𝐅𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧 𝐕𝐨𝐰𝐬

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎

ELENA

Time ran away from its hands. It's all happening too fast. The days dissolved into shadows before my eyes. I'm in my room, in my old house, in the old Sanchez mansion, which my parents used to live in, which is currently Andrew's house, staring at the figure who's staring back at me through the mirror. It's the 27th of June. I'm wearing a short white sleeveless dress for my engagement party. I hear Andrew call out for me and that's the only invitation I need to pick up my white hand bag and my phone and exit my room.

I remember Uncle Joshua telling me all the rituals of an arranged engagement party a few days ago.

He described the Unity Candle Ritual, a departure from the traditional ring exchange. As we lit a candle representing our lives, we'd have to make promises to ourselves then, write the same thing on paper and give it to each other and read it in two separate areas. Then, we would use our flames to ignite a central candle, symbolizing the merging of our families and futures.

Before the ring exchange, he mentioned the Wisdom Circle, where our guests would offer words of advice and encouragement for our future. It was a ritual emphasizing the importance of guidance and support from our elders as we started our life together.

Finally, he explained the Family Blessing Bowl, where guests would contribute tokens or blessings for us, symbolizing abundance and prosperity in our lives.

As I step out of my room, a flutter of nerves dances in my stomach. The weight of the day's significance hangs heavy in the air, but there's also a spark of excitement igniting within me. Today marks the beginning of a new chapter in my life, one that I never could have imagined before meeting Zade.

I make my way downstairs, the sound of voices and laughter echoing through the house. The anticipation of seeing Zade again fills me with a rush of emotions, from nervousness to pure joy.

As I reach the bottom of the stairs, Andrew appears, his eyes lighting up at the sight of me. "You look stunning, Elena," he says, offering me a warm smile.

"Thank you, Andrew," I reply, grateful for his kind words. With a deep breath to steady my nerves, I follow him towards the living room where our guests are gathered.

As I step into the room, I'm met with a wave of applause and cheers. The warmth of their welcome washes over me, easing my nerves and filling me with a sense of belonging.

And then, I see him - Zade, standing at the center of the room, his eyes locked on mine. In that moment, everything else fades away, leaving only the two of us in a world of our own.

With a smile that reaches all the way to my heart, I make my way towards him, ready to embark on this journey together, hand in hand. Today may mark the beginning of our engagement, but it also marks the beginning of a lifetime of love and happiness with the man who has captured my heart.

I hug my fiancée, being on my tippy toes and then, I feel his hot breath on my ears "You look stunning, as usual, Principessa" he says.

"You don't look too bad yourself, fiancée" I say while pulling back.

Zade and I are quiet good now, we've hugged twice before this for the practice. We only kissed once, in the plane.

Then, I hear a lot of guests saying 'awwh' and stuff. Uncle Joshua clinks his glass and gets our attention. "Good evening, everyone. As most of you must be aware of, three years ago my older and only brother, Aiden and his wife, Estella had passed away in Nice. But before they traveled, they knew that they were targets of, We're not mentioning the names, so they decided to write their will. In the will, Aiden wrote that Elena would have to marry Zade like always planned by him, Estella, Cassandra and Leonard. Their Will led us to this beautiful day in their old house. Let's hear a loud round of applause for Zade and Elena."