I Too Had An Unrequited Love Story

19- The Wedding

Veronica sat before the mirror, her reflection staring back at her in quiet contemplation. The ivory wedding gown clung to her form as if it had been designed exclusively for her. The rich fabric hugged her curves in all the right places, enhancing her natural beauty, which was already striking. As she gazed at herself, a myriad of emotions washed over her, causing her to drift back to the events of the past week.

~~ Six Days Ago ~~

"Arek, are you serious? My house? Why? What about my parents? Ugh, I need to talk to them first! You can't just barge into their home and announce that we're getting married," Veronica's voice was laced with frustration as she paced back and forth.

"I never said I would barge in," Arek replied calmly. "I called your father, and your parents are on their way here."

"What?" Veronica's eyes widened in disbelief. "You called my parents? Are you out of your mind? Oh my God, Arek, you have to call them back and tell them you'll meet them later!"

"Ms. Ray, I'm perfectly in my right mind. And just to remind you, you don't get to order me around. You're my secretary—a replacement, in fact—and you should be fully aware of that."

Veronica clenched her fists, struggling to maintain her composure. "Yes, I know I'm just a secretary in your company and nothing more. I know my place. But you invited my parents here without any preparation, without even letting me talk to them first, and now they're going to meet this... this asshole version of you? Mr. Alden, if you want them to believe this lie, to accept this sham as truth, you can't just spring it on them out of the blue! You've dragged them here to announce that their daughter is marrying a monster who barely behaves like a human!"

"Did you just call me an asshole and a monster?" Arek asked, his voice tinged with amusement.

"One problem at a time, Mr. Alden," Veronica dodged, but before Arek could respond, the doorbell rang.

"Shit. My parents are here," Veronica muttered under her breath. "Mr. Alden, whatever happens, it's on you. I want nothing to do with this."

Arek ignored her and walked to the door, taking a deep breath before opening it. He found Mr. and Mrs. Ray standing there, with little Natalie in tow. Arek welcomed them in, guiding them to the living room.

As soon as Natalie saw Arek, she reached out her arms, signaling for him to pick her up. Without hesitation, Arek knelt down and scooped her into his arms, much to the surprise of Mr. and Mrs. Ray. Natalie was a notoriously difficult child, wary of strangers, yet here she was, comfortably nestled in the arms of a man she'd just met.

Veronica's parents exchanged glances, their minds racing with questions as Arek led them into the living room, settling Natalie on his lap. He looked around, searching for Veronica, but she had vanished, leaving only the faint sound of her footsteps as she hurried to hide behind the bar counter.

"Mr. Alden, what is going on between you and our daughter?" Mr. Ray asked, cutting straight to the point.

"Mr. Ray, would you care for some breakfast first? We can discuss everything afterward," Arek offered, though his tone remained businesslike.

"We didn't come here for breakfast, Mr. Alden. We're here for our daughter, and we'd like to get to the point," Mr. Ray insisted.

"Very well," Arek said, his voice firm. "No need for formalities then. Mr. Ray, I want to marry your daughter."

"What?" Mr. and Mrs. Ray exclaimed in unison, while Veronica, hiding behind the counter, gasped.

Veronica's thoughts spiraled. This is his brilliant plan? This asshole is going to get us both killed.