The Don’s Little Bride

Untitled Episode Three: The Wedding Surprise

Ava

I stared at myself in the mirror, my breath caught in my throat. The dress felt heavy on me, its intricate lace and satin layers weighing me down with more than just fabric. The soft white silk shimmered under the lights, and yet, all I could feel was the cold, heavy knot in my stomach.

This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

A wedding, supposed to be the happiest day of my life, was instead the day I felt most trapped. My mind kept racing back to Flynn's death, my father’s ultimatum, the haunting presence of that man from the bar, the man I couldn't forget, even though I tried. The name echoed in my thoughts like a warning.

I had never met him before today, but I had seen his name everywhere. My father had made it clear: this marriage would save his company. It was a deal, a transaction—nothing more. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something was wrong. That maybe I was walking into a trap I didn’t fully understand.

“Miss, are you ready?” The voice of the wedding planner brought me back to reality.

I nodded, forcing a smile, though it felt like the most unnatural thing in the world.

I couldn’t believe I was doing this. Marrying a man I didn’t even know, all because my father insisted it was the only way to save his business. He had threatened me, manipulated me into this.

But I couldn’t back out now. Not with everything on the line.

The moment the doors opened and the soft music filled the air, my heart began to race. Guests filled the room, and I kept my head high as I made my way down the aisle. It felt like I was floating, as if I weren’t even in control of my body. The lights shone brightly, blinding me, but it didn’t matter. I couldn’t feel them.

My eyes focused on the man at the altar, the man I was about to marry. Dante Whitelaw. His tall frame stood straight, his expression unreadable. He was handsome—so handsome that it made my heart stutter just looking at him. But there was something about him that made my skin crawl.

I had no idea why. I had only heard rumors about him, whispers of his ruthless business dealings, his cold demeanor. But still, nothing prepared me for the shock that would come next.

I reached the altar, and when my eyes met his, my stomach dropped.

It wasn’t just the icy blue eyes that looked back at me. No, it wasn’t that.

It was the recognition—the same recognition I had felt deep in my gut the moment I saw him.

I took a shaky breath, my heart pounding in my chest. This couldn’t be happening.

This man…

He looks awfully familiar. Then it came to me, Fuckkk.

This was the same man I had shared that one-night stand with.

The one from the bar.

The one whose name I had been too drunk to remember but whose face I couldn’t forget.

My breath hitched in my throat as my legs almost gave out beneath me. The entire room seemed to spin, the walls closing in as everything in me screamed to run. But I couldn’t.

I didn’t know what to say, what to do. My mouth was dry, my hands shaking as I clutched the bouquet tighter.

He smirked.

The moment our eyes met, that damned smirk appeared on his lips. It was slow, deliberate, almost as if he had been expecting this. As if he had known all along.

“Surprised?” he asked in a low, almost teasing voice.

I couldn’t even answer. My mouth opened, but no sound came out. My body felt like it was being pulled in a thousand directions, each of them leading me toward the door, away from this nightmare.

“Don’t worry, Ava,” he continued, his voice cutting through the chaos in my mind. “You’ll get used to it.”

The words sent a chill down my spine.

I glanced at the priest, hoping he would intervene, but he just stood there, looking at the both of us as if this was all normal.

I couldn’t breathe.

My wedding day—the day I had imagined as a little girl, filled with hope and love—was nothing more than a cruel joke.

Dante reached out, taking my hand in his with a smooth, almost practiced gesture. The touch was cold, like the man himself. I flinched, but I couldn’t pull away. My feet were frozen in place, my heart beating wildly in my chest as his fingers tightened around mine.

“Let’s get this over with,” he murmured, his voice low and commanding.

I wanted to scream. I wanted to fight. To run. But I couldn’t.

“Do you, Ava... take Dante Whitelaw to be your lawfully wedded husband?” the priest asked, his voice distant.

I couldn’t focus on his words. My mind was too full of confusion and disbelief. How was this happening? How could I be marrying this man—the same one who had left me in that hotel room, whose voice echoed in my mind, whose touch still lingered on my skin?

And yet, here he was, standing before me, with that same smug expression, as if he knew exactly what he was doing to me.

I opened my mouth to speak, but the words wouldn’t come. My chest was tight, my breath shallow.

Dante raised an eyebrow, his smirk still in place. “Say it,” he murmured, leaning closer to me, his breath warm against my ear. “Say ‘I do,’ Ava.”

The world around me blurred. The guests, the ceremony, everything seemed to fade away as I stared at him, my mind still trying to make sense of it all.

And then, in a daze, I heard my own voice, soft, broken, whisper, “I do.”

The moment the words left my mouth, I felt like crying. It should be Flynn here with me, not this stranger. This should have been my happy moment but no, here I was saying I do to this man I barely knew.

His smirk grew wider. He

knew exactly what he had done. And now, I was trapped in this nightmare with no way out.