***
"Welcome the bride and groom for their first dance,"
Walking onto the stage that stood in the centre of the large room, I spun my wife around before pulling her up to my chest, and she smiled up at me as my hands rested on her waist.
"Are you happy?" I asked, ignoring the flashing camera lights, and all the cheering voices of our guests in the background that cheered us on, the stringed instruments creating a beautiful melody for us to dance to.
"Yes, I am so very happy right now... Thank you," She replied, kissing my chin.
"I am the one that is thankful right now, thank you for marrying me... And, please, don't leave me, Alina," Leaning down, I hugged her tightly, berrying my face in the crook of her neck, her fingers stroking through my hair, caressing my head. "No matter what dark secrets you find out about me... Please don't leave me,"
She paused in her stroking, leaning back to look at me, her hand on my cheek, a confused look on her face which slowly slipped away with every passing second until nothing but a reassuring smile sat on her face.
"I would never dream of it," And that was all that I needed to hear.
"Promise me," I pushed.
"...I promise," She replied, leaning up as I leaned down, our lips meeting halfway.
As our dance came to an end, more people joined in, the music getting livelier and everyone dancing as if they were in a club. And we cut the cake and ate our meal, but I didn't seem to be very hungry today, I was high on an adrenaline rush today, drowning in excitement.
And now, I stood surrounded by a few of my business affiliates, a single glass of wine in hand, not containing nearly enough wine to get me through this dragging conversation, my new wife stood a few feet away from me as she chatted with her friends, a radiant smile on her face.
She really looked so divine today, and the low back of her wedding dress did not help in containing her beauty, in fact, it made me quite jealous with all the male stares that she was receiving, completely unaware of, but I held myself back with one thought.
She was mine, not theirs.
"I never would have imagined for a quiet man such as yourself, who never left his home, to be getting married so young," The man laughed.
"26 is hardly a young age, and age has nothing to do with marriage. I met the woman that I wanted, and I simply made her mine, what is there to wait for?" I replied, taking a small sip of my wine, cherishing the taste.
"Perfectly said," Another man replied.
"And, I heard that the previous Duchess of Ludovica is here?" He said, eyes pointed behind me, and I found myself following his gaze to catch sight of the said woman whom I had already greeted earlier on, Mrs Vandenburg.
"Oh, please. She has a better title to be addressed by, not the 'Previous Duchess', she is Mrs Angelina Vandenburg, one of the richest and most influential heiresses in the world," This time, another man intervened, adding oil to the already burning flame of gossip.
Giving up on this conversation, I stepped back. There are times when you should speak up, and times where you should be the bigger person, now is one of those times. There's no need for me to get into a fight on my wedding day.
"If you'll excuse me, I must go to my wife, enjoy the party," And I spun on my heel, putting my glass down on one of the trays that a servant was holding, and I stepped up beside Alina.
My hand slithered to wrap around her waist, successfully hiding her exposed back from the gleaming eyes of other predatory men, doing a better job than the netted veil that sat under her bun which was covered in small white flowers.
YOU ARE READING
The Sins of Duke Evander (BOOK III)
RomanceBOOK 3 OF THE POSSESSIVE SERIES He grew up with everything; Wealth, power, money, and good looks, but all of it was worth nothing to him when all he wanted was a life worth living. Having been alone most of his life, not leaving the confines of his...
