The wife

The wedding

Three months later

"Time tells all things"

The wedding preparation was far too hectic for even Nathan. His mother indeed had her way and now he was getting married to a girl he barely knew.

Who is was he to complain?

Bianca as taking this well. She was a good little girl or maybe she was just doing it for the huge paycheck he was going to offer her.

Nathan had no male friends so his room was filled with his co-workers who hardly cared if he was dressed or not. They were all too busy either chatting or on their phones.

Nathan spoke to the only person who would listen to him, himself.

"Just do it, Nathan. In a year you'll file for divorce and everyone goes home happy."

He put on a black tie adorning his spotless and ironed white shirt. His favorite color.

"Are you ready?" Rodriguez asked.

Strange as it might be, the man was quite talented at fashion designing, and his brand, Rori had taken the fashion world by storm.  Boulderfist was now ten times richer and Rodriguez now shared stock with our company, proving me wrong.

"Yes, just thinking."

Rode seemed to take Nathan's words the wrong way and he proceeded to give him a pep talk about starting a family.

"I know." Nathan lied.

This wasn't me. He didn't want kids...at least now. It had been his big sister's wish to have a huge family she could cuddle and somehow that reminded Nathan of his dead sister.

No! He had to clear his mind off the incident. That was in the past and even if this wasn't his future, it was his present.

He had to do this. He put on the last piece of clothing to complete his attire. A dark blue lounge jacket trimmed to hug his skin.

"Let's go."

***

"You look really beautiful."

Bianca did not feel so beautiful. Her mother had refused to the honors of dressing he or even complimenting her.

Sure this was not an average wedding but the least she could do for her was put on a happy face for her sake.

"How does she look?" Claire innocently quizzed her mother.

Mrs. Romero was neither pleased with Claire's incessant ramblings but she kept her mouth shut. She would spill far lethal things if she let her tongue roam.

Claire finally let it go and continued dressing Bianca.  She was complete. The delicately sewn gown was a creation of "Rori". It was simply perfect.

The gown spun on the bare floor like cotton, soft. It even made the bride look more innocent but what was innocence without the veil.

Bianca's hair had been plaited into a bun to accommodate the veil's comb and not bother her too much.

"Done. We can meet the groom now." Claire said in delight almost grabbing Bianca's hand and taking her out. Her mother didn't seem to elater ti watch her daughter getting married. Maybe she knew it was a marriage of convenience.

"No Claire! I'll take it from here. No one does it as a mother would." Mrs. Romero's voice was authoritative. Claire wasted no time in obeying the woman's wish and disappeared out of the room.

" Adriana! You can still stop this madness!" Mrs. Romero said in a hushed tone.

Bianca faced her mother, her stance was now possessive. She was no longer Bianca, the girl she played far too good.

"No mother! You are wrong. I'm doing this to stop that bastard's madness." Bianca/Adriana shot back.

Her mother's solemn look turned pale.

"You don't have to be vengeful like your father. I'm begging you."

Adriana/Bianca ignored her mother's concern but acknowledged her words.

"He didn't think of the repercussion when he almost destroyed Dad. He's about to learn the world is not a monopoly he's good at."

Adriana's mother respected her daughter's wish. She only wished she had been there earlier to prevent her husband from filling her daughter's head with so much evil. Her sweet innocent girl was going after a man that had ruined her husband and made a lifelong rocky relationship between the three, Maybe it was meant to be.

He avenges the innocent after all.

***

The bells rang rhythmically and gave Claire a tune that was surely going to get stuck in her head. Saint Marco cathedral was a beautiful place and old in every way.

The walls were made from stone bricks and had refused to be changed to concrete due to the popular belief that it would disturb resting souls.

The walls were now mossy green and some looked moist and sleek enough to disgust a germ-phobic but it actually gave the arena a more archaic look and it just sent a peace sign to every troubled soul if you just let yourself go and absorb the scenery.

Taking in the dove chatter, the bells rhythm, and the priest...

"Wow! Nathan's bride looks awful familiar."

Claire groaned and wondered why she even brought John here. He had ruined her quick 'peace within the storm' kind of experience.

"Oh! A model you saw maybe." Claire joked.

John laughed a little but he wasn't letting his premonitions go.

"Yes, A COO at..." John said snapping his fingers and hoping to remember the name of the company he thought he saw Bianca.

"Yeah!" He snapped his fingers, "Transcorps."

Claire glared at him. He was speaking gibberish. There was no way the bride exchanging vows with her reluctant friend was a COO but it was worth checking into.

"Yes, I do." The bride answered the priest question looking sweet and adorable to her future husband.

"Do you Nathan Tellez take Bianca Romero to be your lawfully wedded wife, to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. To love her and honor her all the days of your life?"

Nathan gave a smile, one that spoke of fear.

"I do."

The rings were brought forth, a young child holding them in a red cushion, bands to seal their relationship. One that was never even real.

It was now or never for Nathan. He turned to see his mother weeping with joy for him. The bands were getting closer to his hands and he was also touching Bianca's hands already. If only someone could just object.

  No one did and the rings went in on the new couple.

"You may now kiss the bride."

Claire reached into her pocket and withdrew her phone. Turning on the internet connection, she went over to Google and searched on the Transcorp agency.

It was one of Boulderfist stiff competition and if it turned out John was right, she would have to tell Nathan.

The page loaded and she began scrolling through, inspecting the individuals in the pictures wiki provided.

Claire soon got her answer and it made her jaw drop.

A photo of Transcorp CEO, Everardo Romero. The surname was the same as Bianca's. The woman close to him was what added to the shock.

"Adriana Romero, COO of Transcorp."

The lady was a spitting image of Bianca except the woman staring g back at the camera in the photo looked more confident.

Just to be sure, Claire checked Nathan's new bride. She could not be wrong. That cropped hair, those deep eyes, the restlessness, and the craving, it was all there.

Claire read recent news concerning Transcorp and the headlines she saw terrified her.

"Mexico's leading agency, Transcorps COO disappears. Rumored to be in a top-secret meeting."

It could not just be a coincidence. The answer was obvious. There was no one like Bianca.

Adriana was only here for no good but what kind of evil could she possibly want to achieve?

Claire had to know for sure before she accused Bianca of spying and if she was right, she would know what to do.