Cursed Bride

Chapter 7

the sun was still brightening the dark sky even when it was about to set making it even more beautiful. the blue sky seem to fade and the speck of orange and yellow made the awaiting darkness more beautiful. it was a beautiful evening with calm yet crowded New York City but not for everyone!

Ryan was working on his laptop as he sat on the chair inside his office, furiously typing the things. this day wasn't supposed to be like this, he was supposed to spend it with Ariel and get to know her. they were supposed to lunch and dine together. he had planned so much to spoil her to let her know what kind of life she would have once they got married; luxurious and marvellous but she had to ruined all of it.

the scene from earlier keep rewinding in his mind and he could still heard the echo of that slap in his ear making his blood boiled. he had never in his wildest nightmare had thought that he would get slapped by a girl and what surprised him more was that he left Ariel unharmed after that because if anyone else would have been in her place then Ryan was sure he had ruined that person right then and there.

Ryan found him questioning himself that why was that? what was so special about Ariel? was it because she was beautiful? but then again his whole life was filled with beautiful girls!

Ryan groaned in frustration when he couldn't get any answer and the rising of his heart beat when he thought of her didn't helped him much.

a knock on the door interrupted his work in which he wasn't that focused as his mind was occupied with the thought of a girl who had casted a spell on him. Ryan looked at the clock and found it was seven in the evening already.

"yes, come in" he said in his usual cold tone and walked in his personal assistant, Linda. she was a raven black hair beauty with same black eyes and perfect hourglass figure that had entertained Ryan quite a lot.

"Mr. Parker is here to meet you, sir" she informed quietly as she knew he was furious right now and it would be like going inside a hungry lion's den to cross him.

"escort him in" Ryan ordered not looking up at her for once. she nodded and left silently and within few seconds there was another knock on his door and the person who walked in didn't even waited for answer.

a man with black hair and hazel eyes dressed in casual clothes leisurely walked upto Ryan who stood up from his chair, shutting his laptop down and they shared a handshake followed by a hug.

Ryan gestured him to sit on the couch that had been placed on the left side of his office right infront of huge glass window.

"hey man!" Charles said as he made himself comfortable "how are you doing?"

"I am good but you look quite tired to me" Ryan said as his calculative eyes observed that man sharply.

Charles laughed a little and shook his head "yeah I was working on something" Ryan nodded, he knew the man that sat across him was hardworking and dedicated; the kind of person he would like to work with.

Ryan nodded and went upto the mini fridge he had in his office and pulled out some beer bottles and placed them on coffee table as he sat across him.

"so?" Charles trailed off "what is it that you wanna talk about?" Charles asked as he took a sip of his beer and Ryan smirked. he had always liked his nature; coming directly to point!

"it's about a girl" Ryan said seriously and Charles resisted the urge to roll his eyes on him "you and a girl is not a new story buddy" Charles said in a bored tone. Ryan was not a playboy for no reason, his flings and one night stands was the main topic of showbiz after all.

"well this time it's really a new story" Ryan said leaning back making Charles to raised his brow at him.

"I am getting married to her" as soon as this world left Ryan's mouth, Charles choked on the his beer. he coughed badly and rubbed his chest a little and looked at Ryan with horrified look.

"you what?" he looked pale as if he had seen a ghost.

"I am getting married to her!" Ryan said this time slowly and clearly putting extra stress on each word.

"I can't believe this, you-" he pointed his finger at Ryan "the famous playboy is getting married?" shock was clearly evident in his voice "why is that? what made you to even think of it?"

"it's because of my dad!" Ryan said irritatingly "he wants me to get married and settle down and in order to make me do it he had come up with a stupid condition"

"and what is that condition?"

"that I must marry before my twenty fifth birthday and he will hand over the entire Armando empire to me otherwise he would donate all of it on my twenty fifth birthday" Ryan said palming his forehead. he knew his father, Raffeal Armando was the man of his words and he would surely do what he had said.

"what a brain he has got" Charles asked as he knew Ryan was trapped and would have to get married "so you have already find your bride"

"yes" Ryan agreed and glanced outside the window.

