THEIR DOLL 🔞

AISLE

Finally, the day has come where beauty will be tied with the beast forever – but in Odette’s case, she doesn’t know that she is going to be struck with two beasts for her whole life. Odette never expected to grow a soft spot for Marco when she heard she had to marry an Italian mafia boss.

But all these months, she was thinking just about him. Her life turned boring without him. And the void she is feeling today is not so calming to her already nervous nerves.

“Will you stop pacing here and there? You will ruin your gown,” Aurora tells, sighing and looking at her sister, who is worried about something.

“I can’t. I am nervous, and I can’t wait here anymore. I need to talk to him, Rora,” Odette says in a pleading tone, making Aurora sigh deeply.

“Outside, there are many men related to the mafia. You going out at this time is not a good idea, Oddy – not after that attack on you,” Aurora said, and Odette remained still at the mention of the attack, which happened a few months ago.

Without wanting to think about that again, she closed her eyes tightly as she kept breathing in and out.

“Is Mrs. Grayson here?” Odette asks in distress.

“I'm afraid she won’t be able to come today, Oddy. The weather in Rome is not good for taking a flight,” Aurora says.

Odette’s dark doe eyes watered at the memory of Mrs. Grayson taking care of her when she was a kid. Her attending her wedding was an important deal for her, but sadly she can’t.

Sighing heavily, she plops herself on the couch in the dressing room.

Her white fluffy wedding gown was not a joke, with seven meters of a tail she was looking ethereal. Her dark black hair was tied up in a beautiful bun decorated with flowers and beautiful pins, making her look nothing less than a flower goddess.

Her bold eyes and nude pink lips were complementing her pale skin tone, making her look like a fairy fallen from heaven.

Obviously, being Odette, she didn’t wear any heels under her dress; in fact, she wore a pair of white sneakers.

“But I have to talk to Marco, Rora. He was all caring and sweet, and then he kind of ignored me these whole months. Even yesterday, he didn’t call me to wish me a happy birthday,” Odette tells, throwing her hands up dramatically.

“I mean, the man who took care of me when I was sick didn’t even call me when I got into a dangerous attack. Those bastards would have kidnapped me if I didn’t run from there as soon as I got a chance,” Odette tells as her eyes get teary.

“I'm so sorry, Oddy, you had to go through that. Trust me, Dimitri is on it. He said those people were from China and had some rivalry with Marco. Dimitri will find more details and give them what they deserve,” Aurora said softly, wiping Odette's doe eyes, making her sigh.

“I just want to know if Marco is ready for marriage,” Odette whispers, hugging her sister close.

“You can talk and sort things out after the wedding, okay?” Aurora smiled encouragingly.

“I guess,” Odette shrugged, taking a deep breath.

“Ma'am, Mr. Francois is here,” a maid said, knocking on the door.

“Now put a smile on; don’t let our dad think you are sad when you are clearly excited to meet your husband,” Aurora teased, winking at Odette, and she turned thirty shades of red when she understood what her sister was implying.

“Shut up and go,” Odette smacked Aurora on her ass, making her gasp and rub it while she playfully glared at her little sister.

Soon the room turned less tense as Andre stepped inside with a huge smile on his lips.

“Look at my little princess, how beautiful she is,” Andre said, admiring his daughter, smiling happily as she had the natural blush of a bride on her face.

“Thank you, Dad. You don’t look bad either,” Odette said, hugging her father tightly.

As soon as his little daughter was in his arms, he sighed and pecked her head lovingly. When Odette felt something wet on her shoulder, she lifted her head up, and her heart sank seeing tears in her father’s eyes.

“Dad! Why are you crying?!” Odette said, shaking her head.

“You were so eager to kick me out of the home. Hey now, don’t get senti; I will keep coming home even if you kick me out right near the gate,” Odette said playfully after breaking the hug, with her hands resting on her hips.

Andre laughed, wiping his tears, looking at his daughter lovingly.

“I wish your mother was here,” he mentioned, and Odette’s heart clenched hearing her father’s weak voice.

He loved her mother so much that even after her death, he neither dated anyone nor had flings; he was a loyal husband. But he happened to drown himself in work to feel less void of his wife.

“I'm sorry, Oddy,” Andre said out of nowhere, making her frown.

Shaking her head, she immediately stopped her father from saying anything.

“Don’t.”

“Don’t say anything like that, please. You didn’t do anything wrong, and I know whatever you did was for my own good,” Odette said, smiling.

“I never thought that I would say this, but thank you for bringing Marco into my life. He is really a nice person. I think we can get along… Ahem, at least until he doesn’t threaten my principal,” she adds, making Andre and Aurora laugh.

“Come on, sweetheart, your beautiful future is waiting for you,” Andre said, giving his daughter his arm and walking her down the aisle.

Marco chose everything perfectly; there is no doubt he will do anything less for his own marriage when it has to be shown off to the whole world, the treaty between the French and Italian mafia.

There were choppers around, full of media wanting to take aerial views of the most eligible bachelor getting married to the great Francois's business's little princess.

The garden around the church was decorated with white fresh Lilies, and the tables were set for the buffet with a variety of food from all over the world, along with a beautiful dance floor set up for the after-wedding party.

“This was the same church your mother and I got married in,” Andre said, admiring the beauty of the ancient place where the memories of his own wedding with the love of his life played in his head.

“I bet you cried as a baby,” Odette said, smirking through the veil, teasing her father playfully.

Andre chuckled and countered back, saying, “Not when I was getting married, but yes, after getting married, I cried… but I bet Marco will cry more. After all, my daughter is not a little Red Riding Hood, but a little bad wolf,” he said, chuckling.

“Oh… I guarantee he will,” Odette said, chuckling along with her father.

The heavy doors of the church were opened, and the slow hum of the music made goosebumps rise on Odette’s skin.

She didn’t lift her head to look around; instead, she put her head down, imagining her mother with her. Standing there and smiling widely at her beautiful little daughter, whom she always used to read the story of a prince charming who will steal her heart.

She didn't tell her that few beauties end up being with beasts, but fate chose Odette, not only one beast but two, and the little girl knows nothing about their cruel intentions of ruining her.

Tainting her.

Breaking her.

Until it gets too hard for her to breathe, but little did those monsters know that their souls are in Odette’s heart. If it stopped beating… they would stop breathing.