Chapter 1 - Wedding Day!

"Will you accept Caspian Andrew Ardiente as your lawfully wedded spouse, Stephanie Alicia Villamar?" The priest's voice could be heard in all four corners of the church.

She was hesitant to answer the priest's question since this was not the fairytale wedding she desired or the guy she desired to spend the rest of her life with, but she found herself torn between her desires and her parents' hopes.

Her deep brown eyes started to well up, pitying herself in this kind of situation, but she couldn’t do anything.

Stephanie is the only child of Don Mijares and Doña Belinda, a Filipino-mestiza who is the heiress of the largest hacienda held by her parents. Her family was one of the most affluent in town.

Her parents have been worried about her being an old maiden, which leads them to set her up on a blind date because, at the age of twenty-five, they haven’t seen her in a relationship.

But she was stubborn and dodged all the men she dated once and never contacted them. She was happy when her parents stopped setting up blind dates for her, but one day, a big announcement happened on her birthday that changed her world. in mess and that is… she was engaged to Caspian Andrew Ardiente.

Caspian Ardiente was familiar to her; who wouldn't be familiar with the town's most Cassanova man? He was changing girls like he was changing clothes. He is the son of a General in the Philippine Army, a twenty-five years old young colonel who graduated from the Academy with flying colors and was considered one of the best men in the line of army. He was in the service for almost five years and based in Metro Manila. And that's everything everyone knows about him!

Her parents were taken aback when she did not object to their decision. She even grinned and requested that her parents organize their wedding as soon as possible. They felt she fell in love at first sight with their next-door neighbor's son.

She looks at the shining eyes of the man she will marry and glances at the crowd to search for her parents, ignoring the good-looking man in front of her. 

Everyone envies her for marrying an outstanding man like him, many of the visitors in their wedding were admiring him and felt their hearts shattered since he was already a married man after this ends. No one can't believe that a heartbreaker like him would choose to settle down.

"I do," she replied when she spotted her parents were happy and nodded at her.

"Caspian Andrew Ardiente, will you take Stephanie Alicia Villamar as your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," he replied quickly. They exchanged the rings after the vows and put them on each other's ring finger, "by the power vested in me, you are officially husband and wife. You are now permitted to kiss the bride!" The priest made the announcement.

Stephanie glared at him to not do it to her, but she saw his lips curling up, she decided to make her first move. She crept forward and stretched out, placing her right hand on his cheek and her thumb on his lips, pushing her face closer to him and pretending to kiss him.

"I didn’t know that our daughter was obsessed with him. If I’d realized it earlier, this plan wouldn’t have taken long," she heard her mother was spilling the tea to her father.

She heard the crowd cheering for them and applauding. Stephanie broke the fake kiss and faced him, whispering, "I will not let you take advantage of me."

Caspian smirks at her and draws her closer to his powerful physique, his arm snugly wrapped around her waist. "What are you up to?" Even at a low level, her tone sounded irritated, even though she pretended to be pleased in front of a large crowd.

"If you don't want things to take any longer, just be obedient; I'm in a hurry as well."

She stopped protesting and did as he said. She almost screamed when he lifted her and carried her in his arms. Stephanie saw his face in a closer look. Her heart beat raced and she panicked when he shifted his hazel brown gaze at her.

"Hold tighter if you don’t want to fall," he softly whispered. His voice sent shivers down to her spine.

Caspian grins when she wraps her arms around her neck since he caught her face flushed and cocked her head to the visitors' face, walked down, and got into the bridal car.

"I am disappointed that my wife has gained a lot," he teased her.

She threw her sharp gaze at him when she was sitting comfortably in the car, "I didn’t ask you to carry me because I have feet and I can walk!" She irritably responded and pulled the hemline of her gown, showing her swollen reddish barefoot.

Caspian drew his brows closer together, astonished to realize she had nothing on her feet. "Where are your shoes?" He remarked, shielding her from the visitors who stood behind him.

He pulled the hem of her gown down to cover her feet and hopped into the vehicle, seated next to her. He stared at her and waited for her response.

"Wh—y are you staring at me? Is there dirt on my face?" She asked, sheepishly, while anxiously wiping her face.

"I am asking you…"

"Oh!" She chuckled, delicately hiding her lips as she looked at his solemn expression. She had to stop laughing when she realized he wasn't happy.

Stephanie bowed her head and scowled, looking at her white gown, saying, "my gown is heavy and I wouldn’t let myself get embarrassed in front of everyone if I ever step on my dress and stumble on the carpet."

"You shouldn’t have to be afraid of falling because I am here to catch you," she heard him say and raised her head to see him. A smile appeared on her face as she felt shivers in her body and her cheek turned crimson. She assumed that he might like her because of his statement.

"Seriously?" The word that only came out from her lips out of excitement.

"Of course I do. Securing the country and protecting its people are my job."

The gleam on her face quickly disappeared and she turned to be disappointed. She grimaced and tilted her head to the window and rolled it down.

"What should I have to expect from a playboy like him?" She murmurs and grins at her foolishness.

"A playboy will always be a playboy."

---