"well she must be happy and proud" Charles commented as he knew how popular Ryan was among females.

"that doesn't matter to me" Ryan said as he looked at Charles with a menace in his eyes that even Charles noticed.

"what do you mean?" Charles didn't get the good feeling about the way Ryan was behaving.

"she was playing hard to get so I just get her by my way" Ryan said and told him everything from start as how he happened to see her and how she had rejected him and how he made her to say yes deliberately leaving her name or her identity in the process as he didn't want anyone to know her yet.

"what the hell dude! this is wrong!" Charles almost raised his voice at him in shock "you can't do this to her"

"I can do whatever I want to" Ryan said giving him a glare, he never liked anyone raising his voice on him "I always get what I want and she is no exception"

"Ryan you are not understanding, this is not how relationship or marriage works. you can't forced anyone in it" Charles tried to make his arrogant friend understand that how wrong all of this was.

"I tried to approached her nicely and she thought she can reject me! she can reject Ryan Armando and get away with it. she has to be mine and this is exactly how she deserves to be treated for rejecting me" Ryan said angrily, the wound on his ego ached as he thought about her rejection.

"but she doesn't love you-"

"she eventually will like every other girl out there" Ryan said cutting Charles off "and I told you she is just being stupid, isn't understanding that it's for her own well being to get married to me rather than dating a middle class man who could give her nothing" Ryan didn't knew why but the thought of her not loving him irked him.

"don't you think she could decide that for herself, she is not a child and must have got her own brain" Charles reasoned but nothing of if it made sense to Ryan, the man was too blinded by the arrogance.

"she has no say in this because I will get to decide" Ryan said with a finality in his voice.

"you will regret it Ryan, you could never be happy by forcing someone to be with you" Charles said looking straight into his eyes, telling him how serious and right he was.

Ryan kept looking at Charles, both friends were glaring at each other "you let her go then why aren't you happy?" Ryan asked and Charles instantly looked away making Ryan to smirk as he knew he had hit his weak nerve "I am not like you Charles. I will make her mine and claim her unlike you to regret later because letting go is never an option"

Charles Parker was once in a love with a girl from his college days and when he finally approached her and asked her out she denied him right away and told him she already have someone. Charles was heartbroken from then and even after three years he still couldn't manage to get over her.

"I know you are not" Ryan commented "giving up on things you want could never make you happy Charles" Ryan passed him another bottle of beer "but getting what you want will definitely make you happy and contended" Ryan completed with a hint of menace and desperation in his voice.

"I think you are right" Charles agreed as he knew he wasn't happy, no matter how hard he try to forgot her but he just couldn't. he still dreamt about her and her giggles still echoed in his ear "but what about her happiness, Ryan?"

"all I care about is my own happiness and I am happy!" Ryan said making himself clear that no matter what he would marry her and no power on this earth could stop him from doing that "and just because of her happiness I can't sacrifice mine"

Charles knew there was nothing he could do about this matter. he knew how Ryan was, if he wanted something he had it anyway and the girl would be no exception.

"do you love her?" Charles asked out of nowhere, the thought of Ryan marrying the same girl who had rejected him couldn't settle well with him. this was not how Ryan usually react, he would have ruined the girl by now.

"what do you think?" Ryan asked him while smirking.

"I don't know Ryan, you are unpredictable"

"well love is not my cup of tea, she is just another pretty face that I think would look good next to me" Ryan said shaking his head.

"another pretty face?" Charles exclaimed "if you are just marrying her for her pretty face then why forcing her when you could find another who would be willing to be your wife"

"I know what you are trying to do" Ryan said in irritation "and I don't know but only she is the one with whom I can even think of getting married to. there is something about her that is so attractive, a magnetic force that is pulling me like an iron nail" Ryan finally admitted in front of Charles. Ariel was far more than a pretty face, although he couldn't name what he felt for her but he could tell that the feeling was intense.

"I know what this feeling is called Ryan but you would have to realize it by your own"

both friends talked about some business after that for a while and after half an hour they both part their ways.