Entrapped

Chapter 20.

All the color vanished from Luca’s face, leaving him distressed and pale. The meaning behind her words horrified him. It would be too demeaning for Xavier if she was planning to do exactly that, it would taint Xavier’s reputation for forever as not only their legal business partners were invited but their alliance in the underworld were also present, the one looking forward to having Xavier as the next king.

“w-what do you mean?” he couldn’t help but ask her that and the horrified expression pleased Tiara to core, she knew the damage she could do to Xavier if she rejects him at the altar in front of all those people, it would definitely scar his reputation and people would question his potential. His dream of becoming a mafia leader would be shattered into pieces as she knew it would hurt egos of the men out there, and they would not accept the man who had been rejected by his own bride as their leader.

“Put on a smile, Luca.” she tilted her head sideways and gave him a menacing smile, “it’s your closest friend’s wedding.” she feigned innocence like she had not just revealed her imperil intentions regarding his friend who was blindly in love with this vicious woman.

Before Luca could come out of his shocked state, she had put him in and thought of a way to do something to prevent Xavier from the destruction she tends to bring upon him, the big wooden door opened indicating that it was time for the bride to make an appearance.

Luca looked straight and saw Xavier standing there on the altar before the priest, and he could make out his friend smiling happily and looking at them with longing and love in his eyes. His heart churned in pain; chest felt heavy by the burden Tiara’s word had put on him. Xavier did not deserve what was to come and Luca felt immense anger coursing through his vain by the thought of Xavier getting hurt and the helplessness of not being able to stop the malign intention of the heartless woman beside him despite knowing it beforehand.

“Listen to me, Tiara and listen good,” his voice was hushed and he did not look at her and smiled at everyone who stood up to greet the bride and they started walking slowly, “If you dare to create a scene then I swear on my friendship with Xavier, I would kill you.” He threatened because that was the only thing he could do for now. He was helpless and could not really do much for Xavier.

Tiara giggled lightly at him, “do you really think I am afraid of dying?”

Luca knew she was not, if this woman could set a room on fire and tried to get burned alive then she had lost the fear of dying, and he now understood that all this while she was using Xavier’s love to deceive him again. A wave of disgust erupted in his heart for Tiara, she had stooped way too low and the woman who plays with a man’s heart is the most loathsome being.

Xavier, on the other hand, completely unaware of the conversation between Luca and Tiara who were slowly approaching him step by step was having his heart fluttered as the most beautiful truth of his life, that was Tiara was finally becoming his.

He looked at her and kept looking at her with dreamy eyes because she looked so ethereal in her wedding attire just like a goddess that radiates nothing but innocence and love.

She looked beautiful in her white wedding gown that was made up of fine lace that was clinging to her body like a second skin, giving away the outlines of her perfect curves. The sleeves of her dress were long but see through with fine work of minute embroidery at the cuffs. Her dress was tight and body hugging till below her knees and past that it was flowy with so much fabric, giving a long train to her dress. The fishtailed dress was very similar to the one Xavier had imagined her to wear, something quite simple but elegant, he had drawn her painting which she had burned the other day.

It felt like his dream was actually coming true, seeing her in that dress he had imagined her in and taking each step slowly towards him felt so unreal that for a moment he felt like he was caught up in his imagination but the beating sound of his heart proved that it was as real as his existence. She looked perfect to him and he could not help but smile whole heartedly at her while mentally sending his gratitude to the god above for blessing his dark life with such a butterfly that could make the dead garden of a life bloom with the beautiful flower of light.

 Tiara was sly, she had seen that painting he had drawn of her and she had purposely chosen the similar dress because she wanted him to feel euphoric. She wanted him to escape from the harsh reality and let him feel like he was living his dreams only to drag him back to reality when he would be completely off guard just like he had done to her. She was living here facing the harsh reality of being his fiancé and then she went away and met Mason which felt like a dream to her, she fell in love and was living her dream life but then like an hour hand of a clock which has to return back to twelve in certain amount of time, she was bragged back here to face that harsh reality one again.

She wanted to give him all, everything he had ever desired only to take everything back when the time comes because it would leave him completely empty with nothing remaining on his side to hold onto. It would turn him berserk; it would break him to the extent where he would question his own self that where would he had gone wrong; a question she often asked herself these days.

They stopped at the altar and Luca slowly gave her hand to Xavier, he was shivering and fearing what was to come, he feared that his friend who looked so happy might end up with broken heart and a stained reputation in a while but he could not do it because not letting her walk down the aisle would have created the equal chaos.

Xavier took her soft hand in his and helped her to climb up to stand before the priest. He rubbed small circles on her soft hand before letting it go and asked the priest to commence their wedding and everybody sat down on their respective seats and witnessed the union of the couple that looked perfect and happy from the third perspective.

The priest began commencing their wedding, he welcomed everyone and recited some verses from the Bible and then looked at the couple, “I will proceed with vows now and you can repeat after me.” He nodded at Xavier; he was the one who would give his vows to Tiara first.

“I, Xavier Alejandro Black, take you, to be my wife, and I promise you that I will love you and be faithful to you and honest with you; I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will share my life with you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God; through the best and worst of what is to come, and as long as we live.” He repeated each and every word by putting his heart, soul and mind into them. He meant what he had said, it was a promise he would keep till eternity. He promised himself to her and even God knew that he was a man of his words, for him Tiara was the only one.

