“Well, technically, I’m his client. Not officially yet … but I’m trying to convince him to take my case,” Aira explained.

Puri kept teasing Aira, and before they knew it, the fitting room was empty. A few moments later, Alden entered.

He approached Puri and whispered that he had found a clue about the man who had sent him a threatening letter. Alden added that he needed stronger evidence to confirm the suspect's identity.

Puri and Alden were deep in discussion, excluding Aira, who could only watch the siblings from a few centimeters away, admiring their appearances.

“There’s something more important for you two to do right now,” Puri said, grabbing Alden and Aira by her hands and leading them to a room which full of large mirrors.

Puri handed Aira a pair of very high heels and said, “There’s a reason I asked you to come this early. You need to practice.”

Aira and Alden were forced into a quick training session as if they were a professional modeling couple. The effeminate man from the fitting room dramatically waved his hand toward Aira’s.

“Hold his hand! You’re a newlywed couple, not a divorcing one. So, hold hands!” Aira and Alden exchanged glances.

Too embarrassed to initiate, Alden scratched his head nervously. Remembering her purpose for agreeing to be a model, Aira grabbed Alden’s hand, startling him. Alden responded by interlocking their fingers, causing Aira to glare at him.

Suddenly, their intertwined fingers were smacked by a hand. “Hey, you’re newlyweds, not a dating couple! It should be like this,” the effeminate man, whom they later learned was named Kendrick, instructed.

Both Alden and Aira were mortified, unable to say a word.

***

The event it's about to start, Aira donned the wedding gown she had fitted earlier in the day. After two hours of makeup by Puri, she now looked like a real bride. “You’re absolutely stunning!” Puri exclaimed, proud of her masterpiece.

Alden entered the room wearing a white tuxedo with black trim, his hair styled more neatly than usual.

Aira tried not to stare, hiding her admiration for Alden, who looked ten times more handsome than usual.

A man with a wireless mic entered. “Are the main models ready?” he asked.

“Yes … they’re ready,” Puri replied, helping Aira to her feet.

Alden extended his hand to Aira. And she accepted it. Alden glanced at Puri and asked, “Why do you look like that?”

“It feels like I’m sending my brother off to get married for real,” Puri said, her eyes welling up.

Alden just rolled his eyes and start walking. They followed the man with the mic, leading Aira who now wearing her stunning gown.

Spotlights illuminated Alden and Aira as they walked down the stage, accompanied by the melody of a love song.

Alden couldn’t believe he had to do this. If not for helping his sister, he might have run away by now. But more than that, he couldn’t believe the woman beside him had agreed to this.

Aira and Alden successfully walked as wedding attire models without stumbling. The models gathered in a line at the back of the stage.

The MC announced the name of the designer behind the showcased creations. Cheers from the audience filled the room, making it nearly impossible for Aira to hear anything clearly.

“You’re beautiful,” someone whispered beside her.

“What did you say?” Aira shouted back to clarify.

Embarrassed by the rare compliment he had just uttered, Alden turned away without answering.

‘Did he just call me beautiful? Ah, I must have misheard,’ Aira thought, brushing it off.