Chapter 2- Wedding Disaster

A year later

I stood at the altar, my heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

The day I had dreamed of for so long was finally here. Before me, Ivan stood, his eyes locked onto mine with such affection that I could feel the warmth spreading through me.

In just a few minutes, he would officially become my husband.

As the priest began to speak, his words became a distant hum in the background. It felt as though it was just Ivan and I in that moment, the entire world fading away around us. His gaze held mine steadfastly,

"Clarissa, do you take Ivan to be your lawfully wedded husband?" the priest's voice finally pierced through my thoughts.

"I do," I answered dreamily, my voice barely above a whisper.

Ivan smiled, a smirk dancing on his lips as he gazed at me with unwavering affection. The moment seemed frozen in time, suspended between anticipation and fulfillment.

"And do you, Ivan, take Clarissa to be your lawfully wedded wife?" the priest turned to him.

"I do," Ivan's voice rang out with confidence, his eyes never leaving mine.

The priest then addressed the audience, "Do the audience accept this union? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

For a moment, the crowd remained silent, as if holding their breath in anticipation. The air was thick with emotion and tension.

Then, unexpectedly, a voice broke the solemn silence.

"I object to this union!"

Gasps rippled through the audience, heads turned to locate the source of the interruption

My heart skipped a beat as I searched the crowd, my mind racing with confusion and fear.

Who would dare object?

I turned to look at the source of the voice and my voice was caught in my throat, it was a man, he looked so handsome, his hair was pulled back to the back of his head in a bun, and his stormy grey eyes seemed to be filled with anger.

I felt like I knew him from somewhere but the more I thought about it, I came up with nothing but headaches.

“What is the meaning of this” Ivan snarled at the handsome stranger.

“Shut the fuck up Ivan,” the stranger snapped at Ivan who growled and was pissed off. I looked at the stranger as if he was mad, i had never seen someone talk to Ivan the way he just did, it seemed he had a death wish, but judging from the way he spoke and carried himself, I knew he didn't fear Ivan.

“This is my goddamn wedding, you have no right to interrupt Dominic,” Ivan snapped at the stranger who narrowed his eyes at him. I could see both of them stare at themselves with so much hate.

“I'm here for my wife, and then I will be on my way,” the man who I knew to be Dominic responded and I could hear the gasp in the atmosphere, I could see men standing up among the crowd, and I knew very well this was an ambush, whoever this man was, I knew he as dangerous.

The man who stood up, appeared to be with him, and that scared me the most, but I was confused and scared, who in their right mind interrupts a wedding just to take their wife?

I implored Dominic, "Could you please take your wife and leave us in peace?" His gaze shifted to me, and I noticed a fleeting emotion in his eyes, though I couldn't quite grasp what it was.

“Yes I would, come with me, please Eve, I promise, I would make life far more for you than I ever did,” he said looking at me as I looked at it in confusion.

What was this, he referred to me as Eve meanwhile my name was Clarissa, and why would he be calling me his wife?

I looked at him like he had gone mad, but knew he meant what he had said judging by his expression. The scar on his face stood out and made him look dangerously handsome.

“Stop this madness, you have no right to show your face here after what you have done, you have no right being here,” Ivan said as he stepped forth, I could see how shaken he looked but he masked it up with his facial expressions.

I was confused about what was going on.

Why did this man refer to me as his wife?

Why was Ivan shaken by the event?

What was happening?

“Madness, you should count yourself lucky, that I let you live, Eve is coming with me, and anyone that has a problem with that can face my wrath” Dominic roared out and as soon as the words left his lips I could see the men bringing out a gun from their bodies and this scared the crowd.

“What's happening, someone tell me what's happening?” I pleaded as I turned to look at Ivan who was staring at Dominic with so much hate and anger in his eyes everyone seemed to know who Dominic was except me and this scared the hell out of me.

“You lied to her, you swine, why don't you tell her who im i, tell her what you did, tell her who you are, forcing her to marry you, you traitor” Dominic snapped at Ivan who stayed silent, I looked at Ivan and I could see that he couldn't meet my eyes.

“No, I accepted to wed Ivan, he is to be my husband and I love him more than anything, I don't know you, and I ask that you leave,” I intercepted him, I didn't know who he was but I sure as hell wasn't going to let him crash my wedding.

“Never, I left you time and time again, but I would never leave you, you may not know me, but I know you would never accept this union, you being forced into this but I promise I am going to make everything right” he answered.

And without a word, he pulled out his gun and fired.