Chapter 3 Our marriage

Chapter 3

The orchestra begins to play their strings. I grasp Dad's arm the moment I step onto the aisle, walking toward the new life I'm about to embrace.

And my new groom. Ethan stands at the altar, his impenetrable gaze fixed on me. He's the most inscrutable man I've ever met.

And the most gorgeous too. God, he looks like a dream in that suit. If only his surname wasn't Montello. And if only he loved me.

I reach the front, where my father is about to give me away to Ethan.

"Take care of her for me, Ethan."

"I will. You have my word," he says, and then Dad looks at me once more and gives me a tight hug before taking his place.

I keep stealing glances at Ethan throughout the ceremony, but not once does he look at me. He just stares straight ahead, his expression so unreadable that it's hard to decipher.

"Do you, Ethan, take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

"Do you, Chiara, take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, from this day forward, as long as you both shall live?" the priest asks me.

"I do."

"Should anyone present know of any reason that this couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The church is so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. It's surprising, considering how many people I know would love to stop this wedding.

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss the bride."

I swallow hard as he lifts my veil. He looks at me for a moment before leaning in to give me a light kiss on the lips. It's hardly passionate, but we are in church after all. As he pulls back, I whisper to him.

"We did it."

"Yeah," he replies, his cold demeanor returning.

After the ceremony, Ethan and I are rushed through a blur of flower petals and confetti. Our wedding planner gives us a moment alone.

She probably expected us to be all over each other in newlywed bliss. Instead, I stand by the door next to Ethan as the awkwardness around us grows.

"So... You said 'I do.' Color me shocked," I break the silence.

"Of course I did. I wasn't about to abandon you at the altar and embarrass you," he says, making me roll my eyes.

"No, I just meant... I was just trying to lighten the mood, Ethan. Forget it," I say, annoyed as I watch him.

Ethan's expression is so dark, I don't think anything could lighten his mood. I feel a pit in my stomach. I never thought my groom would look so miserable after we just got married. Am I really that terrible to marry?

I take a deep breath, letting the silence fill the room. If he doesn't want to talk, then so be it.

I start playing with the hem of my gown, staring into space. When will this night end? I wish it were morning already so I wouldn't have to struggle anymore.

I hear a sigh from beside me, but I resist the urge to look at him. Seconds pass, and he still doesn't speak, so I finally glance at him and give a fake laugh.

"Well, at least we made it through the ceremony without any objections, right? I was half expecting someone to object," I joke, but it seems to have no effect.

"I was expecting you to," he replies, making me sigh. Silent or not, it's still awkward between us. I thought things would get easier once we were officially married.

"Let's just go back to the reception. There's no point in staying here if you're not going to say anything," I say, and just as I turn to leave, he grabs my hand and pushes me gently against the door, still holding my hand.

Wait? What's happening?!

"Chiara, wait. I do have something to say to you."

"You're making me nervous, Montello," I say as he closes his eyes and takes a deep breath before looking into my eyes, as if he's studying my face or my movements.

"I know I'm your enemy. I know you've been taught to hate me. I just... I just don't want you to be afraid of me, Chiara. Whatever stories you've heard about me or the Montello family... Our reputation may be brutal, but I'll never hurt you. I promise you," Ethan says, and I avert my gaze.

"I want to believe you, but... all my life, I've been warned never to trust any Montello. Those feelings won't change overnight."

"I know, but we need to put the past behind us now. Your father is right. Our families are stronger together, and we could be stronger together too if we give this marriage a chance. It's up to us what we do with our union," he says, and I'm taken aback because the Ethan standing before me is so different from the Ethan I met last week and the Ethan who stood with me at the altar.

I can't help but smile. "Looks like I don't know you that well yet. You can be sentimental too," I joke, and he lets out a soft laugh before meeting my gaze.

"It's my wedding day. I think I'm allowed to be sentimental," he says, taking a deep breath as he tucks a strand of hair behind my ear. "Speak your mind, wife. Tell me your truth. How do you see our future?" I'm stunned by his use of the word 'wife.'

I pull my hand away from his and take a step back to put some distance between us. He looks puzzled.

