His Beautiful Chaos

The Nuptial

~Arianna~

I descended the stairs carefully, mindful not to step on my dress. It would be a shame to trip and ruin the evening—Nicholas would likely be furious, thinking I’d done it on purpose.

He was waiting for me at the foot of the staircase, his expression blank until his eyes met mine. A smile crept onto his face, and he reached out his hand just in time to steady me.

I took his arm as we walked into the garden. The decorations were breathtaking, leaving me speechless. Mrs. Alvarez had outdone herself as an event planner—nothing was overlooked.

Applause greeted us as the guests spotted us approaching. They saw us as the newest couple in town, but I couldn’t help but laugh inwardly at the notion that we looked cute together. Don Nicholas and I? There was nothing cute about our pairing. He looked dangerous beside me, and I wondered why no one else could see that we weren’t suited to be husband and wife.

“Tonight is important for my mother,” Nicholas whispered, his lips brushing close to mine. “You must behave, my dear wife.”

“It’s not about behaving,” I murmured back as we moved towards his mother. “We’re not a good match.”

“Really?” he asked, his voice low. “Is it that obvious to everyone but you?”

I blinked. Did he just imply I wasn’t right for him? He was corrupt, dangerous—a bad match for me.

“That’s not true,” I insisted. “If I’m so wrong for you, why did you choose me?”

“You think you’re bad for me?” Nicholas chuckled softly. “You’re far from bad.”

I wanted to argue further, but we reached his mother’s side. She was speaking with a man who introduced himself as Marcel, Nicholas’s client from Mexico.

“Congratulations, may your new home be blessed with happiness,” Marcel said warmly.

“Thank you,” Nicholas replied, shaking his hand, and I followed suit.

“Finally left the bachelor’s club, huh?” Marcel chuckled, looking around. Despite being around my father’s age, he looked younger. “Who would have thought the great Don Nicholas would marry one day?”

It was a rhetorical question, but Mrs. Alvarez tensed visibly. She managed a strained smile when Marcel glanced at her, but it faded as soon as his attention shifted.

“He’s married now, and that’s what matters,” she said tightly.

“If I were you, I’d be thanking this young lady for the rest of my life,” Marcel continued, lifting his glass of wine.

“I appreciate her, but it’s nothing special,” Mrs. Alvarez replied. “People get married all the time.”

“People, you say? Not Don Nicholas. This is his first marriage. The celebration should be grander,” Marcel persisted. “We weren’t informed in time, many of my colleagues would have been here.”

Wait—did he just say this was Nicholas’s first marriage? What about his first wife, Rosario? Did he hide her from his friends too? Why would he do that?

The thought frightened me. If Rosario had been as lonely in this mansion as I feared, perhaps that’s why she wrote that letter.

But Anna had said they were happy. Was she lying? At this point, I trusted no one.

"Enough about me. Tonight is about my wife," Don Nicholas interrupted, pulling me closer, his arm wrapping around my waist like it belonged there. The heat from his body seeped into mine, and my heart raced as his hand slid down, fingers pressing against my waist.

He leaned in and kissed my cheek again, his lips lingering just a second longer. It was the second time tonight. What was he trying to do? My skin burned where he touched me, and the air felt thick, almost too much. I struggled to breathe.

Damn... I was burning up, and it wasn't the weather.

“Oh my...,” Mrs. Alvarez gasped, tears spilling down her cheeks as she fumbled for her handkerchief. “Tears of joy, don't worry.” She dabbed at her eyes, but I could tell her mind was somewhere else. Did she not know about Adela? Maybe Don Nicholas kept that from her, too. He was capable of anything.

“I was going to ask if it was an arranged marriage or...” Marcel's voice trailed off.

“Love. It’s a love marriage,” Don Nicholas said without missing a beat.

I turned to him, my heart pounding harder now. Why was he lying? Why tell them this?

“That’s hard to believe,” Marcel said, but his eyes were on me. “How did you two meet?”

My mouth went dry. What was I supposed to say? My mind went blank. I had never thought about how we'd explain this.

Before I could answer, Alex appeared, announcing it was time to cut the cake. I silently thanked him as we walked over.

A giant cake towered before us, and a sword was handed to us. Together, Nicholas and I sliced through the second tier.

The crowd clapped, but the whole thing felt wrong. I fed him a piece, trying to keep my hands steady, but inside, I cringed. I’d only ever fed Rosalind like this. My baby sister. I missed her so much, and standing here with these rich, dangerous people felt suffocating.

Don Nicholas was engrossed in business talk, his colleagues all clad in black. The women wore bright colors, probably to keep the party from feeling like a funeral.

I spotted Alex laughing with a man and woman across the room. It looked like fun, and I needed a break from the intensity swirling around me.

“Can I join you?” I asked when I reached them.

“Of course,” a man in a wheelchair replied before Alex could. He was handsome, and something about him reminded me of Don Nicholas. Family, maybe. “You must be the new lady of the mansion, right?”

I nodded, unsure if I really deserved that title.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Luciano, Nicholas’s older brother,” he said, extending his hand.

“Arianna,” I replied, shaking his hand.

