MAFIA LOVE SCANDAL

Uniting two individuals with different characters in a marriage bond is indeed not easy. And as normal humans, we surely have dreams of marrying someone we love.

However, this might not be the case for Kaivan and Anna Maria. Today, they will carry out the sacred wedding ceremony. Yet, before this, they didn’t even know each other. Whether it’s true or not that Anne’s child carries Kaivan’s blood, it’s certain that he decided to marry her before their scandal was exposed by the media.

Held on a Saturday night, the wedding with a private concept was limited to important guests only. It consisted of immediate family, close friends, as well as some business associates and selected media.

Wearing an off-shoulder A-line dress, Anne checked her appearance once again in front of the mirror. She twirled around before Laura and Edward came to escort her to the Ballroom.

“Sweetheart, are you ready?” Laura asked as she entered the room.

“Absolutely ready,” Anne replied confidently. A beautiful smile blossomed on her lips.

Laura then approached, walked around, ensuring that the dress worn by her future daughter-in-law was perfect.

“Since your father can’t attend today’s wedding ceremony, would you mind if Edward takes his place to accompany you to the altar?”

Anne immediately turned to Edward. The woman then smiled again and nodded politely.

“No problem. I’m glad that one of Kaivan’s friends is willing to help.” Shortly after, she turned to Laura again. “On behalf of Papa, I also want to apologize wholeheartedly to the extended Maximilian family. As a soldier, he can’t simply leave the duty he’s been assigned.”

In her heart, Anne muttered softly. Because of Kaivan, who casually mentioned her father’s profession, she ended up lying to Laura. But what can she do? On one hand, she also has to conceal her family’s identity. Fortunately, Kaivan’s parents didn’t ask for her father’s clear identity. But she still needs to be careful. Who knows if her future in-laws might ask all sorts of questions later on.

Meanwhile, Laura just nodded. She approached and immediately hugged Anne. The woman actually felt sorry for her future daughter-in-law.

“No worries, dear. We all understand that your father is on an important mission now. What’s certain is that he sends his blessings from afar to both you and Kaivan.”

“Of course, Aunt —-”

“Ah, it seems from now on you should get used to calling me Mama.” Laura interrupted. “Because in a matter of minutes, you’ll be a part of the Maximilian family.”

“Alright, Mama.” Though a bit awkward, Anne seemed to need to get used to it from now on.

“Well, ladies, is your chit-chat done?” Edward, who had been silent all this time, finally cleared his throat and spoke. “It seems we’re awaited by the groom and other invited guests.”

Laura burst into laughter. Lost in happiness, she forgot about Edward who had been standing not far from the door.This content © Nôv/elDr(a)m/a.Org.

“Forgive me, dear. Come on, let’s head to the ballroom now.”

Anne walked slowly towards Edward. She linked her arm with his strong one and walked slowly towards the event venue. Upon entering the Ballroom, the song “Beautiful in White” immediately echoed. Accompanying Anne and Edward’s steps towards the altar.

Oh my!

I admit Anne looks truly beautiful today.

Kaivan, who was standing tall in a navy-colored tuxedo, couldn’t hide his admiration on his face. Laura’s words from a few days ago seemed to prove themselves tonight. He was truly impressed by the appearance of his future wife.

It was time for Edward to hand over Anne, letting her stand side by side with Kaivan. They were both allowed to begin the wedding ceremony.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Anne whispered. She was quite sure that Kaivan had been observing her the whole time.

“Tsk!” He clicked his tongue softly, glanced briefly, and retorted, “Who’s looking at you? Don’t be too confident. Besides, I have eyes. I can look wherever I want.”

Anne didn’t respond further. She was worried people would notice if they were arguing on the altar. She chose to stay silent and wait for the wedding ceremony to begin.

After exchanging sacred vows and a prayer, the next thing the couple did was exchange rings. With tenderness, Kaivan placed a diamond-studded ring on Anne’s ring finger. Likewise, Anne did the same for him. They even kissed each other without hesitation, like a happy newlywed couple.

Anne could feel Kaivan’s hands firmly around her waist. He even pulled her close before landing a deep kiss.

The gathered media crew didn’t miss this romantic moment. Each of them was busy directing their cameras, capturing the scene in photos that were sure to make headlines the next day.

After going through numerous ceremonial steps, it was time for the newlyweds to mingle with the guests. While Laura introduced Anne to some close relatives, Kaivan preferred to join his friends.

“Congratulations…” Edward offered his congratulations immediately. He even hugged Kaivan enthusiastically. “You’re finally getting married. That means all the beautiful women will now turn to me.”

“As if you could take my place.” Kaivan gave an annoyed glare. “Besides, every woman in London knows which one of us is the most handsome and charismatic.” The two of them engaged in a playful debate. Kaivan’s words were not baseless. Among the two, the public regarded Kaivan as the strong and desirable man.

Edward laughed and responded, “You’re getting old, Kai. I suggest you retire soon. Give a chance to us young ones.”