"Thank you for saying all that. I'll try to keep it in mind as we start our future together," I say, and he nods.

"That's all I ask." We both turn toward the door when we hear a knock. When Ethan opens it, his father is standing there, smiling as he watches us.

"Well, that's it then. There's no backing out now. Unless we get the marriage annulled," he jokes.

"There will be no annulments and no backing out. You wanted this, Father," Ethan says, and Mr. Montello sighs deeply.

"Yes, I suppose I did. Still, it was stranger than I thought it would be, watching my son marry a Bianchi," he comments, exhaling deeply. Then he forces a smile at us. He's so different from the Mr. Montello I met at our engagement party, where he seemed genuinely happy about the situation.

"It looks like our guests are waiting," I say, trying to diffuse the tension between the three of us.

"Oh! Yeah, that's what I came to tell you. Are you ready to be announced as Mr. and Mrs. Montello?" he asks, making me pause. It still hasn't sunk in. It's hard to accept that I'm now part of their family and will be a Montello.

This is impossible!

Ethan seems to read my thoughts, so he gently squeezes my trembling hand before placing it on his arm and whispering to me.

"One step at a time, Chiara. Come on, I want to show off my beautiful wife to everyone I know. Even if she is a Bianchi," he says, and I see his beautiful smile once more.

I averted my gaze because of the strange feeling that overcame me again. It started earlier, and it seems my heart won't calm down easily if this continues.

It looks like I can no longer hide the attraction I feel for him now, but that doesn't mean our marriage will ever be real.

I barely got a chance to breathe for the rest of the day, let alone spend any more time with Ethan.

Everyone wanted their moment with me, and I spent my wedding reception meeting and greeting friends and relatives.

"Chiara!" I was surprised when a woman called out to me. I didn't know her, but she had a huge smile on her face. "It's so good to finally meet you. I'm Solenn, Ethan's twin sister. I've heard so much about you," she said as she approached me and extended her hand, which I quickly accepted.

"Oh, really? From who?" I asked curiously.

"From everyone, of course! People can't stop talking about you." I scratched my neck, feeling a bit awkward, and she laughed softly at my reaction. "I always knew my brother would end up with the most beautiful bride anyone's ever seen. You look stunning today, Chiara," she complimented me, making me blush even more.

"Thank you," I said while scrutinizing Solenn as she smiled at me, looking for any sign that she was being anything less than genuine.

"Don't take this the wrong way, but you seem a lot happier that I married Ethan than most of your relatives." She smiled at my comment.

"What can I say? I've always wanted a sister," she said, and I just nodded. "So, what do you think of Ethan so far? Has he swept you off your feet yet?" she teased, and I suddenly felt my cheeks warm.

"That doesn't seem like his style. I can't imagine Ethan sweeping anyone off their feet, least of all the daughter of the enemy," I said to her.

"I've always had a hunch that my twin brother is a secret romantic. I'm sure you'll see that side of him soon if you haven't already!" I sighed.

"Actually, not yet."

"You and Ethan still don't know each other very well, so it's my job to tell you what an amazing husband he's going to be," she said proudly about her twin.

"You think so?" I asked with hesitation, and she quickly nodded.

"I know so. There's no one more loyal than Ethan. No one more honorable. He'll take such good care of you, Chiara. Believe me, you'll see it very soon," she said confidently.

"Well, I hope so." I felt myself flush at Solenn's words. The idea of Ethan taking care of me filled me with the strangest sort of pride.

"Solenn, I see you're mingling with the enemy. Some of us prefer to keep our distance," said a sharp-tongued woman who approached us. Solenn crossed her arms and turned to her.

"We're all on the same side now, Katrina. Besides, if you wanted to keep your distance, you wouldn't have walked over here," Solenn replied, silencing the woman.

She quickly turned her gaze back to me. "Chiara, this is Katrina. She and I grew up together. She's a close friend of my family's-"

"And a very special close friend of Ethan's too," added Katrina, giving me a sharp look.

"Nice to meet you, Katrina." My words sounded half-hearted, even to me, but Katrina didn't seem to care. She stared at me like I was a stain she had just noticed on her shoe.

To Be Continued..