The Devil's Deal - Trapped as the Enemy's Bride

Alex POV The cathedral door towered over me as I stood before it. The giant doors flung open, and I drew in a deep breath. “This is it. The moment I have been waiting for.” The loud thumping of my heart echoed in my ears as reality struck me. I could feel the piercing gaze of the guests on my skin, heavy with expectations. Tightening my grip on the bouquet, I took my first step forward, slowly stepping into the light. Soft choral music filled the room, wrapping me up in a gentle embrace. With each step I took, my excitement was over the roof, almost impossible to contain. Marcel stood at the end of the aisle, his back turned to me. I could not see his face, and I didn’t need to. I was sure he looked as dashing and charming as ever. I felt it at that moment—the tingling sensation in my chest. I was falling in love with him all over again, just as I had the first time. The music paused when I reached the front, a loud silence taking over. The pacing of my heart increased as Marcel slowly turned to face me. My breath caught in my throat. But the face that greeted me was not Marcel’s. Standing before me was a stranger, a man I had never seen before. He had a wide grin on his face that made my skin crawl. His entire demeanor was foreboding and unsettling. Cold sweat trickled down my face as panic coursed through my veins. I steadied myself from falling in shock. If this was some type of prank, it wasn’t funny. My eyes scanned through the crowd, searching for Marcel, my chest constricting in pain. He was nowhere to be found. “What the hell is happening here?” My voice quivered. “Marcel, you can quit the games now. We’re supposed to be getting married. Hello?” I chuckled nervously. I could feel my entire body shaking in fear. I was met with silence. The kind that drove me to the edge as crazy scenarios played out in my head. I expected the guests to react in some type of way, seeing a distressed bride, but they all stood still, watching with beaming eyes as though they were all in on it. At that moment, I realized that I was in the midst of an unfamiliar crowd. I turned to the strange man standing at the end of the aisle. “Who are you people?” Where is Marcel?!” I asked, desperate for answers. Suddenly, with calculated steps, he inched closer toward me, his expression as cold as ice, nothing like I could ever imagine. I took a step back, terrified by the weight of his gaze on me. I felt smaller and smaller peering into those unyielding eyes. “This was not the reaction I expected from you, Alexandra.” His chilling voice sliced through the silence, a blend of calm and menace. I flinched, my mind reeling. “Who are you? How do you know my name? What have you done to Marcel?” I blurted out, the words rushing out of my mouth in frantic panic. He did not respond immediately. His silence was suffocating, as his eyes never left mine. I tried to hold his gaze but faltered. I could not bear the intensity it held. “You make such a beautiful bride, Alexandra.” He reached for my face, but I pulled away, leaving his hand lingering in the air, just inches away from my face. “Don’t you dare lay your filthy hands on me.” I snapped, trying so hard to hide the fear in my voice but failing terribly. He could sense it—my helplessness. I could see it, the twisted satisfaction of a predator savoring the terror of his prey. “Relax, Alex.” He said, his tone was almost mocking, riling up an intense anger within me. “Hurting my bride is the last thing I would do.” “Don’t…” I pointed at him, an intense anger consuming me as I glared at him. “I am not your bride. Marcel is the man I belong to, not you.” He smirked, gesturing toward the crowd. “Well, as you can see, I am here, and he isn’t.” Without thinking, I charged at him with my fists, clawing and hitting him as hard as I could amidst desperate screams. “What have you done with Marcel, you monster?” A short laugh escaped his mouth, “I am no monster pumpkin. I’m Kyle, your soon-to-be husband.” A cold expression slowly clouded his face. “Also, let’s just say that Marcel is safe...for now. I won't hurt him as long as you cooperate.” I recoiled in terror, feeling his tight grip around my wrist. My bouquet fell from my trembling hand to the marble floor in a soft thud. “There is no point resisting, Alexandra.” He said, his voice an audible whisper searing through the air with a hint of menace. “Today isn’t about Marcel—it's about you and me.” My heart sank as I tried to free myself from his hold, but his grip was unyielding. “Let me go!” I demanded. His grin deepened, and he leaned closer, his breath fanning across my face. “You’re mine now, Alexandra. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be for both of us.” “In your dreams.” I spat in his face and stepped on his feet with all my might. He winced in pain, his grip loosening around me just enough to break free. I felt like a puppet in the hands of a puppeteer, playing the role of a damsel in distress in some sitcom. The difference was that the man before me was no knight in shining armor, and neither was any of this funny. I knew I had fallen into a trap that I never saw coming—I was in danger, and so was Marcel, wherever he was. The need to escape surged through me, and without giving myself time to think, I spun on my heels, racing towards the exit, the sides of my lace wedding gown held tightly in both hands as my heart pounded in my chest. As I sprinted toward the towering doors, the world around me blurred. But amidst the chaos, my mind betrayed me—dragging me back to the memory of the first time.