The Misplaced Bride

Chapter 3

Aurelia's POV

The doors then opened again and this time, I walked in with Lucien.

Now you might be wondering how I ended up here when all I wanted was to run away.

But Lucien Ashcroft gave me a reality check.

If I walked away now, this wouldn’t disappear quietly. This is the Ashcrofts we are talking about. There are cameras outside. Investors watching. The media is hungry for scandal. My face would be everywhere by tonight.

You know your girl. And yes, your girl still denied.

But then came the piece that locked things. We decided we are going to go ahead and do this for the sake of the public. We are going to act like husband and wife.

Lucien wants the company and I want to know who is related to my mother. This is the only way we can stay in the loop and since I was already at the altar, I was left with little to no choice.

The only person I had in this world, was my mother. With her gone, the link to the Ashcrofts is the only thing that remains.

I gave the crowd a nervous smile and walked forward. Everything feels unreal at this point.

I wonder what Ameya is going to do when she watches me on television or catches a glimpse of me in tabloids as the bride of Lucien Ashcroft. I don't know how I am going to explain her but I hope I can.

I don't want to do this but this is the only thing I gotta do to know my identity. I need to know who I am. If my mother is linked to the Ashcrofts, then there is something else I don't know about.

"How come no one here knows who you were going to marry?" I asked Lucien in a whisper. That is not a normal thing, is it?

"I don't know her either. I've only met her once. Her name is Aurora," he said in a whisper.

What kind of a wedding is this?

I looked at him, slightly shaking my head in disappointment. And he stared at me like my disappointment was last in the list of his concerns.

It is funny how I do have a small business of my own. I have a best friend who would do anything for me and yet, I am all alone at my own wedding.

The officiant gave me a tight lipped smile, and his eyes were already scanning me wondering what price I paid in my last life to be marrying my way into the Ashcroft family.

"Shall we proceed?" The officiant asks again.

I looked at him. Wondering what might be going through his mind now that he has seen me up close.

The silence is terrifying this time. I can hear the camera clicks. I could hear the distant whispers of the guests, trying to Google my name wondering who I could be.

That was when I realised, that this wasn't about my marriage. This is about my identity. And my mother. The only thing that I've got left.

So I looked at Lucien one last time, who was looking at me like I was wasting his time. I cannot decide if I hate him just enough to feel irritated or to wonder if I can tolerate him at least for a second.

"Yes," I whispered and I heard gasps again.

And once again, I saw a moment of relief pass through Lucien Ashcroft before he covered it up with his resting nonchalant face.

I bet everyone here was ready for a scandal. Their expressions say so. Half of the guests here right now are googling my name. The other half are simply staring like they are watching a television drama and not a real wedding.

The wedding ceremony has begun. And the officiant was talking about union, commitment, legacy and many more words that felt heavier in an Ashcroft wedding than anywhere else.

I couldn't hear half of what he said. My eyes were on Lucien and the way he was staring at me. With intent. And never once did his eyes budge off mine. Something about him is making me feel nervous. Something about him is also calming my nerves. But I also know that he is also the one who is going to get on my nerves.

"Lucien Ashcroft," The officiant spoke,"Do you take-"

"I do," Lucien said before the officiant even finished his sentence. Wow.

The entire crowd gave one more reaction. And this is the first time I saw a few actually smile. The cameras are going crazy with the clicks. I bet they are going to make these headlines in a few minutes.

"Very well. Miss.." he trailed as he looked at me. He is still looking at me like I am the luckiest human alive.

"Aurelia Beaumont," I told him.

With that, now finally everyone else in the crowd also pulled their phones out.

Also it was exactly at that moment I noticed a posture change in The Ashcrofts. Everyone in the family exchanged looks, probably realising that the bride has been misplaced and I am not the one they chose for their heir Lucien Ashcroft.

But it's too late now.

"I do," I spoke after the officiant finished asking me about the wedding.

"By the power now vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may now kiss the bride," The officiant said as he took a step back with a straight face.

Husband and wife. That's what he said.

I came here in search of one person. One missing link. One piece of identity and I became an entirely different person.

Lucien Ashcroft took a step closer to me. His eyes are still on me and he searched for something on my face.

"Your eyes look familiar," he whispered once we stood closer.

"Hmm?" I whispered back, at loss of words.

From this close, everything about Lucien Ashcroft was perfect. His dark chocolate brown eyes compliment his deep brown almost black hair really well.

"We've met already. Or so I feel," Lucien whispered again.

There is no way I met Lucien Ashcroft before this. I would have known when I met a billionaire.

"I don't think so," I shook my head at him but his eyes were firm on mine.

The officiant cleared his throat saying we were running out of time. We need to have the first kiss now. And ironically, this is indeed the first kiss.

Lucien's hand snaked around my waist. His movements were controlled. Measured. And like he was sure about what he was doing.

There were goosebumps all over my skin. I tried to ignore them, in hopes that they would go away. But Lucien Ashcroft had already seen them and I saw the way his lips curled up for a second again.

Lucien then leaned closer, just enough for the cameras to capture the correct angle. I closed my eyes when he was so close to my face.

I don't think I have the capacity to look at him in the eye when he is only an inch away from my face.

Something about him makes me feel weird. I haven't felt like this in my life. And I don't know if it's a good thing or a bad thing.

The kiss was brief. It was strategic. It was just enough for the tabloids to do their work and for the world to believe that this was a real wedding.

But only Lucien and I know that it is not. This is a contract of convenience. We are going to stay together only until we get what we want.

Getting a divorce is less chaotic than running away from the wedding, I realised after Lucien gave me a reality check.

Once he pulled away from me, he looked at me in the eye again. We turned towards the crowd and Lucien just gave a head nod to the guests.

Wow I thought we would hold each other's hands and lift them up to show the world our wedding rings which are adorned with diamonds and have more sparkle than my life.

Just when I was wondering what I got myself into, Lucien leaned closer to my ear and whispered,

"Welcome to the Ashcrofts"

Well. I just got myself into a billionaire trouble.