Ava Moreno
I grabbed my phone off the vanity. I scrolled through the news while the makeup artist tried to blend the contour onto my uninterested face.
The headline read, "Corporate Killer Fourth Victim? Another victim found in Manhattan. Same M.O. "
I tilted my head slightly and clicked the article. A middle aged man, throat slashed and eyes gouged out. A serial killer at large.
"Ms Moreno, are you seriously reading that right now?", Cassy's voice pierced the fog of silence.
"It's just the news", I replied casually and continued scrolling.
I glanced at her reflection in the mirror. Her brows furrowed with concerns, she placed her hands on her hips.
"You're getting married in few hours, Ms Moreno. Reading about murder on the morning of your wedding is a bad omen."
I shrugged. "Getting married to Ethan is bad omen enough."
Cassy groaned, pacing the room in her blue robe.
"Don't say that. Your grandma will hear."
"She already did", came the sharp voice of the woman herself as she entered the room. Her eyes narrowed with questions as they landed on me.
I didn't even bother to smile nor acknowledge her judgmental eyes. "Morning grandma. Would have added the usual good, but nothing is good about the morning."
"Please, tell me this is not the dress", she said as she picked up the garment bag that had laid carelessly by the mirror.
"It's the dress", I replied and stood up to unzip it with deliberate flair.
Immediately the black silk spilled out, Cassy covered her mouth in surprise and my grandmother's lips curved showing her disappointment.
"You're walking into a holy matrimony in funeral colors?", she asked.
"It's fitting", I smiled and continued, "Aren't we all burying our true desires and lives today?", I laughed and sat down.
Neither of them found it funny. They just stared on. I didn't care anyway.
The car halted in front of the grand hall.
Flashes exploded in my face the moment I stepped out of the black limousine. The sound of shutters were like bad music to my ears. I didn't smile. And the way they kept taking pictures even when I wasn't smiling made me realize they probably didn't expect me to smile. All they wanted was just the perfect shot of the heiress of Euphorix getting married.
I entered the venue and I would have sworn it was a business meeting and not a wedding. It looked like a boardroom dressed in flowers.
They were no friends. No familiar faces and warmth. It was soulless. There were just business partners, foreign dignitaries, shareholders and press members.
I walked alone, flairs of my dress trailing behind me. Cassy scurried behind me, clutching her bouquet, whispering something about how beautiful the hall was. I tuned her voice out.
Fifteen minutes to the wedding.
I was counting time.
And Ethan wasn't here.
I looked around the hall. Everyone pretended to not notice the obvious, just chatting and sipping their champagne.
The groom was missing.
"Where is he?", my grandma asked through gritted teeth as she joined me at the entrance chambers. She didn't look at me but I could hear the growling humiliation in her voice.
"I don't know". I shrugged, checking my manicures out. "Maybe he changed his mind", I shrugged.
"This is not a joke, Ava", She replied sternly.
"Did I laugh?"
"Try calling him", Cassy suggested.
"Might sound funny to you but don't have his number", I said, bored.
"Can you listen to yourself, Ava Moreno?", My grandma yelled
"Well, we have nothing to talk about", I replied, not bothered.
The wedding coordinator approached us, whispering something into the earpiece plugged to her ears as if that would summon the groom from wherever he was.
From a corner eating a lollipop, I watched my grandma approached the Theodores. She didn't raise her voice. She didn't have to. She didn't need to pressure them. Her presence was pressure enough.
Shawn Theodore turned as she approached. His signature smile of disdain already in place. Next to him was May Avila, cold and elegant, dressed in white as if she was the bride herself.
"Where is your son?", she asked lowly as not to draw attention. "The ceremony ought to begin fifteen minutes ago"
Shawn chuckled, unfazed. "You know Ethan. He has never been puctual..."
"Not even at his own mother's funeral...", May cut in and received a glare from Shawn and grandma.
I grinned. That was why I liked her. The savage.
Ignoring May's unnecessary comment, my grandma continued. "This isn't a business meeting, Shawn. This is a wedding. My granddaughter's wedding"
With a patronizing smile, May replied. "He'll be here soon. You know how hard it was to get him to come back to the States. He's probably still adjusting."
