The hall was beautifully decorated , yet one can feel an undercurrent of unease rippled through the air. Red roses twined around the marble pillars, their blooms vivid against the soft white drapery that flowed along the walls. Chandeliers spilled warm light over the aisle, where scattered petals glowed like embers against the pristine carpet. On either side, the guests sat in silence, their faces half-hidden behind expectation and curiosity.Who would have expected the great Mr Lu to suddenly marry the first miss of the Lin family. Everyone wanted to be a witness of the event.
As the grand doors of the hall opened with a slow, echoing creak. The bride stepped into view, radiant in a full white gown that shimmered like frost beneath the lights. Her veil cascaded down in delicate layers, and her bouquet of white lilies trembled slightly in her grip. At her side, her father stood tall and dignified, his arm steadying her as they began the bridal walk down the aisle.
Each step was accompanied by the soft swell of violins, but beneath the music, the air felt heavy, as if it bore witness to something far more than a wedding. Guests leaned in, whispers fluttering and then dying as the bride passed.
At the end of the aisle, the groom waited. He was dressed impeccably in a tailored black suit, its sharp lines accentuating his commanding presence, a complete constract to the brides white dress. Against the sea of white, he stood like a shadow cutting through the light. His dark eyes followed the bride's every step, their cold intensity unbroken by the soft glow around him.
A faint sneer curled at the corner of his lips—a smile without warmth, an expression that seemed to mock the ceremony itself.
The bride's heart tightened as their eyes locked. For the briefest moment, her steps faltered, but her father's reassuring squeeze urged her onward. She drew in a steadying breath and continued, the sound of her heels echoed through the hall.
When she reached him, he did not offer his hand. He only watched her, his sneer deepening ever so slightly as if he knew a secret that no one else in the hall could fathom.
Lin Lian's heart skipped a beat. A nagging feeling clung to her chest like a shadow she could not shake. Something about this wedding felt wrong, but marrying into the Lu family… marrying him… was a risk she had chosen to take.
The marriage between the Lin and Lu families had not been meant for her. It had originally been arranged between Lu Ting Kai and Lin Xiu, her half-sister. But Lin Xiu had vanished without a trace when she was thirteen—seven long years ago.
After her disappearance, Father Lin decided to shift the engagement onto her shoulders which she happily obliged to,. Who woundnt want to marry into the Lu family. Mr. Lu had neither agreed nor disagreed to the union, offering no opinion, no acknowledgment.
He had never once looked at her. Not a single letter, not a single glance, not even a word during the months of preparation. He hadn't participated in the planning of the wedding; everything had been done without his presence.
And today—on the very day of the wedding—was the first time Lin Lian had seen him. Her heart pounded, each step toward him heavy with dread. The fear that he opposed this marriage gnawed at her with every breath.
When she finally stood before him, she hesitated. Her father's hand slipped from hers, leaving her alone before the man she was to marry.
He looked at her, his dark eyes unreadable. The sharp cut of his black suit made him seem like a shadow amidst the white roses, cold and untouchable.
Even when tradition demanded he take her hand, he did not move. He just stood with his hands tugged into his pants pocket not making any attempt to remove them.
He stood still, his gaze steady, his lips curling into a faint sneer.
Lin Lian's heart sank. The fear that had haunted her until this moment now swelled into something unbearable.
The officiant voice rose cutting through the thick silence in the wedding hall, beginning the wedding vows
"do you Lu Ting Kai take miss Lin Lian to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, to love and to cherish _"
"No"
Lu Ting Kai cut off the officiant impatiently.
Lin Lian heart fell as she felt like a bucket of ice- cold water poured on her.
The hall which was already silent became more silent, even if a pin was dropped, it would have been heard. The hall fell into choes
The officiant was surprised
"wha....what....what did you say?"
"I said No... My engagement to the Lin family is to miss Lin Xiu."
" but,..but.... But Mr Lu,...it is well known that my sister has been missing for seven years now".
She wasn't willing to give up such a golden opportunity. Even though she had been acknowledged into the Lin family, she still couldn't clear the stain of an illegitimate daughter and daughter of the third party.
But with the title of Madam Lu, she would be able to forever get rid of the stain of being an illegitimate and the daughter of the third party
"then.... " Lu Ting Kia purposely created suspense "since miss Lin is missing, the engagement is canceled"
Lin Lian panicked, her eyes red and filled with tears that could fall at any moment. Any man would feel pity and protective if such a beauty but not the cold Lu Ting Kai.
"Mr Lu" Mr Lin rushed forward "Mr Lu, what did you mean y this? Didn't you agree to the wedding already?"
"oh!....did I. How com I have no memory of it?"
Everyone was left speechless. If he didn't accept the wedding, then why haven't he decline or put the planning of the wedding to a stop. He made no attempt to stop the planning, wasn't that althomatically accepting the wedding?