"The Mob Boss and His Enemy's Bride" ❦
Madeline belonged to Riccardo. Through the curves of her father's signature, Madeline was signed away to be Riccardo's wife from the day she was born. It was already set in stone that he would one day become he...
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When we arrived at the wedding venue, my jaw dropped. It was more than beautiful, it was ethereal. Tall trees that practically kissed the sky had their branches hanging over the guests. Long vines with the most vibrant of green leaves hang from the branches like icicles. Fairy lights were beautifully draped over the trees, adding to the beauty of it all.
Birds were shrieking, singing, and chirping all around me. The insects were buzzing as they feasted on the heavenly plants.
I took in the smell of damp moss, rain, and stillness. For something so bitter, it filled my heart with serenity. Nature was the first scent I could ever recall. It was also the first smell that I fell in love with.
Even though I had been thrown away like trash, locked away in a room, forced to marry a man I loathed, and placed in a tight, itchy wedding dress. . . I felt free. The beautiful cloudy sky, the smiling trees, and nature's song playing on a constant loop were all hugging me so tightly. They were whispering in my ear that even though it things felt brutal at the moment, everything would be okay.
The driver let me out of the car at a safe distance from the venue. He probably didn't want me to be the center of attention quite yet.
I was able to look over the guests, most of them people I had never even met before. Riccardo probably knew them from somewhere.
Everyone dressed so elegantly and walked with such an authoritive posture. Even from afar, I could feel power and authority clinging to the men like a scared child holding their parent's limb as they looked a monster in the face.
"Come on, there's a cabin over there in the back where we can get you fixed up before the wedding ceremony," Charlotte told me, pointing in the direction of a huge dark brown cabin with warm light shining brightly through the windows.
There was a balcony that stretched out for the whole second floor to step out and take in the beautiful view of the forest. I even appreciated the staircase that allowed anyone from the ground floor to make their way up to the luxurious balcony. I admired how delightful it would be to stand on the balcony and look up at the night sky. I wanted to experience gazing at the glistening moon and shimmering stars.
I walked with Charlotte to the cabin, holding the bottom of my dress up with my hands to keep the fabric from shuffling through the dirt.
As I took in the decorations again, my heart swooned.
"Charlotte," I called.
She turned to me with her brows rose.
"Can you describe the man that picked out this place?" I asked. My curiosity got the best of me. Even though it probably wasn't much of a big deal, there was an annoying tug grabbing at my brain, telling me that I needed to know more.
