Hindi na ako nagtaka nang makitang walang ni isang tao na dumalo para maging saksi sa aming kasal. Tumingin ako sa harap, umiiwas na mapatingin kay Aleksandr na walang emosyon ang mga matang nakatitig sa akin.
When the judge arrived, we both stood up. I greeted him with a small smile, while my husband-to-be merely nodded in acknowledgment.
The judge took his seat, his expression polite yet formal, as he settled his papers in front of him. The silence in the room felt suffocating, weighed down by the absence of familiar faces. There were no friends, no family members-only empty chairs and the cold, indifferent stares of the courtroom walls.
"We are gathered here today to unite two individuals in marriage. Though the setting may be modest, the vows you are about to make are no less significant."
The judge's voice echoed slightly, filling the emptiness around us.
Pakiramdam ko ay isa lang itong pangarap-o mas tama, isang bangungot na hindi ko kayang takasan. Lumingon ako nang bahagya kay Aleksandr, at sa isang iglap ay nahuli kong nakatitig pa rin siya sa akin. May kakaibang kislap sa kanyang mga mata, pero hindi ito nagbigay sa akin ng kapanatagan. Sa halip, parang may hinahanap siya-parang may hinahangad siyang siya lang ang nakakaalam.
"Do you, Aleksandrovich Draven Volkov, take this woman to be your lawful wife, to honor, support, and remain by her side, as long as you both shall live?"
"I do."
Hindi man lang nagdalawang-isip si Aleksandr sa pagsagot. Ang kanyang boses ay malamig, matalim, at walang pag-aalinlangan.
Bahagya akong napapikit, sinusubukang pigilan ang kung anumang pakiramdam na nagsusumiksik sa dibdib ko. Ang buo kong katawan ay tila lumalaban sa bawat sandali ng araw na ito. Nang lumipat sa akin ang mata ng Huwes ay huminga ako ng malalim at mahigpit na sinara ang aking kamao.
His gaze softened a little, as if he could sense the hesitation I was trying so hard to suppress.
"And do you, Amelia Leigh Sinclair, take this man to be your lawful husband, to honor, support, and remain by his side, as long as you both shall live?"
Sandaling katahimikan ang bumalot sa paligid. Sa isang iglap, naramdaman ko ang bigat ng kanyang tingin, hinihintay ang aking sagot. Napalunok ako bago ngumiti nang pilit, tila nagpapaalam sa sarili kong mga pangarap.
My heart pounded as I opened my mouth to respond. "I-I do," my voice was barely above a whisper.
With those two words, a part of me felt both liberated and trapped, bound by a commitment I wasn't sure I was ready for, yet had no choice but to accept.
The judge gave us a small nod of acknowledgment before speaking once more.
"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife."
Kasabay ng pormal na deklarasyon ng huwes, isang malamig na kalapati ang tila lumapag sa balikat ko. Huminga ako nang malalim, pinipilit linisin ang isipan, ngunit naroon pa rin ang hindi mapanatag na pakiramdam. Napalingon ako kay Aleksandr at doon ay nakita ko ang bahagyang ngiti sa kanyang labi, ngunit malamig, mapanukso, at puno ng lihim.
With a final congratulatory statement, the judge gathered his papers, leaving us alone in the quiet room.
And so, in a room filled with silence and indifference, I became Mrs. Amelia Leigh Sinclair-Volkov.
_____________
"Wife!"
Nilingon ko ang nakabukas na bintana ng sasakyan kung saan nakasilip si Aleksandr.
BINABASA MO ANG
Volkov Series #1: Fated by Obsession
Romance[ONGOING] Blackmailed into marriage, Amelia Leigh Sinclair never expected to feel anything but hatred for Aleksandrovich Draven Volkov. Their secret marriage was nothing more than a deal-until she caught him with another woman in his office. In a fi...
