KIERA'S POV
Ava isn't in the bedroom. Her outfit is still in the bedroom, and I spot the chaotic scene at the window. Apparently, she has run away. Before I can fathom the situation, Lara comes in. She sees everything I saw and realizes what I realized.
"Did you help her with this?" she questions me angrily.
Her question hits me hard. What does she mean by did I help her run away? "Of course not. I'm just as surprised as you are."
"I am not surprised. But I am definitely furious," she says, settling down on the bed, obviously fuming with anger.
Since she wasn't surprised, I immediately understand that she knows something. "Did something happen? Was she not willing to get married?" I sit down beside her and ask, even though I know she probably won't answer me.
"She wasn't. It's an arranged marriage, and she was against it right from the beginning, but I thought she had accepted it after she met him. I was reassured after seeing how excited she seemed until she came to me earlier today, begging me to cancel, but of course I couldn't. It would bring shame, especially when the other party is the Montenegros. I know the outcome couldn't be bearable." Surprisingly, she answers me, and I can feel the fear in her voice. She is definitely shaking, most likely thinking of what to do.
I hold her close, and she seems like she is about to cry. I haven't seen her like this in a while, for sure.
"Kiera, you can help," she turns to me, holding my hand and looking into my eyes as if I were her only hope.
"I can?"
"Yes, dear. It will favor you too because we can't just cancel this ceremony like this. The Montenegros will be disgraced, and we will be in trouble."
I'm not exactly getting where she is heading, but I listen attentively.
"All you need to do is take Ava's place. Get married in her place. It's all very simple."
Her words are so unexpected that I can't understand them at first. I pull my hands away from her grip almost immediately.
She grabs my hand again. "Please, Kiera. It's even a chance to escape Alex completely. Think about it. The Montenegros are powerful. They will shield you from him. You will live a better life, I promise. I will ensure that."
Her eyes pleading even more than her words.
"But Lara..." I try to speak, but she cuts in.
"There's no 'but,' Kiera. Don't think of it as taking Ava's place. Just think of it as an escape route. Like it was yours right from the beginning."
Reluctantly, I agree, and she dresses me up.
Then a thought pops into my mind.
"Lara, but they recognize Ava. They will know I'm not her."
"Yes, dear, but you and Ava do have a striking resemblance. With lots of makeup, they may not realize. Besides, I'm thinking of using a small veil to cover your face."
It sounds so silly that I want to burst into laughter, but this isn't a laughing matter.
In that same moment, Samantha comes in, accompanied by an elegant woman. I don't recognize her, but the way Lara rushed toward her as if she were a problem makes me know something is up.
"Mrs. Montenegro," I hear Lara say. Instantly, I remember Lara mentioning the Montenegros while referring to Ava's in-laws. I immediately realize that we really are in trouble.
For goodness' sake, I am dressed in the bride's attire when I am not the bride, and this woman has just seen me.
"Lara, I stopped by to check on the bride," she begins, still composed. "Are there two brides?" she asks, her stare shifting in my direction. I immediately look away.
"Ummm, no, actually. It's just that..." Lara stammers.
"Where is Ava? Isn't she ready yet?" Mrs. Montenegro cuts in.
"Ava ran away," I speak in haste, and as soon as I do, I regret it.
"Ran away?"
"Yes, but this is Kiera. She is my niece and a very good girl. Please let her get married to Ryan instead."
Ryan? I know I've heard that name before, but where???
"You are offering another bride just like that?"
This woman's reaction is calm rather than aggressive, as I thought it would be. She stares at me as if trying to say, "This rubbish? You want my son to wed this piece of trash?"
And no, I don't think of myself as trash. I just read that from her gaze.
"It's okay. We will talk the rest out later. For now, getting her to the venue and the success of the ceremony are paramount."
This woman is super calm. Something I didn't expect at all.
"But..." I hear her say, which scares me a bit.
"Ryan won't go ahead with the marriage if he finds out the actual bride escaped. He is against the wedding too, so this mistake would be an opportunity for him to reject the whole thing, and the public's reaction will not be good."
Oh goodness gracious. I felt a wave of apprehension over me. So the groom is also against this. I pray I'm not putting myself into extraordinary trouble I won't be able to get out of.
"With you by our side, everything is safe," Lara assures her and smiles at me, sending a spark down my spine.
*****
Ryan Montenegro, immediately recognizing those green eyes, I realize he is the one who beat up Alex in an attempt to save me from him. I hadn't thanked him. I never had the chance to thank him; instead, I had lashed out in anger. My emotions had clouded my judgment, but now I stood on the precipice of a decision that could irrevocably alter the course of my life.
It was clear that I stood not just in a wedding dress but at the brink of my own future, uncertain yet undeniably ready to grasp whatever lay ahead.
Of course I was extremely scared but after seeing this guy, I knew I was in hot soup. He was already angry at our first encounter and this that we were about to do would get him even more furious at me.
But who knows, he might not even recognise me.
"Why is her face covered?" I hear him ask.
"She got injured just this morning and her face is bruised so we needed to cover it up." His mum explains.
I wonder if he believed that but he doesn't say anything about it anymore.
Maybe because he respects his mum. Of course he did or why else did he accept an arranged marriage he has no interest in. I wonder what the full story is.
The ceremony went on but we didn't exchange any special vows like those I see in movies. We were both so uninterested that it seemed so obvious. Maybe not to others though.
I recite the few sentences from the paper Lara handed over to me. Ryan is so nonchalant. We are joined together and everything feels so awkward. I throw my flowers and someone catches it but I don't know her. Of course, we were supposed to have a kiss but because of the situation, we couldn't. The little crowd smile and cheer us but I can't shake off the feeling that I didn't know what I was getting into.
Would Ryan accept this? Would my life get better or have I gotten into a terrible situation I won't be able to get out of? All these thoughts cloud my mind completely.