Challenging a Cold Heart

Chapter 45: Last challenge

Vincent's POV

I took a deep breath as I lay down in the big circular bath tub and rested my head against the towel folded up to accommodate me lying down in the tub. I looked up at the chandelier above and smiled as I recalled how everyone was excited about my wedding. Before vacating Luc's home, I had chosen my wedding clothes and we had gone to Ulrich's home to prepare for the wedding. But Sera was busy making the wedding cake. Wren was preparing wedding decorations and lights and Elina was teaching her kids on how to do the wedding procession correctly. For a while I had to rehearse with my little flower girls and page boys. James was going to escort me down the aisle with my father and Elina's children were supposed to lead the procession. Their excitement rubbed off on me.

Wren had already tailored all the clothes for the girls and Ulrich had bought tuxes for the boys. I had to laugh at their shenanigans since they couldn't do the same thing twice. Elina looked exhausted trying to teach the little ones how to walk slowly in a procession in a straight line. Since the little ones did whatever they wanted anyway, I suggested pairing two little kids with an older kid. After rehearsing that arrangement for a while, finally, everyone was satisfied with the way it progressed.

By then, Elina noted that I couldn't get ready in their house since everything was stuffed in their house and it was a mess already. Luc's designer whom I learned was called Daisy, decided to then move to the council building. I wasn't sure that the council building would have proper accommodations but I was surprised. It not only had about 30 or so guest rooms but it also had a huge swimming pool and party lawn. I came to know that the wedding was going to take place in the huge lawn infront of the council building.

By the time we reached the council building we could see preparations were well under way. Caterers have arrived and even chairs were placed around circular tables. There was a red carpet walkway with floral archways all the way to the dais where I assumed the wedding vows would be said. I asked how many people were expected to attend the wedding and I was surprised to know that their idea of small wedding was 300 plus people. Lisa insisted that they only called in the branch leaders, the royals and the phantoms and the people I knew in the mansion.

The last part made me a bit sad. Luc never asked whom I wanted to invite to my wedding either. But then, I didn't have any friends. Other than my mum and Max, the only people I was close to were Jenna and her husband. I had a feeling giving them an invitation would be a bad idea. Fighting the feeling of being dragged around into the gist of things, I walked into the council building and Daisy found a good place where I could get ready. She said, my skin felt like a crocodile hide and hence, insisted I apply some masks and get scrubbed down. I insisted I could do that on my own and hid away in the huge bath room where there was a huge bath tub and a shower area to the side.

I had applied the scrub and taken a shower first. Then after applying the face mask, I chose my bubble bath soap and filled the tub with hot water. I had chosen a bath soap that stated it was made using oranges, honey and vanilla. Deeping breathly, I closed my eyes and relaxed in the tub. Just then I heard a commotion outside and the door to the bathroom opened suddenly. I sat up stiffly and glanced at who had entered the room. To my surprise it was Luc. I had kept the door unlocked since I couldn't find the lock. I assumed it couldn't be locked. However, I saw Luc go to a panel and press a button that locked the door. I watched him walk over to me. I blinked owlishly and tried to clear the mask from my face. Surprisingly no one dared to bang on the door, demanding Luc to get out.

I glanced at Luc as he walked back and forth agitatedly beside the bath tub.

"Luc?" I asked tentatively and he knelt beside the bath tub.

"Vince, I..came to tell you that..." He said and sighed.

"Well, are you upset with me?" He asked me, changing what he had been trying to say at first.