"Then maybe he shouldn't be getting married if he can't even show up on time", Grandma snapped and I giggled.
Cassy shook her head at me. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
I nodded. "If I had known it was going to be a drama, I would have asked you to get me popcorn instead of this lollipop", I said, crunching the last piece of the candy with my teeth.
"This marriage benefits both families. You know that.", Shawn said as his fake smile had now wavered.
"I know. But don't mistake business for respect. If Ethan can be late on his wedding, he will regret it", Grandma hissed.
"Are you threatening us, Sarah?", May retorted and I gasped. That was the first time in 10 years I heard someone called my Grandma by name.
Grandma sighed and took a deep breath. "Threat? I'm just reminding you. Just because we're merging empires does not mean I don't have the power to burn one down. But if you see this as a threat, then that's what it is.", She concluded and walked away.
I turned to Cassy. "Make sure the press does not catch a speck of this"
"Yes ma'am", She replied and walked away.
And the groom still had not arrived.
The hall settled into an uneasy silence. The quartet string began to play something soft and forgettable, just to keep people in place, and to maintain elegance.
Suddenly, the doors opened. Not with a bang, but a soft silent push.
And he walked in.
There he was, Ethan Theodore, the said man of the hour.
Tall, composed and dressed in well exquisite tailored suits that would have cost nothing more than my first car. He really lied about him not interested in making entrances. If this wasn't an entrance, what could we call it? His hair was slicked back.Not a steamed was out of place.
The most amusing thing about his confidence even after being late for twenty seven minutes,his expression didn't change even as people turned to look at him.
He didn't flinch even as my grandma stiffened nor as Cassy whispered "Finally"
I scoffed as my eyes pander to the bandage wrapped around his palm. A tiny splotch of blood peeking out of the bandage.
Interesting...
I watched as his eyes flicked carefully around the room as if he was looking for something he had been dying to find. He stopped as his eyes landed on me.
He didn't smile. He just stood there. Neither did I.
The wedding coordinator began hurrying things up to avoid rumors and scandals among the press.
But I couldn't stop thinking about the bandage.
Where on earth had he been? Most importantly? What happened to his hand?
It's not like I care. I just love gists.
As guests ushered in to the setting area, the wedding coordinator approached Ethan and whispered something to him. He replied with a nod and walked towards me.
Few steps away from me, he sized me up, eyeing my black dress, not knowing whether to be annoyed or amused.
He didn't apologize. He just stood beside me.
"Funeral or wedding?", He asked dryly.
I raised a brow. "Depends. If you're willing to kill me today..."
His lips twitched as he interrupted. "You're dramatic"
"You are late", I replied almost crossing my arms but I stopped as I remembered where I was.
"I had business."
"Get stabbed during a meeting?", I grinned silently.
"Not everyone's business is legal, sweetheart"
I flinched. "Don't call me that"
He didn't reply.
I continued. "You know what, Mr husband? You could still walk away. We both could. Infact, I could"
With an obvious mockery in his voice, he replied, "You won't"
He was right. And I hated that he was right.
"Why are you so sure? I'm not promising you love", I muttered, poking his side with my index.
He flinched. "Good" As he stepped past me towards the aisle, he said again " I don't believe in it anyway."
The ceremony began. There were no flower petals, no music, no whispered "I do's"
I strolled through the aisle casually like I was strolling a park. A sterile hush under the glances of business men and shutters of camera.
Ethan just stood there at the altar, unfazed, pulling his bandage probably to tighten it.
I scoffed.
The officiant, who looked like he would rather be somewhere else cleared his throat nervously.
He began. "We are gathered here today to witness the union of Ava Moreno and Ethan Theodore in holy matrimony..."
Holy matrimony. What a joke.
There were no personal vows. No sweet handwritten letters, promises or emotional declarations.
"Do you Ethan Theodore take Ava Moreno as your lawfully wedded wife?"
"Yes, I do", He replied flatly.
"And do you Ava..."
"Yes", I cut in.
Please, just get this over it.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife"
There was no kiss, no applause, just camera flashes.
"You're welcome to the Theodore's family ", Ethan whispered to me, sniggering.