His Beautiful Chaos

The wedding II.

~Arianna~

"You may kiss your bride," the priest said.

Don Nicholas leaned in, and I braced myself, shutting my eyes tight, waiting for the disgusting moment to be over. But the kiss never came.

When I opened my eyes, he was staring at me, his face unreadable. "No, Padre. I’ll wait for our nuptial night," he said, with his lips so closed to mine.

My stomach dropped. Nuptial night? I froze, my lips parted, but nothing came out. Mrs. Alvarez had mentioned it before, but I hadn’t thought that he would want anything to do with me of that sort.

Now, the reality hit me—he wasn’t just waiting for marriage, to have me.

He wanted me in his bed, and soon. This marriage was a transaction, and I was the prize.

By now, he would have taken me to bed, but because of his family, he had to marry me first. It seemed strange to me. Why go through all that just to be with a woman? Men!

We signed the marriage certificate and headed back to the villa. The family was preparing for the evening reception, and Anna mentioned important guests would be there, including Don Nicholas’s family and business partners.

She said I’d enjoy the celebration, but I doubted it. Not when I was married to the devil. My chances of escaping were next to none, at least for now.

I went to my room and lay on the bed. My mind wandered to Rosalind. There was no way to reach her. She had no phone, and our house phone had been broken for years.

I tried to think if I brought my cellphone. No, I’d left it in the purse I took to work yesterday. It was on my bed at home, so I could call Rosalind by dialing my number.

There was a cellphone downstairs, so I could easily contact her. I jumped up, excited to run downstairs, But my heart stopped when I saw a figure at the door. It wasn’t Don Nicholas. This man was different—blonde hair, sharp blue eyes, and a smile that could disarm anyone.

"Hi, I hope I didn’t scare you?" he asked with a warm smile.

Of, course, he did.

I hugged myself, realizing I was only in a bra top and shorts. "N-no," I stammered, my body tensing.

"Good. I’m Alex, Don Nicholas’s younger brother," he introduced, his voice smooth.

I blinked in surprise. Don Nicholas had a brother? He looked nothing like him—where Nicholas was cold and distant, Alex was all charm and warmth.

"Nice to meet you," I managed, trying to smile, though it felt forced.

Alex took a small step closer, then stopped, sensing my discomfort. "Sorry, I just got back this afternoon. When I heard my brother had married, I was curious. I wanted to see you for myself. You’re... very beautiful."

"Thank you," I said, feeling a blush creep up my neck. His eyes lingered on me, making me feel exposed in a way that wasn’t unpleasant. He had that effect—his smile, his gaze. Everything about him was inviting.

"Arianna, can I come in?" Alex asked, his tone gentle.

I hesitated but nodded, and he stepped into the room, stopping a few inches from me. His presence was intoxicating, so different from his brother’s overwhelming intensity.

"I’m curious," he said softly, "why did you marry my brother? How did you two meet?"

I wanted to laugh—if only he knew. I didn’t even understand why this marriage had happened. I was as much in the dark as he was.

"Why do you ask?" I responded, my voice barely above a whisper.

Alex's eyes flickered with something—concern, maybe? "His wife went missing a few month ago. No one knows what happened to her. It was like she just disappeared. And now, out of nowhere, you’re married to him. It just doesn’t add up."

My heart pounded. He had a wife? That part had conveniently been left out. Missing? And now, I was here, married to him in a rush.

What the hell was going on?

*****

~Author~

Mrs. Alvarez was in the middle of party preparations, her mind racing as she glanced at the clock. Alex was due at 2:00 PM, and there were still thirty minutes before her youngest son would arrive.

He had just finished his master's in London, and ever since Mr. Alvarez had passed, Don Nicholas had stepped in, making sure they never wanted anything.

"Where's Arianna?" Mrs. Alvarez asked as she stepped into the garden, eyeing the setup. The party was being held there.

"She's upstairs in her room," Anna replied, taking the tray from her hands.

"What is she doing up there alone? I don’t want her feeling neglected. She should’ve gone with Don Nicholas to the office.”

"Mrs. Arianna is not alone, ma."

Mrs. Alvarez paused. "Who is she with?" She frowned. Valentina was off at the hospital fetching her elder brother and his wife, and Alex wasn’t due yet.

Anna hesitated, eyes lowering to the ground. “The young master arrived about twenty minutes ago.”

"Alex?" Mrs. Alvarez's eyes widened in shock. Her son always greeted her first. There was no way he'd arrived without coming to see her.

"Yes, ma," Anna confirmed.

The color drained from Mrs. Alvarez's face. She didn’t think, didn’t care who was watching. In an instant, she was sprinting into the house, her heart pounding as though she was racing against time. Something about this felt wrong—very wrong.

When she reached Arianna’s room, fear seized her, her chest tight as though her heart might leap out of her mouth.

She hovered near the door, straining to hear something, anything. It was quiet, too quiet. Alex must have asked something Arianna couldn’t answer.

“I—I didn’t know Don Nicholas had a wife,” Arianna’s voice finally trembled through the silence.

Mrs. Alvarez closed her eyes, breathing deeply to steady herself. Arianna knew nothing of Don Nicholas’ past, of his previous life.

She couldn’t let Arianna see her nerves. Not today. It was the girl’s first day in the mansion, and she needed to feel welcomed. Forcing a smile, Mrs. Alvarez stepped into the room.

"Arianna and Alex..." She spoke softly, but the moment Alex saw her, he stepped back from Arianna, bowing slightly.

“Mama, your beauty still stuns me,” Alex grinned, walking toward her. He pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her cheek. “You're in competition with your new daughter-in-law.”

Mrs. Alvarez laughed, trying to keep her voice light. “No, don’t say that. Arianna is far more beautiful than I am.”

Alex’s eyes lingered on Arianna. “Mama already likes you. I can’t wait to see what kind of couple you and Don Nicholas will be.”

Mrs. Alvarez cut him off quickly, her voice firmer now. “We shouldn’t bother the bride.”

“I’m not bothering her, am I?” Alex asked, glancing at Arianna, who shook her head, her cheeks flushing. “See? She’s fine.”

“Let’s go before Don Nicholas returns,” Mrs. Alvarez said, her tone making it clear she wasn’t asking. They needed to leave. Now.

Alex held her gaze for a moment, then nodded. “Fine, mother.” He turned back to Arianna, his voice low and smooth. “We’ll meet downstairs later.”

Arianna nodded, her heart racing as she watched them leave.