His voice was loud and clear while reciting his vow, his tone showed sincerity and eyes gave her a promise to love her beyond infinity, something Tiara really wanted him to do. He had promised to be with her and forgive her for the mistake she would make and she would make sure that she would strangle him with his vows and would always keep him suffocated and entrapped in a cage he had vowed to be in.

“Now, I would like you to repeat after me, young lady,”

“I, Tiara Jenson, take you, to be my husband, and I promise you that I will love you and be faithful to you and honest with you; I will respect, trust, help, and care for you; I will share my life with you; I will forgive you as we have been forgiven; and I will try with you better to understand ourselves, the world, and God; through the best and worst of what is to come, and as long as we live.” The priest finished and looked at Tiara and nodded at her to repeat what had just said.

Tiara did not and kept quiet with her eyes downcast, she could not utter that vow because she intended not to follow it. She would not mean it and would commit a sin, she respected the holy altar and the god above, and just could not lie.

“I-I…” she was at loss of words, she had nothing to say and something in her was not even letting her utter that vow which would be meaningless to hear. She knew it would be a good act to put on if she just recites it but couldn’t, she did not want to lie, not even to Xavier this time.

“Xavier,” she held his hand, calling out his name softly. She took a step forward in his direction, “I can’t recite these vows.” She whispered slowly so that only he could hear her.

“w-why?” He was taken aback by her confession and felt a stinging pain in his chest, his mind wandered to the worst scenario as he reckoned that she wanted to back off from the marriage now.

She reached for his other hand as well and held it slowly and shook it little, “I can’t give these vows to you, I have already given them to Mason.” She reminded him that he was not her first choice, he was not really the man she wanted to get married to willingly. She wanted him to know that in that moment as it would be fair to Mason, “can I say my own vows?” She requested, feigning the act of innocence and playing the character of the perfect girl she wanted to present in front of him, making him feel bad to doubt her even now when she had promised not to betray him again.

“Yes of course,” he nodded his head, encouraging her to do what she pleased.

Tiara moved back to her spot, recreating a required distance between them and let go his hands and took a deep breath, she was going to give herself to him and she would vow to be his. It was hard, harder than she thought it would be but this time she had decided that she would not lie, she would not commit a sin in this holy altar and would only promise what she had intended to give him.

“I, Tiara Jenson, take you, Xavier Alexander Black as my lawfully wedded husband,” he would not be her husband by her heart because she had given that place to Mason long ago, “I promise to be faithful to you and be yours solely; spiritually, mentally and physically.” She could not be his emotionally as the only emotion she had for him was hatred, “I promise to be there for you whenever you would feel lonely,” she would be there to watch him, “I will trust and respect you; I will share my rest of the life by your side,” she swore to make him feel suffocate from her presence to the extent he would regret loving her, “I vow before the god and the witness that I would be a dutiful wife who would obey your every command; I pledge, in all honesty and sincerity, to devote myself to you and to this marriage henceforth.”

“Very well” the priest and everybody that had gathered there to witness their reunion found her vow perfect and really devoting. She had promised him everything and she intended to give all of that to Xavier except for the one thing she had not mentioned; love. She knew he was desperate for her love and she would always make him yearn for that just like she was yearning for her love and the freedom she had craved for.

“it’s time for you to exchange the rings.” A lady stepped forward dressed in a beige dress made up of silk, holding a white pillow that matched the theme of the wedding with a beige tassel hanging out from all the corners. The rings were placed above the fluffy pillow.

They both took the rings and Xavier opened his palm, asking her to give her hand to him which she did, and he held onto her dainty hand softly and very gently slid the ring onto her ring finger. It was a beautiful ring with a solid crystal shaped diamond that shone even more brightly under the glory of the sun that was shining upon them, the band of her ring was further embedded with small diamonds.

Tiara slipped the platinum ring down his ring finger that had a circular trail of very fine diamonds right in the centre that matched with her design and it did not take long for her to realize that he had bought the set of the ring himself.

“I, now, pronounce you husband and wife.” The priest announced their union as one out loud, “now you may kiss the bride,”

Xavier smiled at her, feeling like he had won the whole world and stepped forward, his arm approached her waist and he pulled her closer against his well-built chest while Tiara slowly placed her hands on his chest and looked up at him and saw his face leaning towards her.

She closed her eyes and felt his lips brushing against her, her heart throbbed, clenching in disgust but she did not move away and he pecked her lips lightly and pulled away, he wanted to kiss her not only to show all these people but to seal his vows with a lock of deep kiss but knew she would not like that, it would be too fast for her.

Xavier knew she was trying to accept him slowly and he was happy with the pace as long as she was willing to accept him, he did not want to rush her into anything and make her feel uncomfortable, he would not do anything she would not like.

Tiara opened her eyes abruptly when she felt him moving away, she looked at him with confusion while he kept smiling at her, “I know you are not comfortable,” he showed consideration while his eyes shone with emotion of love but she did not want any of that from him, she intend to keep on giving to the extent he would get fed up of her.

She pulled herself on her tip toes and looked straight into his eyes, “I am not.” She whispered and pressed her lips against him, making him feel taken aback from her confession. She kissed him softly and Xavier was drawn to her and relaxed, kissing her back with compassion and love and with that kiss she sealed the promise to entrap him in his own heart.