"Now, one side is settled, but another problem is..where do I find the groom?" Richard finally let out his worries. Sighing, he took out his phone.
"I'm gonna call Zayne asking him to return back to Imperial right now."
"Wait, Richard, he can't make it. It took at least 15 hours to arrive, while we only have at least 8 hours before the ceremony start tomorrow." Hai Rin turns to his husband.
Andy feels a bit sorry for his friend's condition. He then looks at Asher. The man seems composed as ever. He turns to look at his wife after that.
Hazel is also looking at Asher. Feeling a bit uneasy with his father and mother keep looking at him, he sighed.
"Ahem, Uncle Lee, if you want, I can help you out. But I can't promise you to be Athena's forever husband."
The three of them turn to look at him. Now all the eyes fixed on him.
"That's okay. It just for tomorrow's event. After you sign the marriage certificate, you both can decide what you guys are going to do later." Richard said, and Asher nods his head, followed by Athena. Both of them agree with the terms.
Richard then standing up and hugs her daughter before he whispers. "I'm sorry to put you into this position."
***.......
On the next day,
Athena wore a wedding dress that is supposed to be her sister's wedding gown.
The dress fit her well since they both had the same size figure. She looks at herself in the mirror after applying the makeup and the wedding dress. She looks utterly beautiful. The only thing that is lack is her smiles.
She was so nervous. Marrying the man that she used to know is supposed to be a good thing. At least she didn't end up marrying a total stranger. But somehow, she feels so scared and afraid that her life will be totally in a mess and she will hurt again.
Brush away the feelings, she calms herself down before her parents finally enter her room. Her mom already tears up while her father somehow looks a bit sad. Maybe he was sad because she agrees with this sudden marriage.
"Mommy, enough crying. You will ruin your makeup," she chuckled and hugged her mother dearly.
"I'm so happy to see you wear this dress, Athena. But, I'm also sad because you put it on not because you really want to, but you had to."
Athena also starts to wells up a bit. What her mother said is true. She should be happy right now. But all she could feel is only emptiness in her heart.
"Okay, bride, It's almost time; you need to get ready now." the wedding coordinator said at the front of the door.
After her mother left with her father, her twin brother went inside with his wife, Shin Xi. "Hey Thena, wow! You look magnificent today!" Shin Xi said as she smiles widely at her.
"Addy, Sis Xi." Athena smiles and hugs Shin Xi gently. She's pregnant, and now it still in the second trimester. Even though the baby bump is still small, but she wants to make sure it's safe in there.
"So, finally, fate brings you two together again, huh?" Her twin brother started.
"Hmm, I don't think it's fate, Addy." Athena's replying while looking at her hand bouquet.
"Well, whatever it is, I wish you your prosperous life with your husband. May God bless you both."
"Thanks, Addy." she hugs her brother, and not long after, her father went back to her room. Ready to scout her out to the wedding hall.
***.......
Asher, in the other room, is already sweating a bit because of nervousness. He never thought that he will end his single life so suddenly.
Marrying the girl he has known since he was 5 years old is really bothering him a lot. They have never been in contact for almost eleven years now. Even before that, he didn't talk much to her since she is not a talkative person.
He looks at his watch, and he gets ready to wear the wedding suit. It was custom made last night by seven tailors.
After he has done put on the suit, his sister, Raisha, runs to him and hugs him from behind. "Brother Ash! Did you really need to marry her? What about Hyejin?" she starts to sobbing. She really hates this idea.
Stroke her hair, Asher gently said to the girl. "Hyejin is my friend. Don't worry, it's not that I will marry her for a long time. It just to save her family's name. After all, Uncle Lee has been helping out our family from generation to generation."
"So, later, you will divorce her and marrying Hyejin??" Asher has no answer for that. He just smiles at his little sister as a reply.
Raisha just only 17 years old. She still in a phase where she still couldn't figure out what true love is. Or maybe she even in the darkest stage about love.
His other little sister is Rachael. She is now 22 years old and still in her university's final years. She had an exam, so she can't come with them for the wedding occasion. Of course, she also doesn't know that her brother suddenly becomes the groom for today.
"Ash," Andy calls his name. He went inside the room with a man behind him.
"This is the marriage form and a divorce form. You can fill it first, and I will send it to uncle Lee once you fill it up."
Asher takes the form and signs it after he fills in the details. For the divorce form, he put on the side of the table.
"I will fill this form once I'm ready." He said to the man as the man nodded and left him in the room with his family.
"Are you sure you want to continue this?" his father show concern looks at him.
"Yeah. I could try, and I need to talk with Athena later."
"If that's what you decide then, let's do it properly."
He then walks out to the wedding hall together with his family.
***.......
As the music starts to play by the orchestra musician, the hall full of people starts to look at the entrance.