“Ari-anna,” Alex repeated with a playful smile, biting his lower lip. “This is Luciano. After him came Nicholas… then Valentina and me.”

“You and Valentina are twins?” I asked, surprised.

“Unfortunately, yes,” Alex chuckled, rolling his eyes. “We’re nothing alike. But that’s a story for another time. Meet Adela, Luciano’s wife.”

Adela shot me a cold look. She flipped her hair back before saying, “I hope you enjoy being married to Nicholas.”

Before I could respond, she turned and walked away. Her words stung, and her attitude was clear—she didn’t like me.

“Don’t worry about Adela. She’s just a little jealous,” Alex said, flashing me a reassuring smile.

“Jealous? Why?” I asked, confused.

“You took her sister’s place… Rosario,” Luciano explained, his voice soft, filled with pain. “She can’t handle it. I lost my legs the same day she lost her sister. It’s been hard on her… on all of us.”

Rosario... Nicholas had been married to Adela’s sister. Their families were obviously close. The sadness in Luciano’s eyes told me there was more to this.

“How did it happen?” I asked, curious.

“From the stairs—” Luciano began, but Alex cut him off.

“Don’t bore her with all that,” Alex said, taking my hand and pulling me gently toward the dance floor.

“I wasn’t bored,” I said, wanting to hear more.

“Not tonight,” Alex insisted, his voice soft but firm. “It’s your wedding night. You don’t need depressing stories to cloud your mind.”

He was right. My thoughts were already a mess. If I let myself get sucked into the tragic lives of these people, I’d lose myself.

“Dance with me, Arianna,” Alex said, his tone gentle but persuasive. He was so different from Nicholas—charming, kind. It made me hesitate.

“I… I don’t know if I should,” I glanced over at Don Nicholas. He wasn’t watching us, but something about dancing with his brother felt dangerous, like it might come back to haunt me later.

“We’re not doing anything wrong,” Alex said softly, sensing my hesitation. He squeezed my hand. “It’s just a dance. Please.”

“Fine,” I whispered.

I wrapped one arm around his shoulder, placing my hand in his. He smiled, his hand slipping to my waist, pulling me close. Too close. I could feel the heat radiating from him, and my breath caught.

I tried to focus on the steps as we moved together, but all I could think about was how close we were... and how dangerous this felt.

He was a much better dancer than me. Being in Alex’s arms felt different, lighter. He told me stories about Nicholas when they were kids, and I laughed, really laughed. For a moment, all my worries faded, and I let myself enjoy it.

But that moment ended when I saw Don Nicholas. His eyes were dark, and his face was hard. He was furious. My heart sank—he looked like he wanted to punch his brother.

We stopped dancing as he stormed over. Without a word, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me through the crowd. I noticed people staring, whispers starting, but Nicholas didn’t care. His grip was tight, his pace relentless.

“What’s happening?” Mrs. Alvarez called after us, her voice full of concern. Nicholas didn’t answer, didn’t even look back. He pulled me toward the house like I wasn’t even there.

“The reception’s over, Mom. You’ve done enough,” he said flatly.

“If this is about Alex, you don’t need to worry. He didn’t mean—” Mrs. Alvarez stopped when we reached the mansion doors.

Nicholas let go of me so suddenly that I almost fell, but Anna caught me just in time. His anger was like a storm swirling around him, and I saw something in his eyes that terrified me.

“Take her upstairs. Prepare the room,” he growled. “I’m spending the night in her room.”

My heart seized in my chest. I had forgotten about the Nupital night. Was this because I danced with Alex? Was he jealous? No, this was Don Nicholas. He didn’t get jealous. But something had snapped inside him.

“What did I do wrong?” I asked, my voice trembling as I stood up.

Nicholas’s eyes burned into mine, colder than ever. “Don’t argue with me, wife. Go upstairs, or I’ll lose control.”

He already looked out of control. Fear curled around my chest, tightening like a vice. I didn’t want to find out what would happen if I disobeyed him. Nodding, I followed Anna upstairs.

The bed was draped in white sheets, red rose petals scattered across it and the floor. Candles flickered softly, casting a warm glow, and two bottles of alcohol sat beside the bed.

Anna handed me a red nightgown—barely more than lingerie. It clung to my body, leaving my back exposed, my breasts barely covered. It was so short it skimmed just under my hips.

I stared at myself in the mirror, my heart pounding. What had I gotten myself into? What had I become in this twisted game of paying debts?

“If you need anything, let me know,” Anna said quietly as she finished lighting the candles and switched off the lights.

“I’m scared, Anna,” I whispered, tears burning in my eyes. I didn’t mean to say it, but I had to.

She sighed softly. “I know tonight didn’t go how you expected, but I promise you, things will settle after this. Just… try to enjoy it, ma’am.”

The door clicked shut behind her, leaving me alone with my fear. I closed my eyes, my heart thundering. If I said no, Nicholas might hurt my family. I couldn’t risk it.

The door opened again, his footsteps slow and deliberate. My pulse quickened as he came closer, his shadow falling over me.

Rosario was right. There were monsters in this mansion. And one of them was about to claim me.