Arranged Art of Love: Diamonds and Dreams ( KTH ff)

9. Vows and Secrets

Time Skip
Yena's P.O.V

The silk of the wedding gown draped against my skin, a luxurious shroud for the occasion. I stared at my reflection in the mirror, already responsible me taking one more responsibility on her life.

Two weeks had melted away like ice on a hot stove. The whirlwind of dress fittings, and endless discussions between families had left me numb. I had only seen Taehyung once during this time in a company board meeting to finalize the Kim Corporation and Han's collaboration. We hadn't interacted much beyond the necessary discussions, and I had been grateful for the professional distance it afforded us. It was a relief, in a way, to avoid any awkward conversations about my drunken antics from that fateful night at the club.

Even the dinner with our families, held last week in anticipation of the impending marriage and business, had passed without Taehyung's presence. He, however, was mysteriously absent, whisked away on a business trip to Paris. A convenient escape, perhaps? A part of me felt bad if that was his… some escape… but I quickly squashed it. This wasn't the time for emotions, especially not for him.

Now, as I sat alone in the bridal suite, the weight of my fears bore down upon me with crushing force. The hours had slipped away unnoticed, and here I was, mere moments away from walking down the aisle to a future that filled me with uncertainty.

My past loomed large in my mind, casting a long shadow over the present moment.
The past four years had been a blur of self-destruction, a desperate attempt to drown the suffocating reality. Now, the consequences of those choices stared me down in the form of this cage. The scars of past relationships, broken promises and shattered dreams, still haunted me, leaving me fearful of opening my heart once more. Was I ready to take this leap of faith, to trust in the promise of a new beginning with Taehyung?

The thought alone sent shivers down my spine, a cold sweat breaking out across my brow. I longed for the comfort of familiarity, for the safety of the known and the predictable.

Was I ready to become Mrs. Kim? The answer, is a tangled mess of unresolved feelings. Marrying Taehyung meant not only facing the future but also the ghosts of my past – a past that threatened to shatter the fragile peace I'd built around myself.

As I sat lost in my thoughts, a gentle knock on the door startled me from my silence. Before I could respond, the door swung open revealing Aera. Relief washed over me at the sight of my best friend. Unlike the cheerfulness of others, Aera's eyes held a genuine concern that warmed my heart.

"Yena, darling, you look stunning!" she exclaimed, enveloping me in a warm hug. "Yena, you look absolutely gorgeous!" she exclaimed, pulling back to admire me. Her gaze swept over the intricate embroidery and cascading train of the gown. Your dress is perfect, just perfect."

A wave of gratitude washed over me. Aera had always been my pillar of support, my rock in times of need, and her unwavering presence brought a sense of comfort and reassurance.

"Aera," I began, my voice thick with unspoken anxieties. "Do you think I'm making a mistake?"

She pulled back slightly, her eyes searching mine with a depth of understanding that spoke volumes. "Yena, you know that I'm here for you, right?" she said earnestly. "You don't have to go through with this if you're not sure. Your happiness matters above all else. Don't let the past hold you back."

She cupped my face in her hands, her gaze searching mine. "Yena, you know that I would never pressure you into something that wouldn't make you happy," she said gently. "But…"

"But?" I echoed, bracing myself for her next words.

"But sometimes," she continued, her voice soft, "life throws curveballs. Maybe this marriage, this collaboration… it's the change you need. A chance to rewrite your story."