Chapter 1 A Black Wedding Dress

• “Marry Mr. Dimitri Boris,”
• It wasn’t a question, it was a demand.
• By the blonde woman before me with two intimidating guards, while keeping me locked in a seven-star hotel along with my father.
• “C-Come again?” A stammer was all I could utter in the spur of the moment.
• She scoffed, “Are you deaf or something?”
• “Why do you want me to marry him?”
• I attempted to ask firmly but failed, the pounding of my heart was uncontrollable, glancing at my father to help.
• We were stuck by these people and seemingly, my father was involved in this too. His calmness conveyed it while I was panicking.
• “Take a look at this picture,” They showed me a woman where a graceful woman looking exactly like me was present.
• “Is this me? Wait, no..” My jaw dropped, pointing at the picture fretfully, “Wh-
• What is this? Who is this?”
• At one glance, it was hard to tell the difference but after contemplation, I knew it was NOT me.
• Her black hair was short, mine was longer and wavy. Our features were the same but she had a mole on her jaw.
• As if she was my carbon copy.
• “That is our Boss’ late wife. Emerald Boris. She died in an accident and now we want you to replace her since you look exactly like her,”
• The woman explained the situation and I could feel it under my bones that it would be the worst decision of my life.
• “Yeah, Dear, you just have to sign the contract. It’s for six months only.” Father also added sweetly.
• My eyes scanned around the room, distress filling me due to the pressure they were placing on me. Shrinking my gaze, I stepped back.
• “No, no, wait, why? Why do I have to fool the world and be a fake wife?”
• “You don’t need to know. You just display yourself as her and get your reward like a good girl,” One of the guards hissed at me.
• “What reward? What is happening? Papa?”
• “Liliana, my dear, listen… Uh… Can I talk to her alone for a few moments?” Father asked them politely.
• “Sure, but make it quick,”
• “Yes.”
• When they left, my father explained the scenario to me where he wanted me to become a substitute wife to that monstrous figure just to save my sister, his favourite child.
• And after hearing it all, my first response was-
• “ARE YOU OUT OF YOUR FUCKING MIND!?”
• “Why don’t you get it, Liliana? You must marry him, for Leah’s sake, please try to understand that,”
• “Understand!? Haven’t you heard rumors about him!?”
• “But-”
• “They call him the worst aristocrat, they call him a ruthless piece of flesh! How can you agree to this, Papa!? Who knows what plan that monster is knitting!?”
• 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.
• But, in that opportunity, I saw my hell.
• “What harm will a six-month contract marriage cause? He is not marrying you for real,”
• “Papa, please, don’t do this to me…”
• Eventually after debating, he hesitated, “Do you think we have another choice, Liliana?”
• I was left speechless, he was right, they had captured us. Those people outside weren’t going to take ‘no’ as an answer. “We have no option, Liliana. You must do this,”
• Slamming my hands down, suppressing my tears, completely against his marriage but my chances were blown away. For my confirmation, shaking violently, I ended up whimpering.
• And done with waiting, they barged inside the room once again, certainly displeased but was left with no choice either.
• One of the guards slammed a few papers on the table, motioning to me to come closer.
• “Sign these papers,”
• Picking up the paper, my heart skipped a beat upon reading 'MARRIAGE LICENSE’.
• 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.
• There were endless questions in my heart like, ‘Was it truly an accident? Why this drama of a fake wife? What is his devious plan?’ But I doubt they would provide me with an answer.
• “Mr. Boris has signed them now you have to do it,”
• “Is he seriously going to do it, Gracie? With ‘this’ girl?" The man behind muttered.
• The way they glared at me, it frightened me.
• "Is he going to lower his standards this much for a mere girl like her? What will he gain by replacing Madam Emerald?”
• “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 and the second I did, they snatched it away.
• “Good. Now, bring her things,” The blonde, Gracie, called, clapping twice as they brought my wedding dress.
• “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…?”
• Everything was happening so fast that my head felt light, failing to comprehend anything.
• “Your work is done, old man. Now get back,”
• “But-”
• “Papa…”
• “I am sorry, I am so sorry, Liliana, I love you,”
• “Enough! Come along,”
• The blonde 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,”
• “Sure.”
• After she was done, I spared a glance at my delicate form.
• She applied immaculate makeup that complimented my face to make it glow.
• 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.
• I groaned in pain when she pushed me inside the room I was supposed to stay in, which was now embellished with roses.
• Dimly lit with candles, completely prepared for the so-called ‘wedding night’
• “What the-”
• 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,”