Athena walks down the aisle with her father beside her. She tightens her grip on the hand bouquet flower as the guest's eyes start to be fixed on her figure.
"Breath in, princess, you look so beautiful right now," Richard assured her daughter.
She plasters a smile on her face until they reach the beautiful altar, which is decorated with thousands of white roses.
Asher extended his hand to her, and she looks at him for a moment before she hesitantly takes his hand.
She wears wedding lace gloves. Thus, even they are holding hands, Asher's not really touched her skin. But still, the warmth from Asher's hand travels through hers, and it somehow makes her less nervous.
After listening to the speech and exchanging the ring, the priest announces them as husband and wife.
On the second bench row, Mu Ning sits next to Xin Me. They both already old, but still, they look elegant as before.
"Sis Xin, did my eyes already turn myopia, or did they change the bride and the groom?"
Xin Me didn't reply to her sister-in-law immediately, but she also narrowed her eyes to the couple right now.
"Mmm..maybe we're already old. That's why we can't differentiate between Athena and Aurora."
"But, that aloof girl and her aura are definitely Athena, right?" Mu Ning asks again.
Xin Me nodded in agreement.
Mu Ning then turns to look at his daughter, Lee Zhing, who also sits on the same bench as them.
"Zhing, that's Athena, isn't it?"
Lee Zhing startles a moment with her mother's question. She also feels weird about the wedding today.
The invitation card says it is supposed to be Aurora, and now that bride is totally not Aurora.
'Something must've happened to Richard's family.' She thought.
"Mm..maybe, they print out the wrong name, mother. That one is surely Athena. But we should never mention this to other guests, okay?" she reminds her mother.
Mu Ning nodded. "This youngster these days has become weirder. Why they want to marry so suddenly. Not to mention, that boy never visit us before, right?"
Xin Me nudge Mu Ning's arm a bit. "Shush!"
"You may kiss the bride." The priest said, and all the eyes focus on the couple.
Athena startles, and so with Asher. Both of them forgot about the kiss before they both agree to this marriage.
However, they both still keep up with the composed reaction.
Lift up her net that covering her face, he looks into her eyes. Athena also looks at his eyes before she diverts her eyes to somewhere else.
'On the cheek or on the lips?' Asher keeps asking this question in his mind, and that makes the priest clearing his throat a little. "Ahem."
Not having a choice, he finally lifted up her chin and lightly pecked on her lips before the hall start to cheering and clapping their hand.
Athena was a bit surprised when he decides to kiss her on the lips. She thought he might go for her forehead or maybe her cheek.
'Hey! That's my first kiss.' She bristled inwardly. But she still put on the calm face on the outside.
The wedding ceremony went well and really lively. The newlywed couple is now totally exhausted, putting up a smile for the whole day.
After the ceremony, Athena returns back to her room. Change her attire, she went to the bathroom afterward and took a bath.While Asher also went to his guest room, took out the divorce papers, and went to Athena's room. He knocks on the door, but there's no answer from the inside. Just when he wants to go to the living hall, one of the men guarding the floor opens the door for him. The one who opened the door for him is one of the butlers in this huge mansion.Seeing inside Athena's room, he was amazed that the place was stunning with the art collection hanging in her room. All the painting is painted by the painter who is so mysterious. Known by the name of the goddess, Nike.He is one of Nike's fan art. Rumor said that she is a disabled person who worked on the painting to earn a living. Some people said that she is actually a goddess looking girl. She doesn't like to be known to the public, so she went with the pseudonym.He scrunched his eyebrow a bit and looked at the art one by
He scrolls his mouse and finds Zayne's picture below the article. A young man who looks like a mixed-blood standing at the airport wearing casual clothes. His smile is quite refreshing to girls' eyes. Yes, he had a good looking face and figured too, just like him.Asher starts to dig more about him, his company, and his identity. He won a noble prize as the youngest billionaire when he was just 18 years old. He built his own company when he was only 16, start with the small business and the innovation he created that is now used worldwide.Zayne was stated as an aloof guy and didn't like to show up in public if it's not too important. Never had any scandal issue and very clean from the bribery records.He feels a bit challenging by seeing Zayne's achievement at such a young age; he scrolls down his mouse until it stops at one picture of him with a girl at the top of the building.Even though the girl only showing her back, he still could figure out who is she. The tag on the picture is
