Chapter 2 The Missing Groom

Queenie reached the end of the red carpet and stepped gracefully into the circle of light around Ivan. They stood there for a moment, looking at each other.

The emcee said something, but Queenie didn't hear him. Now that she was finally face-to-face with Ivan, nothing else seemed to matter. Her surroundings melted away as she looked searchingly into his eyes.

His eyes were entirely devoid of emotion. Queenie's blood ran cold as she considered the implications.

The man she was about to marry had never shown any interest in her. Even now, moments before they were to be officially married, he looked at her without truly seeing her. Queenie steadied herself. Her heart continued to hammer uneasily against her chest, but she did her best to ignore it. She had placed Ivan on a pedestal ever since the day her parents told her about the arranged marriage. Nothing would change that now.

The emcee's cheerful voice interrupted her uneasy thoughts. "And now, it's time for the lovely couple to exchange their wedding rings!"

It was then that their eyes finally met. Queenie looked at Ivan, her hopeful eyes bright with emotion. Ivan returned her passionate look with one of icy indifference.

He lifted her hand and slid the ring onto her slender finger.

Queenie blushed as her gaze instinctively dropped to her hand in his. She had never felt the warmth of his touch before this, and she had to remind herself that this was really happening. She was marrying the man standing before her. Queenie looked at Ivan again, and this time, her eyes were full of love and devotion.

She didn't know the man she was marrying, but she was optimistic about their future together. She trusted in her ability to be the perfect wife, regardless of who she married.

She had learned to trust her parents' decisions from an early age. Her parents would never arrange for her to marry into a family unworthy of her.

They had her best interests at heart, and the arranged marriage with Ivan was the result of careful planning and consideration. Even so, Queenie was shrewd enough to understand that her family stood to gain from the marriage as well. Her parents had crunched the numbers, and picked the man they considered worthy of her beauty and the Dong family's connections.

At its core the marriage was essentially a business transaction, but Queenie's devotion to Ivan was entirely sincere. She had been waiting to marry him for nearly twenty years. Ever since she was a little girl, she had thought of herself as his future bride.

But Queenie realized now that Ivan didn't feel the same way about her. There had been a brief moment of warmth from him when he held her hand, but he had let go as soon as the ring was on her finger.

Ivan's frosty indifference was disappointing, but the sight of the exquisite wedding ring glistening on her finger made Queenie's heart bloom with joy and hope. This was the moment she had dreamed of her entire life!

Queenie looked affectionately at the tall, handsome man standing before her. She reached for his hand, and carefully slid the ring that represented her wedding vows onto his ring finger.

They were now husband and wife, bound by their duty to each other. They would love and help each other through health and sickness, until their dying breath.

Queenie looked up at Ivan. Her beautiful eyes shone with her unspoken love for him. But there was nothing in Ivan's eyes. His face remained blank, empty of all expression. The complete lack of emotion on his handsome face was frightening to look at. It suffocated her.

This was a man made of ice and stone.

Queenie stared at Ivan like a deer caught in headlights, unsure of what to do. After a moment of awkward silence, she heard the emcee say, "The wedding rings have been exchanged. The groom will now kiss the bride."

The emcee winked at Ivan. He had noticed Ivan's obvious reluctance to embrace his bride, and immediately jumped to the conclusion that the groom was shy and needed a push in the right direction.

But Ivan refused to take the hint. He remained motionless, even as Queenie looked at him with an expectant blush on her face. The guests, oblivious to the tension on stage, began to whistle and cheer. Their demands grew so loud and boisterous it became obvious to Ivan that he would have to do something to placate them.

He leaned in, and Queenie instinctively closed her eyes as she waited for his kiss on her lips. She could smell his pleasant scent drawing closer, close enough to envelope her, but he did not kiss her on the lips. Instead, he put his arms around her bare shoulders and gave her a chaste, symbolic kiss on the cheek.

Queenie's eyes flew open in surprise. A gentleman's kiss on her cheek wasn't the wedding kiss she had been expecting. For a split second, the gnawing feeling of unease within her threatened to overwhelm her.

But Ivan's arms were still around her, and all rational thought fled her mind. All she could think of was his scent. She closed her eyes as she breathed in his alluring scent. She could still feel the warmth of his lips on her cheek.

The sudden intimacy sent her heart racing. She had never been in such close contact with a man.

A rosy blush spread across her face as she wondered whether Ivan could hear the rapid hammering in her chest. Queenie lowered her head shyly. But that was apparently all Ivan was willing to do. He pulled away, and nonchalantly straightened his tie.

The guests waited in expectant silence, but after a few minutes, it became evident that the groom had no intention of giving the bride a real kiss. The photographers and cameramen exchanged disappointed looks. The kiss was supposed to be the highlight of the wedding, the moment everyone had been waiting for, but the newlyweds were apparently too shy to do it in front of a crowd.

Ivan merely smiled. It was an odd, cryptic smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes. Queenie stared at him in helpless confusion. There was something lurking behind his smile, but she couldn't figure it out.

Fortunately for her, the emcee noticed the awkward silence and came to her rescue. He said, a little too loudly, "Now let's all wish the newlyweds a happy marriage and many healthy babies!"

The guests cheered and whistled in response. Someone popped a champagne bottle.

Now that the ceremony was over, the guests dutifully turned their attention to the food and drink. Laughter rippled across the hall in waves as the guests began to toast each other. Queenie looked expectantly at Ivan. According to wedding custom, it was now time for Ivan to escort her around the hall. The newlyweds were expected to drink with the guests in a toast to their marriage.

The nonchalant smile was still on Ivan's face. Queenie bit her lip. She had the odd feeling that his smile was just a mask he had carefully chosen for the occasion. But before she could give it any more thought, Ivan opened his mouth to speak, and her eyes lit up with excitement. She had often wondered what his first words to her would be.

"Excuse me, I have to go to the restroom." The excitement in Queenie's eyes vanished, and her heart sank with bitter disappointment.

"Okay." Her first word to him was shy and bashful. She knew she would be sharing her bed with Ivan tonight, and the thought alone was enough to make her blush.

Queenie smiled serenely to herself. She told herself that as soon as Ivan returned, they would walk around the hall together to receive the traditional wedding toasts and blessings from the guests.

She waited patiently on the stage for what seemed like forever. Her calves began to throb with the strain of keeping her balance in her 5-inch crystal heels. She looked around, but Ivan was nowhere to be seen.

A look of profound loneliness crept into her eyes as it slowly dawned upon her that she was now standing on an empty stage, all alone.

She could see her father and father-in-law down below, mingling with the guests. A few of the guests looked at her in confusion as they waited for Ivan and Queenie to start the customary wedding toasts.

"Mr. Dong, you're so lucky to have a son-in-law like Ivan. He's such a capable young man, I'm sure he'll be invaluable to your family business. You've hit the jackpot!" The guests lifted their glasses to toast Mr. Dong.

Mr. Dong laughed heartily.

"With this marriage, the Han and Dong families are now unstoppable. Don't forget to throw the rest of us a bone now and then, eh?" A voice called out to Mr. Han teasingly.

"Yes, of course. Don't worry." Mr. Dong and Mr. Han exchanged a look. This was their cue to introduce Ivan and Queenie to the guests.

"What's taking them so long?" The two men exchanged another puzzled look before turning to look behind them.

Queenie stood alone on the empty stage, awkwardly dabbing at the sweat on her brow with a handkerchief. Both men frowned.