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It was a shame the church was mostly empty, a waste of how precious she truly was.
Once she reached the end of the aisle, Reina rounded Kat up with a kind smile and helped her onto the front pew. She slid into her seat and kicked her legs absently.
The music started up, and my skin froze over. It was time—there was no stopping it then.
To my surprise, Mila stepped out in a full-length gown, white and decorated finely. It was a real dress, perfect for the occasion, even if it was against our will. Grigory put his arm out for her, and I watched the dread scurry across her face. She hesitantly took it, and he led her down the aisle step by step.
As much as I didn’t want to admit it, Mila looked beautiful. For a moment, I saw her as the woman I had been enamored with at the hotel bar. The woman who charmed me, and I couldn’t help but spend the night with her, tangled in one another.
I couldn’t look away from her, as something other than resentment stirred within my chest.
Except, what could’ve been a perfect picture soured from the misery in her eyes. Mila didn’t want to be trapped in a marriage with me, forced at the hand of her father. It was clear, and it obscured any chance in my heart of hoping for happiness between us.
We were destined for a love-less marriage, and I hated how that felt.
Eventually, Grigory rushed Mila down the aisle, seeing no sense in dragging out the affair, seeing as everyone in attendance surrounded the pulpit.
If I was oblivious enough, I could’ve convinced myself that Mila would eventually come around. That she was stunning, and none of this would be for nothing. That she didn’t completely loathe the idea.
She doesn’t want this. She doesn’t want you.
If Mila ran away from me once, what was stopping her from trying again?
Me and my men, that’s what. After the ceremony, I’d make sure security was tight, ensuring she couldn’t up and leave with my child. There’d be hell to pay if my little girl was taken from me again.
The ceremony began without much happiness to make it any easier to swallow. With each passing minute and every word exchanged, I felt what little optimism I had slip away from me. I grunted through my vows—vague words swearing myself to Mila that Ivan likely found on the internet.
Everything about the ceremony was rushed, and the moment we were announced husband and wife, I lifted my glare to meet Mila’s face, and I put a hand against her waist. Tugging her closer without patience, I kissed her roughly, fighting against the part of me that wanted to savor it.
The part that knew there was passion between us, but it would be fruitless. We were in two different worlds, wanting starkly different things. It was pointless, and only out of duty.
She doesn’t love you. She’s forced to be here just as much as you are.
Gritting my teeth at the words in my mind, I pulled away from her and left the pulpit, not waiting for her to join me. My brothers and Reina clapped, and I tried my hardest to ignore Grigory’s smug expression. The looks on their faces were laced with uncertainty and what I could only imagine was sympathy.
But I didn’t care. I stomped away, wiping my mouth, and leaving the church behind.
My dad arranged this farce before he died, and even if it were his wish, that didn’t mean I had to be the doting husband required of me.
The reception was a shoddy affair with food, cake, and everyone insisting we have one dance. If I had my way, I’d be out of there the moment the ceremony finished, but I still had my obligations.
Reina walked around with a camera in her hands, flashing the occasional picture as if it were the happiest day of our lives. Surely, she’d add it to the collection of photo albums we had laying around.
I knew Reina wanted us to have our own happy ending, just as she and Ivan did, but it seemed unlikely for us. What could’ve been a great connection was soiled by business and lies. It was hard to see through that.
“Come on, just one,” Ivan said to me, nudging me with his elbow. “One dance, and we’ll be off your back.”
“A wedding isn’t complete without a first dance,” Grigory added, which I took as a hidden warning.
Reluctantly, I got up from my place at the table and held a hand out for Mila. She looked at my palm blankly before joining me and sliding her hand into mine.
A slight jolt of energy ran through my palm then, but I sighed and shook it off, pulling her behind me.
A slow song played over the sound system, and the light dimmed. It all seemed like a major fuss for something that didn’t mean anything to either of us. Mila was silent as she placed her arms over my shoulders, and my hands fell to her waist.
Not wanting to look like some high schooler at his first dance, I pulled her closer, and Mila fit in so naturally, I wondered if she was meant to be there. It didn’t help the conflict that brewed within me.
Together, we swayed, and I forced my eyes away from Ivan, Reina, and the others, who were likely grinning despite the grim circumstances.
