Chapter 6 THE WEDDING

NAYA'S P O V

I have no idea when the car was going to stop, but after an hour of traveling, I noticed that the limousine we were following had finally come to a stop on top of a mountain.

A mountain?

''We're here!'' the driver in front of me announced with a smile on his face, and I gave him a small smile in return before I slowly climbed out of the car, roaming my eyes around the beautiful place. I let out a gasp when I saw how clearly the crystal blue sky was in the background, coloring everything on the horizon ombre with a mix of tangerine.

''Mom, this place is absolutely beautiful!'' Clover's words could be heard from a few meters away from me. I turned to see that the path in front of us was lined with hundreds of miniature candles and the petals of fragrant roses in a variety of colors, including red, white, and pink.

I felt tears suddenly spring to my eyes as I froze on my spot, placing a hand on my chest. This place was unique and breathtakingly beautiful! I had always fantasized about having a wedding just like this one, but with the man I love, of course! On the other hand, these wedding decorations still overwhelmed me.

''I believe that the Stewart family didn't want to be too humiliated, so they lent Raphael a significant amount of money to have a luxurious wedding, because there's no way that he could have had the financial means to furnish a place like this...'' I overheard Kelly say to her daughter who appeared to be envious of the way the place was decorated. ''Naya!'' my stepmother's resounding voice jolted me back to reality. ''Hurry up, and stand by the altar to get ready for the ceremony!''

What? Why would I be the one to wait for the groom? It should be Raphael waiting for me at the altar, not the other way around, right?

But the way Kelly was staring at me prompted me to rush towards the walkway, only to make a halt when I saw my ex-boyfriend climb down from one of the cars that had arrived. He immediately moved to where Clover was standing and held her hand. As he looked up, our gazes met, and I thought I caught a glimpse of longing in his eyes.

Just as I was about to turn my gaze away from him, I became aware that Clover was watching his every move, and she saw how Harlan glanced at me. With a furious expression on her face, Clover extracted her hand from Harlan's grasp and folded her arms across her chest.

I continued walking inside, the sound of my heels clicking against the marble and porcelain flooring stone produced a rhythmic sound. I took in the beautiful sight of the hundreds of twinkling lights strung around the glass building. The interior of the church was more beautiful than the outside where dozens of white roses were strewn around the room, the rays of golden light burst through the floor-to-ceiling glass windows and bathed everything in a honey-colored glow.

I scanned the faces standing in front of the glass wall of windows, but I didn't recognize any of them. Despite the fact that this wedding was prearranged, I was holding out hope that my father would show up and accompany me directly to the altar, and I believed that it was every bride's wish. But I couldn't see him anywhere. Once I reached the altar, I stopped, stood on my spot, and waited for the groom to arrive.

Kelly and Clover, with Harlan beside her, took the seat at the front where they made sure that I could still hear what they were talking about.

''Stop looking at her!'' I heard Clover warn Harlan angrily.

''You're imagining things, Clover! I'm not looking at her!'' Harlan denied, but I could feel his gaze burning at the back of my head.

Clover rolled her eyes before she looked down at the gold watch around her wrist. ''The appointed time has passed, and the groom hasn't arrived yet. Even a scoundrel like Raphael doesn't take Naya seriously...'' she sarcastically said before she leaned in and laid her head on Harlan's shoulder.

''Raphael is probably busy dressing up, taking his time to give himself a lovely appearance. I heard that he's short, skinny, and weak like an old man...'' Kelly chimed in, and they both chuckled snarkily.

I bit my lip trying to ignore them. I couldn't help but feel apprehensive about the fact that after the wedding ceremony, our honeymoon would follow.

'Oh, God. Please, help me...'

There was a moment of silence between the mother and the daughter when the glass door unexpectedly opened, and a well-dressed man entered the church, but he looked overweight and bulky.

''Oh my God! Is that Raphael?'' Clover burst out laughing, and a few of the guests turned their heads in her direction, but she didn't pay heed to them as she continued to mock the man who had just entered. ''What you've heard about Raphael wasn't accurate, mom. But he's still a good match for Naya's malnourished body!''

''Clover, will you stop it? You are already the focus of the guests' attention...'' Harlan warned Clover, but she wouldn't want to stop, especially when she noticed that the man stayed at the back, and didn't want to come over.

"See? He's so ugly that he doesn't want to be seen by the guests!'' she laughed once more, but abruptly stopped when Harlan admonished her with a threatening glare. ''I'm sorry, okay. I can't help it. I'm just happy that I'm not the one standing there right now, and waiting for the unattractive groom to arrive. Aren't you happy for me? For us?'' she asked him with pouted lips.

Harlan sighed heavily, choosing to ignore Clover as he turned his attention back to the entrance.

I waited for Clover to turn her gaze at me, and once she did, I sent her death glares while clenching my fists at my sides, but she just returned my wrath with an annoying smirk. We had a glaring contest, but I was the first one to look away when I caught a glimpse of another figure entering the church.

A man walked in, and I suppressed a gasp, thinking for a moment that he was one of the guests.

But he continued walking towards me, his dark gaze directed at the priest who was already settled in his position, holding a bible. The man wasn't ugly-he was perhaps a very handsome man in his tuxedo, his striking chiseled features were set in a rigid fury.

Once he came to a stop directly in front of me, my suspicions were immediately validated. It was clear that he was the groom. My soon-to-be husband was a gentleman who was also incredibly gorgeous!

He nodded abruptly to me, more an acknowledgement of my presence than any form of greeting. And that was when I focused clearly on his face.

I was shocked and terrified as I closed my eyes, thinking I was just imagining things. I slowly opened my eyes again, and even pinched myself to see if this was the reality. I wasn't dreaming. He was really the man I had a one-night stand with!