Back to the present,
Pushing aside the memories of what had taken place today, Tobias focused on what the woman sitting next to him in the car had to say.
"Since I received your mother's invitation, I decided to attend your wedding." Seraphina began, recalling how she had ended up at the altar and had become his bride out of the blue.
She had returned home after completing a tiring project when she received the invitation, which she now knew was from his mother, Theresa Rion.
After learning that she was invited to the wedding, she had begun packing her belongings to return to the city she had grown up in.
She had landed in the city just last night and had arrived at the chapel ahead of time because she did not wish to miss this important milestone in her old friend's life.
While she had not been close to Selene, she knew just how important she was to Tobias.
Therefore, she had come to bless the happy couple and join in their wedding festivities.
Only after arriving at the chapel and greeting Theresa did Seraphina hear about Grandmother's illness and also express her understanding about the rushed wedding ceremony.
The two were having a nostalgic chat when Shawn had rushed towards them with an envelope in his hands.
Seraphina did not get the chance to exchange pleasantries with him when she noticed his tight brows and heavy frown.
She stood at the side and watched as the mother-son duo whispered, catching bits and pieces of the conversation.
As Shawn made no effort to be extra secretive about what they were discussing, she had grasped what had taken place with ease.
The best man, Shawn, was greeting the guests who arrived at the chapel when the bride's maid of honor, Selene's best friend, had hurriedly passed an envelope to him.
She only gave him a brief apology and rushed out of the chapel without waiting for him to ask anything else.
Thus he watched as the maid of honor disappeared from his sight before he could grasp what she meant by that sudden and cryptic apology.
Finding it strange and not knowing what to do with that apology or the envelope, he ran to find his mother and thus had appeared before them looking disheveled and panting.
Seraphina was her friend's only child, so Theresa did not abandon her but took her along as they went to investigate what was wrong with the bride.
Thus they appeared at the bride's changing room, only to find that there was no one in there.
Neither was Selene anywhere to be found, nor were her belongings there.
All that was left in the room was the exquisite bridal gown that had been custom-made for her by the best boutique in their city.
Theresa felt her head spin but Shawn and Seraphina had caught her in time before she could come crashing to the floor.
It was less than an hour before the ceremony but the bride had run away, while the groom was eagerly waiting for the wedding to begin.
While Theresa was worried about her son's feelings being hurt, she was far more concerned about Grandmother and what her reaction would be once she heard about the bride's disappearance.
She was having a panic attack upon imagining Grandmother's health worsening thanks to this incident.
As she heaved, trying to catch her breath, Seraphina stood supporting her and rubbing her back in an attempt to calm her down.
Feeling that gentle and steady hand on her back, Theresa soon regained her composure and was also sure of what needed to happen next.
"Sephy, only you can help me now!" She announced and tightly grabbed onto the youngster's hands.
That firm grip surprised Seraphina and though she could not understand what those words meant, she wanted to do whatever was within her power to help Theresa out.
However, the moment she heard what Theresa had come up with, she did not hesitate to reject that plan.
Both she and Shawn had the same horrified expression after hearing what they had to do next.
"No way!" She outright refused to play along.
This caused Theresa to lower her head in defeat and her shoulders shook but her grip on Seraphina's hands did not loosen.
"How should I explain this to your Grandmother?" She whispered in a hoarse voice, causing both Shawn and Seraphina to freeze.
This hasty marriage was all for the sake of the older woman who did not have much time left to live.
Her condition was already weak and adding to it, the news of the wedding being canceled would only devastate her.
"If it had not been her desire to see Tobias getting married, I never would have asked this of you..." Theresa added, explaining why she hoped Seraphina would help her out of this dire situation.
Grandmother was still sitting in the chapel, waiting for her grandson to stand at the altar and marry his bride.
The news that the bride had run away would break the old woman's heart and adversely affect her health.
Therefore, Theresa set aside her pride and pleaded with Seraphina to replace the runaway bride and marry Tobias in her place.
If Selene had still been here, she would have begged her to stay and promised to fulfill any of her wishes if she got married to Tobias as decided.
Unfortunately, Selene had vanished without bothering to bid farewell and hence, she could only request Seraphina, whom she had witnessed growing up into a fine young lady and whom she trusted wholeheartedly.
"Please..." She begged when she heard no response coming from the youngster.
By now, Seraphina's resolve to refuse Theresa's request had been thoroughly shaken, especially after Grandmother's name was mentioned.
As a child, she had also experienced the warmth and love from the older lady so she hesitated after hearing what Theresa had to say.
While she was moved by Theresa's humble request, she was worried about something else.
"But Tobias..." Seraphina still shook her head as her friend would not be willing to participate in this charade.
Even if it was for Grandmother's sake, he would not be happy to marry someone other than Selene.
Therefore, even though she was willing to help out however she could, she did not want to do something that would hurt her friend.
"Does it have to be Tobias who gets married?" She questioned while glancing at Shawn, who had been silently observing them throughout this entire conversation.