“Take a deep breath dear. Have faith in the Almighty. Everything will fall into place,” said Granny. Skylar turned towards her and inhaled deeply. This was for life! Although she signed a contract with Christian, she wouldn’t leave him at all!
The music started, and she composed herself. When she turned around, Grandpa Ben and the others had already entered. Where was Christian? Had he gone in already?
“It’s time to walk you down the aisle, Skye!” said Caleb.
Grandpa Phil held out his arm for her to take while Caleb took his position on the other side.
“Ready?” asked her grandpa. Skylar felt tears prick in her eyes. Yes, she was indeed getting married, although her groom was avoiding her!
Flanked by her grandpa and brother, she walked down the aisle strewn with white flower petals. The interiors of the church were also decorated in pristine white interspersed with greenery. There were white silk fabric swags hung from the ceiling to the seating. The decorative candelabra centerpiece added elegance to the entire setup. White satin pew bows, a white cover on the small table for the unity candle ceremony, all matched her white bridal bouquet.
Skylar concentrated ahead of her as she walked down towards the altar. Her eyes fell on Christian, waiting for her with a stressed look on his face. Clad in a black tuxedo, he looked like a dream come true! But why did he look so nervous? It seemed as if he was holding his breath while waiting for her!
Christian watched his bride approach him slowly. She looked so breathtakingly beautiful he forgot to breathe. Overwhelmed by the moment, he couldn’t stop tears from pooling into his eyes. For years, he had been waiting for this moment, when he would finally unite with her, when he would marry her! He couldn’t believe it was finally happening! It was worth the wait! Would she be upset if she knew that the contract she signed wasn’t valid at all?
They stopped right in front of him and his breath got stuck in his throat. She looked even more beautiful than ever before. The way she gazed back at him set his heart pounding with excitement. He drowned in her eyes. What was the look in her eyes? Was it love? He couldn’t believe that he was finally getting his happiness. He had battled all his life for this!
Grandpa Phil placed her hand in his, and he clasped it in his warm one. “I’m sure you will cherish her, Christian!”
“I will, Grandpa.” They left to go to their seats, and Christian led Skylar towards the altar. He could feel her gaze pinned on him and a warmth radiated up his body. He couldn’t wait to marry her!
They stood side by side as the wedding ceremony started. Father Patrick’s words pierced Skylar’s soul, making her believe that this union was truly destined by the Almighty! She was certain that this was a union for life!
Then it was time for the vows, but she wasn’t prepared at all!
Christian gazed deeply into her eyes! Skylar’s breath got stuck in her throat as she waited to hear his vow.
“Give me your hand, Skylar, and I will give you forever,” he started, holding his hand out to her. Her heart skipped a beat as she placed her hand on his. She wanted this to last forever! His admission answered the most important question echoing in her mind. Now she was sure this wasn’t a contract marriage. It was forever!
“I promise to love you in sickness and in health, in good and in bad. Believe me, this is the easiest promise I’ve ever made, because vowing to love you was something I decided when I first met you.” Her heartbeats sped up at his confession! His vow cleared her doubts! Yes, he loved her!
“You have made me the happiest man in the world today by agreeing to share your life with me. I promise to cherish and respect you. I promise to care for you and protect you. I promise to comfort you and encourage you. I promise to be with you for all of eternity.” His eyes glazed with raw emotions as his vows echoed around the walls of the holy abode! There was a pin-dropped silence as he waited for her to speak.
“Your heartfelt confession has left me speechless! I am indeed lucky to call you mine, Christian. Your love and trust make me a better person, each and every day. For all those times that we’ve been together, you have encouraged me to grow. You helped me believe in myself and become the person that I am today. In your arms and by your side, I know I can do anything. I promise to honor and cherish you through all life’s adventures. Wherever we go, we’ll go together. Today, I give you my hand. I give you myself, the good, the bad, and the yet to come.” Her throat choked with emotions at finally being able to get it out of her system. It was more of a confession for her than a vow!
She had no idea how she could say so much in front of everyone watching them. Was it divine intervention, the push she really needed to save her relationship?
Tears spilled from Christian’s eyes as he tried to smile at her through them. Skylar smiled back, her condition similar to his. They waited for the ring exchange. She could feel Christian relax as they sailed through the rest of the ceremony.
They were declared man and wife! Christian sealed their union with a sweet, lingering kiss! Amidst congratulatory wishes, Christian grabbed her hand and led her outside for photographs. It was the happiest day of his life. He was dying to get her all to himself! There were so many things he wanted to tell her!
“Let’s not delay this any longer. We’ll head to SJ Metropolitan right away for the wedding lunch,” said Grandpa Ben, looking around agitatedly.
“Is something wrong, grandpa?” asked Caleb, looking around to check.
“I think Desmond is stalking us. I think I saw him before going inside,” he whispered, not wanting to alert them all. Caleb rushed them into the waiting cars and they sped away to their hotel without wasting a single minute.
“Christian, I would suggest you two stay here until Steele is arrested,” suggested Grandpa Ben.
“No, Grandpa. I’ve wasted a lot of time already. I need to get back to work.”
“At least stay until Sebastian’s wedding.”
“Fine. We will leave after Seb’s wedding,” said Christian, and he looked relieved.
Throughout the way, Christian didn’t leave her hand as they sat in their wedding fineries. Caleb and Sebastian followed them in their cars along with their bodyguards. Christian couldn’t look away from his wife while Grandpa sat with a grim look on his face. The way he kept checking around him made Christian suspicious, too.
“Is anything wrong, Grandpa?” he asked, unable to stop himself.
“No, nothing. We’ve reached.” Although Christian had the feeling he was hiding something from them, he left the issue. He didn’t want to alert Skylar. “Let’s go inside. Don’t just stand here.”
The urgency in Grandpa’s tone made Christian frown. He grabbed Skylar’s hand and led her inside the hotel, straight to the banquet hall. There were five bodyguards accompanying them, much to Christian’s frustration. He hated it! He hardly got the opportunity to talk to his wife with them, noticing everything like hawks.
The manager greeted them eagerly, and they waited for the others to join in. Grandpa called Sebastian to ensure he was safe. Then he called Caleb and paced the hall, waiting impatiently for them to arrive.
Skylar was lost in the decor, the romantic lighting effects, to notice anything else. Not once did Christian leave her side as they sat waiting for the others to join them. Grandpa Ben’s friends came over, followed by Mr. Ferdinand and his wife. Skylar tensed, seeing the lawyer as she remembered her last encounter with him.
She glanced at Christian, but he looked unperturbed. Why wasn’t he affected by the contract?
Caleb and his family arrived, accompanied by her grandparents. They were followed by Sebastian and Erica. Grandpa Ben relaxed after seeing them unharmed. His phone buzzed with an incoming call and he paled considerably on seeing the caller ID. Christian frowned at his behavior, a sense of dread gripping his heart. What was going on? Grandpa Ben muted his phone and led them towards the huge dining table.
“Thank you for joining us today, despite the short notice.” He thanked his guests, and after a brief speech, they tucked into the delightful spread. Everyone praised the food.
Later, the wedding cake was brought in. Christian held her hand, and they cut their wedding cake, feeding one another a piece. Although their wedding was rushed, the feelings that accompanied it weren’t. They were deep, sincere, and eternal. Although she hadn’t confessed her love for him, he was happy. She had given herself to him forever! It wasn’t a two-year contract marriage, after all!
“Shall we leave? I know a special place where we could enjoy our wedding night!” he whispered, eager to get away from the crowd. They slipped out while the others were busy enjoying their drinks!