The Bride in White
1021 Words
Harriet couldn't sleep.
It was true that the guestroom at Vale Manor was bigger than the whole apartment where she grew up, but it felt claustrophobic.
The marriage agreement was laid out on the bedside table.
Signed.
Sealed.
No going back.
At six in the morning, there was a knock at the door.
Two ladies came in, each of them holding garment bags and jewelry cases.
"Good morning, Miss Virelle."
One of them greeted her with a warm smile.
"We are here to get you ready for the ceremony."
Harriet just looked at them.
The ceremony.
This word sounded alien to her.
Everything happened too fast.
Yesterday, she was a woman trying to save her mother.
Today, she is getting married.
And the idea made Harriet's insides squirm.
The wedding dress was beautiful.
Not too luxurious.
Just simple and elegant.
Silky ivory material touched the floor without a trace of excess.
One of the ladies placed a veil.
"You look beautiful."
Harriet almost didn't recognize herself in the mirror.
She looked like a bride.
But she definitely wasn't one.
There was no excitement.
No joy.
Only tiredness.
And terror.
A couple of minutes passed before Luzio entered the room.
"Miss Virelle."
Harriet turned around.
"It's time."
She could feel her heart beating faster.
It was real.
_____________________________________________________
The wedding ceremony took place at the private chapel of the Vale property.
Small.
Empty.
Cold.
No guests.
No relatives.
No friends.
Just a few lawyers and witnesses present.
It seemed more like a business arrangement rather than a celebration of marriage.
Standing by the altar was Lucien Vale.
Clothed completely in black.
His face was unreadable.
The wheelchair he sat in made him look unreachable, untouchable.
He looked like a king sealing an agreement.
Not a groom welcoming his bride.
Harriet came closer to him.
Every move weighed her down more.
The priest started to say something.
His words merged into one.
Love.
Devotion.
Trust.
Promise.
It all sounded beautiful.
But all those words meant nothing to strangers.
Finally—
"Do you, Lucien Vale, take Harriet Virelle to be your wife?"
The voice of Lucien Vale was even.
"I do."
No doubt.
No passion.
Now the priest turned to Harriet.
She was shaking.
In that single moment—
She considered running.
Leaving everything behind.
But then she thought of her mother.
Of the hospital.
The physicians.
The impossible bill.
She realized.
She had already made her decision.
"I do."
Her words were softly spoken.
Yet somehow, everything changed.
The priest smiled.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Silence.
No kiss.
No cheering.
Not even a sound.
The ceremony was over.
There was no longer any Harriet Virelle.
Only Harriet Vale.
And somehow, surprisingly, more than anything else.
It scared her.
When they left the estate chapel, the sun had just started to set.
A black luxury car stood waiting for them outside.
Bodyguards surrounded the area.
Harriet observed them carefully.
Too much more than before.
It all seemed different.
Tenser.
She looked at Luzio.
"Why is there so much security here?"
Luzio appeared unperturbed.
"The usual precautions."
His words seemed to have been practiced.
Harriet frowned.
Precautions for who?
The billionaires?
Or men who had their enemies?
Lucien didn't respond.
He just sat there as the driver opened the door.
The interior of the car was roomy.
Classy.
Silent.
Opposite Lucien sat Harriet.
Neither of them said a word for a few moments.
It started raining gently.
The city lights blurred in the distance.
Finally, Harriet broke the silence.
"So..."
Lucien raised his head.
"We're married."
Pause.
"Yes."
How bluntly he answered.
Is that all he had to say?
"What should I say?"
She opened her mouth.
Closed it again.
Honestly—
She had no idea.
The whole thing was ridiculous.
The car kept moving.
The streets were getting more and more deserted.
And then—
Suddenly, everything occurred.
A motorcycle rushed out of nowhere.
The roar of its motor burst into the silence of the evening.
One bodyguard yelled.
"Protect Signor!"
The driver braked.
CRASH!
A deafening explosion of shots interrupted the silence.
The back window cracked.
Glass shards spread around.
Harriet shrieked.
Another shot followed.
The bodyguards outside reacted immediately.
Guns drawn.
Pandemonium.
And then—
Lucien acted.
Quickly.
Too quickly.
An arm held Harriet close.
Dragging her down.
Covering her body.
The world stopped.
Because in that fraction of a second—
Harriet forgot about the shots fired.
Forget about the threat.
Forget about everything.
All she could see was him.
And then—
Rain.
Cold.
Hard.
Some road somewhere in the mountains.
Twisted metal.
Blood.
Sirens.
A boy.
Sixteen years old.
Dark hair.
Dark eyes.
His body lying there in a wrecked car.
"Help me..."
Those words rang inside her mind.
And then—
Another hand reaching out.
That of a little girl.
Thirteen years old.
Scared.
Crying.
Racing through the rain.
"Don't fall asleep!"
The visions came too fast.
Distorted.
Incomplete.
The boy stared at her.
Those same eyes.
Those same incredible eyes.
And then—
It was gone.
Harriet breathed.
Her body trembled.
The memory was lost in an instant.
Before she even understood what she had seen.
The sound of guns had stopped.
The bike vanished into the night.
The guards formed a circle around the car.
Luzio wrenched the door open.
"Signor!"
He was white with shock.
Lucien stayed as cool as ice.
"I'm fine."
The gaze of the old man fell on Harriet.
“Miss Virelle?”
She could hardly breathe.
Lucien had her in his arms.
In his protection.
It made absolutely no sense.
She looked up at him.
For the first time –
She saw concern in his eyes.
Just a small c***k in his usual hard exterior.
“Harriet.”
Her heart skipped a beat.
The way he said her name –
It sounded...
Familiar.
Terrifyingly so.
She broke away from him.
“What...”
Her voice shook.
“What just happened?”
No one answered.
It was raining outside.
But within her mind –
The image of a hurt boy wouldn’t go away.
- Writer
