Chapter 1 A Black Wedding Dress

• I had no idea what was happening to me.
• Things were going smoothly in one moment. I was studying, focusing on my career and at another moment- I was locked in a seven-star hotel room, arguing furiously with my father.
• “Why don’t you get it, Liliana!? You must marry him!”
• “Why do I have to sacrifice myself!?”
• We were forced to make a decision whether I should be that scary man’s replaced wife or not, which I obviously declined.
• “Haven’t you heard rumors about him!? They call him the worst aristocrat, they call him a ruthless piece of flesh! How can you agree to this, Papa!?”
• My voice broke while shouting, falling back on the bed, tears springing in the corner when he refused to listen.
• All he saw was that money and an opportunity to save my elder sister.
• “Because you wish that man will actually choose you as his damn wife. He wants you as a replacement. What harm will a six month contract marriage cause?”
• “Papa, please, don’t do this to me…”
• “I am not listening to your winnings anymore. You are going to marry Dimitri Boris and that is final.”
• Whimpering, a few tears powerlessly rolled down my cheek when my own father disheartened me beyond words.
• “You don’t care about me… right?”
• “I am only making the right choice,” Father cut me off coldly, folding his arms at his chest.
• “And besides,”
• I opened my mouth to argue, to scream, to run away only to get cut off by his trembling tone as he glanced at me with tears in his eyes as well.
• “Do you think we have another choice, Liliana?”
• I was left speechless, he was right, he had captured us, if we refuse, it won’t take that billionaire a heartbeat to end our whole lineage.
• He wanted to use me for his unknown purpose and he would, we had no choice.
• We were stuck.
• Pushing my hair behind, I scowled internally, slamming my hands down, suppressing my tears, completely against his marriage but my chances were blown away.
• ‘Is he really going to marry me?’
• And the answer to my questions came when a beautiful blonde lady with two scary men entered.
• All of them were glaring at me. Stiff at their strong presence, I could tell they were dangerous people, they won’t let us go until I sign the marriage papers.
• Straightening my back, I observed them as they slammed a few papers on the table, motioning to me to come closer.
• “Girl, here sign these papers,”
• Swallowing hard, I got out and came slowly, glancing but failed to read what was there.
• “What… are they?”
• “Can’t you read?” The tall man scoffed, folding his arms at his chest.
• Picking up the paper, my heart skipped a beat upon reading 'Marriage license papers'
• A deadly shiver went down my spine, it took me a moment to register that I was truly going to marry the man I had never seen.
• The man I only heard about in the news about what an intimidating and insensitive one he was, one none would dreamt of crossing their paths with.
• I was going to marry a monster…
• “Mr. Boris has signed them now you have to do it,” They coldly informed me.
• “Is he seriously going to do it? With ‘this’ girl?"
• The man behind muttered, he had the same looks but his hairs were long and messy. The way he glared at me, it frightened me.
• "Is he going to lower his standards this much for a mere girl like her?”
• He looked seriously pissed to find me being the bride of his brother, I guess.
• “You know him, he gets what he wants. We can’t argue,” The blonde sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose with an envious glare.
• What the hell was wrong with them?
• I didn’t even want to marry anyone, I had a life ahead of me, a future, a career which he was destroying.
• “Hey, stop wasting time, sign.”
• At the order, I stared at the papers for the next few seconds, hand trembling, tears blurring my vision with a strange, undesirable feeling.
• Bind my life to a stranger?
• He said six months... Was he going to release me after that?
• Was there any option for me?
• With a heavy heart and broken dreams, I signed those papers, linking my life with a man I had met only once.
• When I signed the papers, not giving me a moment to read the contents properly, they snatched it away from me.
• “Feel fortunate, from this moment onwards, you are the bride of the top businessman, Mr. Boris. Consider yourself lucky,”
• With this enunciation in a contemptuous tone, they left.
• The second the door closed, I gasped for air, shaking in fear of how easily I just married a stranger, clutching my chest in distress of what the hell I just did.
• I had no cognition of what was happening, I was only following whatever everyone was ordering me, having no thoughts about where it would lead me.
• When I was drowned in my unwanted perceptions and weakened emotions, the door opened after a few hours.
• A few people came with many dresses, jewelry, a bouquet of roses and chocolates.
• “What.. is this?” I asked vaguely.
• “Your things. Mr. Boris has sent them for you.” The blond growled, clearly hating me.
• “Change into your wedding dress, we are going to take you to the farmhouse. Tonight is your wedding night after all.”
• The guy behind spoke coldly, using his phone, not interested in anything.
• My body flinched at the idea of it.
• “W-Wedding night…?”
• “While they prepare your room, you come with me,”
• “Where are you taking her?” Papa asked, holding me into a side hug.
• “We don’t have time. Your work is done. Go back,”
• “But-” The guard came in between, “Didn’t you hear what she said? Your work is done. Go,”
• Making a miserable, crying face, father kissed my hands firmly, whispering breathlessly, “I am sorry, I am so sorry, Liliana, I love you,”
• “Papa…”
• “Enough, come along,”
• The blond girl dragged me with her to a fancy dressing room in the hotel where a stylist was waiting for me with a smirk.
• Uncaring of the tears and anguish plastered on my face, not allowing me to bid goodbye to my father properly even and pushed me forth towards the stylist.
• “Fix her,”
• “My, Mr. King’s new girl?”
• New girl?
• The stylist chuckled, scanning me as there was a heavily embroidered black wedding dress in the corner.
• “Much more than that. Don’t ask. Do your work,”
• “A black wedding dress…?” I murmured, not sure what he intended to do after dressing me up, the black dress gave me the wrong omen.
• “His orders.”
• “Him and his strange fantasies.”
• The stylist laughed, making me sit to do everything to dress me like a doll for his satisfaction while I was worried to death.
• Was he going to kill me? Is that why he made me wear black? What he intended to do with this marriage?
• What should I do?
• “Absolutely stunning.”
• After she was done, I spared a glance at my delicate form. She applied immaculate makeup that complimented my face to make it glow.
• “How did I do?” The stylist asked with a grin.
• “Amazing. I didn’t think I could look this good,” I whispered.
• I was in disbelief of how beautifully it all suited me, especially the black dress but before I could contemplate my posture entirely, that girl came.
• “Come, girl. We are leaving,”
• “Take care, Dear.”
• She waved as I left and my two seconds of shine died, causing me to remember why it was all happening.
• “Tsk, what a drag,”
• I groaned in pain when she pushed me inside the room I was supposed to stay which was now embellished with roses, dimly lit with candles, completely prepared for the so-called ‘wedding night’
• “What the-”
• My jaw dropped. My heart started to thump madly, my body becoming weak to imagine what could possibly happen and she just left me there.
• “Now, stay here. Mr. Boris will be here soon,”