Page 103 of Ruthless Knight
I’m standing behind the large oak doors of the grand hallway with Dad and my wedding party, which includes Madison, Skye, and three of my other friends.
We’re waiting for the doors to open so we can walk outside, where the ceremony will take place.
We all look amazing, but I look like a fairy tale princess in my beautiful wedding dress.
Elizabeth Herman, celebrity wedding designer, did a phenomenal job with my one-of-a-kind dress that has a sleeveless lace bodice covered in specks of diamonds and a long flowing satin skirt.
Everything would be perfect if this were real, but today is just another act in the show.
“Are you okay?” Dad asks, touching my cheek.
“I’m fine.” I must sound like a broken record. That’s all I’ve been saying all week, in that same hushed monotone my father will recognize as the voice I use when I’m actually not fine.
“You look beautiful.”
“Thank you.”
This would almost feel like a déjà vu moment crossing over with the night I was supposed to get engaged to Nathan.
I try to breathe past the knots rising into my throat, but it’s no easier for me than steadying my mind.
At least I am breathing. And I’m here.
I made it this far. Now I just have to get through this part.
The part that feels like the hardest to me.
My thoughts cut when the doors open, and harp music playingThe Wedding Marchfills the air.
Dad and I exchange glances of strength, then he gives my hand a gentle squeeze and leans in to plant a kiss on my forehead.
“Thank you,” he mutters just low enough for me to hear.
“Always.” I smile back at him, then we take the first step outside together and walk onto the terrace.
The wedding party follows, and we make our descent down the wide, sweeping stone steps leading out to the breathtakingly gorgeous garden I’ve seen in movies and TV shows.
There, three hundred guests are gathered together sitting on rose gold Chiavari chairs with chiffon sashes connecting each row.
But my eyes go straight to Knight standing at the bottom of the garden under the white rose-covered gazebo.
My heart stops at the sight of him and the rawness of his striking looks that overpower everything and everyone here.
Dressed in a black tux with his hair cut shorter and his beard neatly trimmed, he’s the absolute definition of GQ handsome.
Everything and everyone fade into the background the longer I look at him and the closer I get. It’s not until I’m nearly with Knight that I see the priest in front of him and Jericho and his grandfather next to him.
I notice there’s no sign of his father, or that side of his family. To me, it’s sad, but as I still don’t know the story behind them and suspect it’s not a good one, perhaps it’s a good thing they’re not here.
In the front row I do, however, spot a woman standing next to Knight’s grandmother. She has to be his mother. She appears too young to be his mother but looks like him and has the same untamed beauty and elegance with her waist-length black hair, heart-shaped face, and slim build like a fashion model.
She’s looking at me the same way his grandmother is, as if she thinks I’m truly Knight’s dream bride. The heartfelt smile she’s giving me could almost make me believe everything will be okay.
I manage to push my nerves aside and smile back briefly, but then I look back at Knight, who is now a breath away.
We close the space between us, and suddenly, Dad is giving Knight my hand.
His large hand swallows mine, and there’s a sharp shift in the air I feel in my core. It tells me everything as I know it will change forever from this moment on.