After she was calm a bit, Zayne releases her from his embrace, and he's rummaging his backpack after that."Umm, Athena. Here. I want you to look at this." he gives her a see-through tablet."What is this?""Inside is the file that I already compile. It's everything about him for the past 11 years since last you sees him. The information is in there. Do read it when you have time.""Huh? But why?" Athena tilts her head a bit.Zayne smiles and caresses her cheek softly."If you want to protect your marriages, start learning about your husband. He did the same to you. Since I always cover up your trace and identity, he never gets any info about you. Then, he did try to peek at mine. Luckily he's not that good with the hacking skill. So hmm. I do give him a little surprise, though." he grins.Athena was surprised when she heard that Asher try to find out her true identity. She then asks Zayne, "So did he find anything?""No. But that guy did find our picture at the tower watching the sunr
Imperial International Airport.Hyejin fans and many media teams have been waiting at the entrance since the morning for their arrival. Once they landed, Asher put on his silver sunglasses. At the same time, Hyejin also wears her pinkish sunglasses together with a faux fur beanie hat.Asher already hires a group bodyguard to protect them and help them make a path from getting ambushed by the fans. When they start to walk inside the airport, a vast commotion can be heard, and loud screaming and shouting of Hyejin's name also can be heard.Hyejin's smiling, friendly to her fans. She also gives a few signatures to her fans. Behind her is Asher and her manager, Eng Suk Chin. Both of them are already used to this kind of scenery.The picture of them starts to spread out through the entire nation like a fire. A lot of photos with a lot of angles make them have a lot of speculation too.Some of the fans are saying that Asher was there to support his girlfriend. While some fans are saying that
Inside Athena's house, she was watching the concert. When the camera starts to show Asher's face, and suddenly a bouquet of rose comes out from backstage, she closes her eyes. Her heart feels hurt just by seeing those moments.She leaned her head to the couch."Don't watch it if you can't take it." Zayne takes the remote control and turns it off.He then slumped beside her and passed her a glass of warm milk.She still froze at her seat without taking the glass from him."Do you want that flower really badly?" he asks and put down the glass on the table.Athena still didn't reply to Zayne's question."Okay..wait here, I call my gardener to pluck the rose from my garden. It's a high quality rose, you know.." he took out his phone from his pocket.When he wants to bring the phone to his ear, Athena immediately grab her hand and turns off his phone.Take the glass on the table, she drinks the milk that he prepared for her."Your rose is too precious to give it to me, Z."Grinning, he said
Asher eyes still gazing at Athena for some time before Hyejin hold his hand and led him to take a seat. He follows Hyejin to the bench."So, since we have eight people here, how about we split into two groups?" Yu Zhin suggestion makes all of them turn to look at each other.When Athena's eye met with Asher, she immediately lowered her gaze a little."Okay." Adrian and Zayne said while others nod in agreement."So, team up now."Yu Zhin, Yu Luan, Asher, and Hyejin in one group, while Adrian, Athena, Zayne, and Zenith, also in one group."So, the defeated group will pay for lunch today, agree?"All of them nod their head, agree with the term. "Okay. Let's start now."The first group is Yu Zhin's group. Starting with Yu Zhin. He was quite good at the shooting.Bang! Bang! Bang!"9,8,9" the system count and display it on the screen.Adrian's smirking a bit. "Heh..not bad."He takes his gun and put the earmuff to cover his ear.Bang! Bang! Bang!"9,9,8"Athena's clapping her hands, rejoici
After having lunch, they go to the archery field, and after that, they went for a bowling game. Chatting about work, life, and all sort of trivial matters that happen to them in eleven years, they part ways.While Zayne and Athena keep sitting close together. They are not a talker person, thus both of them mostly in their own world with their own talk."So, Athena, when will you guys going to get married?" Hyejin asks with a smile on her face. She was referring to Zayne.Athena almost chock on her mineral. She coughs a little, and Zayne pats her back softly."Er, well..""I see you guys so close together—such a romantic couple. You guys have been dating for years, right? Why still not settled it down?" she asks again with a happy tone.Looking at her face, Zayne asks her back. "What about you? I've heard the rumor saying you have been in a relationship with Asher for years too. Why don't you guys settle it down?"This time, Asher was the one who's been struck by the question. He turns
Once Asher parks his car at the front of her entrance house, Athena immediately runs inside her house.Asher's a bit worried, seeing her pale face earlier. He decides to take a look at her before he went back to the hotel he stayed in.Athena was rummaging her cabinet and kitchen cupboard one by one."Where is it? Where is it?" she mumbles. Her stomach is really in pain right now. She's sweating a lot."Hey, are you okay?" Asher asks her when he saw she tried to find something in her kitchen cabinet."Shit! Is it in the bedroom?" she runs upstairs, leaving Asher in the kitchen dumbfounded. She didn't even bother to answer his question.Asher then follows her from behind.Athena opens her bedside drawer and takes out one pill from a bottle. She swallows it in a second. She curled up and ran her finger to her hair anxiously."Are you taking a drug?" Asher scrunches his eyebrow seeing Athena curling up at the bedside of the bed.She didn't reply to him. When he wants to walk closer, sudde