The hall was massive, the grandest I've ever set my eyes on, exotic chandeliers hung from the marbled ceiling which was made to match the marble tiles so spotless that you could see your reflection in them. Every inch of this place sparkled royally.
But no one here felt royal-not today.
I sat stiffly on the right side of the hall, just before the podium, dressed in an orange silk gown that felt like a prison uniform.
My younger sister, Carrie, and two of my cousins sat just beside me, all of us dressed in the same ceremonial orange garment like lambs lined up for slaughter.
Aside from our matching outfits, we wore something else in common, an unmistakable gloomy expression. Now, this was quite ironic because today was supposed to be a cause for celebration, the wedding of Maria Cobain, our family's jewel, and my elder sister, the first daughter of the "Cobain family," but no one was smiling, not me, not our parents, and definitely not Maria herself.
Our despair wasn't about the wedding itself, but about who she was marrying. Angelo Hera.
There he was, tall and terrifyingly still like a statue sculpted by violence itself. He had on a dark tailored suit with a long midnight black coat that hung to his frame like a second skin.
His aura alone was blinding but what struck me the most was his face. Angelo Hera was one devastatingly handsome man. He was the kind of man you didn't stare at for too long, not because he wasn't beautiful but because something about his beauty felt dangerous - lethal and he embodied a chaotic persona to match that.
Seeing him standing on the podium with a satisfactory smile stretched across his face, it infuriated me so badly. He was terror in human form. The most feared Mafia boss in the whole city. His name alone could make the bravest men shiver.
Prior to ever meeting him, I've heard stories, stories of blood, betrayal, and sheer brutality, stories that made me pray we would never cross paths as long as I lived.
It was all too unfortunate that my Dad got into a sticky situation with him and now my poor sister, Maria, was paying the price for it.
"Ehem." The priest cleared his throat in a bid to capture the audience's attention. "And now it's time for us to introduce the bride-to-be, I present to you, Maria Cobain."
Cheers and claps erupted everywhere and everyone's attention went straight to the entrance.
A few minutes went by and the entrance remained empty, the cheers and applause slowly subsided, and were replaced with soft murmurs from the audience.
It wasn't like her to be late but I didn't think too much of it. She was probably still getting her makeup done or something.
The priest spoke up for the second time. "I present to you, Maria Cobain."
The entrance still empty.
I checked my watch and it's been almost ten minutes since the priest made the first announcement.
Why wasn't she here?
One of Angelo's bodyguards ran into the hall, panting like a wild dog, and yelled, "We've checked everywhere, she's gone."
Gasps of terror filled the air and everyone present exchanged shocked glances.
I ran out of the hall to her dressing room and alas! It was empty.
My heart began to race and I dialed her number on my cellphone, which was switched off, I sent a message - Undelivered.
She'd only been gone for like 15 minutes so I still had hopes that she'd randomly show up but minutes turned into hours and my sister was still nowhere to be found.
I stood frozen in the middle of the hall which was almost empty now. My eyes wandered around and I tried to process the shock of what had just happened, I could see a few family members pacing around restlessly.
I found my mom sitting alone near the front, tears streaming down her face like a fountain.
"I don't understand." She sniffled and dabbed her eyes, "She was all cheerful when I saw her this morning. She told me she was ready."
Hugged her tightly, swallowing the lump in my throat. "Mom, I'm sure, she'd show up soon, she probably just crashed at one of our other houses. She'll come back to us. She always does."
I said that to just soothe my crying mother, deep down everyone knew the truth, Maria wasn't coming back, and honestly I wouldn't too if I was getting married to Angelo. I'd do everything to escape that predicament.
Speaking of Angelo, I glanced around the hall and noticed him seated in a corner yelling at someone on the phone. "I don't care about the case, do whatever you can to find her and bring her right back to me, you hear me?"
His face was boiling red and he had his fists clenched. He was visibly annoyed. The tales I've heard about this man were all horrific and seeing him this mad, made my stomach twist with uneasiness.
Soon enough, he shot up to his feet. The air shifted instantly and everyone turned to him like metal to a magnet.
Pointing to my father, he snarled. "You… you tricked me."
My father stumbled backwards. "I'm sure there's an explanation for all this, Please calm down, Mr.Angelo."
"Don't tell me to calm down," Angelo growled. "You promised to give me one of your daughters and I'm not leaving here until that promise is fulfilled."
"Yes, yes, if only we could just wait a little longer till we find Maria and…"
My father was cut short by Angelo's low and venomous tone. "I'm a very impatient man, I hate to wait. We all came here for a wedding and we're gonna have one."
Unable to look him in the eye, his assistant leaned in, his voice quivering, "But sir, how do we go on with the wedding, if there's no bride?"
A mischievous smile appeared on Angelo's face. "We'll find a new one."
"You!" He hissed pointing towards me.
I froze on the spot. For a split second, I thought I had misheard, misunderstood or maybe even hallucinated. But no, his eyes were boring through me.
"Me?" I choked out, faintly.
He didn't reply, instead he walked up to me, his movements were sharp and deliberate. Each step he took made my heart beat rapidly.
When he reached me, he stopped and grabbed my chin, placing me under the scrutiny of his dark, gleaming eyes. A smirk grew on his lip.
"This would do." He muttered. "She's not that bad."
Blood drained from my face and my eyes were filled with dread.
"M-me?" I stuttered. "That's…ridiculous. I- I can't-"
He cut me off harshly. "I don't remember asking for your permission."
He let go of my face and stepped back, giving a single damning command.
"Get out of that hideous clothing and find a bridal gown."
I blinked, paralyzed.
"You're going to be my wife."