"You look beautiful, Em!" Aurora whispered to her friend who smiled happily. Emily's life turned into a fairy tale romance and now she was having a fairytale wedding.
"Xandrio gifted me this, last night." She said, showing her pearl bowtie pendant studded with diamonds to Aurora.
"It's as beautiful as you are," Aurora hugged Emily tightly. She was happy for her but her thoughts kept wondering how Liam would react when she told him that she was ready to take the next step into their relationship.
"Aurora, I know it sounds mean but I don't feel comfortable in Alexandria's brother's presence. It's weird!"
Her chain of thoughts broke and she nodded at her friend. "You can't change his family, Em! Chill, and enjoy."
She nodded, "Where is Susan?" Emily asked knowing that she would be able to understand her situation better than Aurora.
Her name was enough to make Aurora sad. She craved talking to Susan but couldn't. "Don't you know? Is she alright, Emily?"
Emily sighed. "Aurora, please talk to her. I know what she did was wrong but she did it for you, I have told you many times and I am telling you again, Susan loves you."
Aurora nodded. "I know and I love her too but she needs to understand that I am capable enough to fight my own battles, Emily," she sighed, patting her hand, "leave all this, today is not the day to talk about these things but can you do me a favour?"
Emily nodded. "Whatever you say."
"Call Susan and ask where she is? Please."
Emily shook her head. "I can't believe I have stuck between you two stupid heads," she mumbled while pulling the cell phone from her handbag and dialling Susan. "You both need a medical check-up for behaving like fools," she mumbled and waited for Susan to accept her call.
"Not accepting," Emily informed but she smiled when she saw Susan walking towards them. Aurora glanced at her face and concern grabbed her heart. "Em, she doesn't look fine to me, ask her about it."
"Why don't you do it, yourself?"
"Please Em!" Aurora pouted.
Emily rolled her eyes before agreeing. She would have asked her on her own because she too could see there was something different about Susan today and that too in a negative way.
"Alright," Aurora smiled. "I am going to meet your parents, they look a little lost here."
"Don't ask, Mum and dad didn't know what to do in this society. They love their farm life, I tried to make them feel comfortable, even Xandro tried to do the same but they don't know what to do. I do not like my parents feeling like this in my marriage."
Aurora smiled. "Let me handle it. I know how to make them feel comfortable."
"Thanks."
"Em, take care of Susan, please," she said before walking away from there to Emily's parents who were sitting in a corner alone, watching people around them.
"Susan, you look different, is everything alright with you?" Emily asked genuinely worried about her friend.
Susan smiled. "Yes, I was trapped in a nightmare for a while but now I am free again."
Emily hugged her, " Susan, she asked me to take care of you. She loves you, trust me."
"I know, Em. I know she is worried about me but pretending that she doesn't care about me. I have known her since kindergarten. Don't worry about it. We both love you but today is not the day to talk about my and Aurora's problems. It's your day and I want you to enjoy it to the fullest, Emily."
"Thank you for all your support. I need it today," She smiled gratuitously.
"Why what happened?" She asked, thinking something was troubling her.
"He is here with some giant looking men from Russia. I don't know how to hold myself, he is scary."
"Who?"
Emily rolled her eyes, "who else, that brother of Xandro. Dmitry Kyschove."
Susan sighed. "Don't pay attention to him and focus on yourself, go to Alexandrio. He is looking at you and I am going to say hello to your parents. I know they don't like the city people too much."
Emily was glad to have such nice friends. She went to her would-be husband and stood beside him.
Liam forced a smile on his face when Alexandrio asked him to stand next to Dmitry as he was one of his best men.
But Liam did it for him, that was the least he could do for his friend.
Whatever he had planned for him was something he didn't want to think about, at least for now. "Can you both smile a little tomorrow, I don't want this expression on your faces tomorrow, and surely not in my wedding photographs."
Dmitry arched his brow. "Are you not being too demanding, now? I accept to stand with this filthy creature here for you and now you want me to smile, while I tolerate his fifty presence."
Liam chuckled. "I don't have any problem with smiling for you, Alexandrio. It is the smallest thing I could do for you, my friend. You always have been loyal to me even though your loyalty lies with someone else."
Dmitry's nose flared, the black orbs of his eyes dominated his eyes. The Pakhan of the Russian mafia was angry over the remark. "Loyalty is a big word, Knight, don't confuse it with friendship."
Alexandrio sensed that this war of words could end up with guns pointed at their heads so he intervened. "Can you both behave civilised for two days? It's my wedding celebration."
"He is an old rival of mine, I don't like him but he is Alexandrio's brother so I have to bear his presence for my friend."
Then it hit her, "oh! so he was Dmitry." She said and hearing his name from Aurora's mouth made him angry.
"How do you know him?" He demanded. Thousands of scenarios erupted in his mind.
"Emily told me she didn't like him and is kind of nervous around him."
Liam nodded. "Do you want to stay?"
Aurora glanced at the time on her wristwatch. It was close to nine, she had plans for tonight. "No, I think it would be better if we leave for home but let me say goodbye to Emily first."
"Yes, I need to do the same, Alexandrio would not like me leaving before saying goodbye to him first," he said and they both went back to the venue to say their goodbyes.
"But why are you leaving so early?" Emily pouted.
Aurora hugged her. "Because I am hoping for a big night, Em! I have some plans…" she told her friend and the thought tinted her cheek red. Emily's eyes widened, "oh my God! You want to…" she wants to shriek but Aurora puts her hand on Emily's lips.
"Don't be mad!"
Emily calmed. "Okay, I got excited for a minute, you know what? Get out from here and I want details, Aurora Kings," then going near to her ear she whispered, "will you be able to walk tomorrow? Don't forget you are my maid of honour!"
Aurora's mouth hung open. "Ha! You shameless woman. Don't worry I won't ruin your wedding by my walk."
They both laughed at that and Aurora kissed Emily. "I am so happy for you," then her eyes went to Susan who was with Emily's parents. "Tell her that too, I don't want her to feel left out."
Emily sighed. "Aurora, think about stopping this cold war between you two. It only hurts you both. I would be gone for a month after the wedding. How will you both manage without me?"
Aurora looked down, fidgeting her fingers at the question. "I don't know, maybe we will communicate professionally, you are taking a break from The Belle but I can't. You know the contract still binds me for two more weeks."
Emily felt guilty, "I told Xandro the same but he said that I could join after the honeymoon, and gave me off from The Belle using his power boss power."
Aurora laughed. "He did the right thing. Now, I have to go, take care of yourself and Susie too."
Aurora smiled imagining how Liam blackmailed her to stay in the Belle using the contract and today because of the same contract she had fallen madly in love with him.
"I will make this night unforgettable for us both, Liam."
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