Page 129 of Poison Vows

I’m in the most gorgeous wedding dress that I designed myself, made by my favorite designer who received the sketches somehow, and I’m wearing a one-of-a-kind pair of heels that were made just for me.

Aurelio tells me these are the most expensive shoes in the world at the moment.

So when the knock sounds at the door and Ripley appears, leading a photographer in, I’m stunned.

“For memories,” he says in his cultured voice.

“Memories?” What kind of torture is this?

Resigned to my fate, I let Aurelio and the photographer arrange me in the way they want like a puppet and the pictures are taken.

More than once I’m asked to smile, but even when I do I see the slight grimaces on their faces.

“I’m sorry, I can’t smile on command,” I say apologetically. I always felt awkward taking yearbook pictures at school, let alone this.

But in no time at all, we’re done.

Before I leave, Aurelio looks at me with tears. “You’re the most stunning bride I’ve ever seen. Be happy,bella. You deserve it!”

I don’t have the heart to tell him the true circumstances of this wedding, so I just smile woodenly and return his hug, then I follow Ripley to my fucked-up fate.

“The ceremony will be in the garden, Young Miss,” Ripley tells me after a while of silence.

“A garden?” I mumble.

“Yes, right outside the library where you were.”

“Oh,” I mutter. “Won’t it be cold?”

“It’s an enclosed space and temperature-controlled,” he says kindly. “Just like the library, it was built by the young mistress when she lived here. Construction for the library was just recently completed.”

I pause.

“Did you have a chance to look at the books, Young miss?” Ripley asks.

“No, I was too caught up with the vastness of the room.”

“Yes, well, the young master went to great lengths to put it all together. The library’s interior was rebuilt ever since the young master came to New York a few weeks ago. We just completed the work today.”

“W-what?” I stutter.

“I understand you’re a book lover, Young Miss. There’s a wide section of romance books and Greek mythology.”

Ache… a continuous or prolonged dull pain in a part of one’s body.

But this time, the pain is not dull, nor is it localized to just a small part.

It’s everywhere.

In a panic, I quickly text Emmett again.

ARE YOU OKAY? What do you need me to do??

EMMETT, SAY SOMETHING! PLEASE!

In no time at all, we arrive at the most impressive greenhouse garden I’ve ever seen, but my steps freeze when I step just past the open doors.

This isn’t at all what I was expecting.

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