“Even if I retire, you still wouldn’t be able to beat me.”

“It seems you should get married soon too, Ed.” Kenzie chimed in. She was getting annoyed watching these two playboys exchange arguments. “So you’ll know what it’s like to have a wife. You’ll understand the happiness of waking up and seeing a woman you love sleeping peacefully beside you.”

Damn it!

Edward cursed silently. Why were these two siblings attacking and judging him?

“Who said I don’t want to get married? Of course, I do. It’s just that until now, I haven’t found a woman who meets my criteria,” Edward defended himself, which made Kaivan want to roll his eyes.

“Classic Playboy!”

“Hey!” Edward shot back sharply. “Don’t you have a mirror, huh? You’re a playboy yourself, changing partners like clothes, Kai. You’re only facing the consequences now. Maybe God is angry at your behavior that has broken so many women’s hearts.”

Laughter erupted from Kenzie’s lips. The effort he put into responding to his friend’s cutting remarks was evident.

“Oh my, Ed. You two are the same. If Kaivan is facing consequences now, it wouldn’t be surprising if you experience the same thing tomorrow!”

Kaivan nodded in agreement, fully aligned with his younger sibling’s words.

“I pray that after this, you’ll meet a woman who will drive you crazy! Hopefully, your case will be worse than mine. May God grant my prayer this time.”

Edward, of course, snorted in annoyance. These two siblings were openly attacking him now.

“That won’t happen. Besides, every woman close to me, I check thoroughly for compatibility before anything else,” he retorted. Then, he continued, “But speaking of which, now that you’re married, does that mean you two will be having your second-night ritual?”

“Second night?” Kenzie furrowed her brow upon hearing Edward’s question.

“Yes, Kaivan already slept with Anne before. So, technically, tonight is counted as the second night. But, I don’t know if they’ve done it before this either. Weren’t Kaivan and Anne living together all this time?”

“Just so you know, I haven’t even touched her. And I’m certain, it wasn’t me who slept with her before either.” Kaivan grumbled. Thinking about the accusation of sleeping with a woman and getting her pregnant, he instantly became frustrated. “No matter what, I have no interest in touching her!”

“Really?” Edward exclaimed skeptically. “Although, I admit Anne is much prettier than your previous dates. Are you sure you’re not interested in having some fun with her? You’re officially husband and wife now. I’ve even prepared a gift for you.”

“What gift?” Kaivan raised an eyebrow. He was curious about what his friend had in mind.

Edward stepped closer and whispered softly, “I want to gift you some stamina enhancers. Who knows, you might need them tonight.”

“You rascal!” Kaivan cursed loudly. He couldn’t believe Edward would think like that. And the one who was planning to give him a gift was acting so nonchalant. Edward seemed to enjoy teasing his friend so much.

****

At exactly 10 p. m., Kaivan entered his room. Exhausted from all the commotion of the party, the first thing he did was take off his clothes. He grabbed a towel from the closet and walked slowly towards the bathroom. For some reason, he felt the urge to take a warm bath. Perhaps it could help him release the fatigue that had been building up.

About 15 minutes later, he emerged from the bathroom. He paused in his steps. Before him, he saw Anne casually removing her wedding dress. She might not have realized that Kaivan was standing behind her, watching.

In fact, when the dress slipped off, revealing Anne’s body underneath, Kaivan’s eyes widened. The next moment, he walked quickly, approaching and taking off the towel he was holding to wrap around the woman who had just become his wife.

“Goodness, Anne. This is my room. Why are you undressing here?”

Anne turned around casually. There wasn’t even a hint of surprise on her face. Or perhaps, she was just really good at keeping a straight face.

“I had trouble with the clasps of my dress. I came here to ask for help. But I noticed you weren’t here. So, I tried again and managed to open them myself. Little did I know that you were actually in the bathroom.”

Kaivan sighed lazily. Why did Anne seem to enjoy playing with his heart rate? At this rate, he might suffer a sudden heart attack.

“Now, go back to your room. I’m tired and want to sleep,” he instructed.

“Aren’t you going to ask me to sleep with you?” Anne asked curiously. “We just got married, why not share a bed?”

Kaivan could clearly see Anne giving him a sly look. She was deliberately teasing him while standing there half-naked.

“No!” Kaivan refused, his gaze sharp on Anne. “I have no interest in sleeping, let alone sharing a bed with you.”

“But-”

Kaivan didn’t let Anne continue. He immediately grabbed her arm and led her out of the room.

“I’m tired. Don’t bother me. Please go back to your room. Or do you want to sleep outside?”

Anne pouted. She turned around and grumbled softly as she walked away.

“You jerk! Just you wait, you might be the one who ends up wanting to sleep with me tomorrow.”

“Anne! I heard what you said,” Kaivan reprimanded. “Just so you know, I will never, ever be interested in sleeping with you, no matter how long it takes.”

Anne grumbled again. She entered her room and slammed the door shut. She thought it would be better to take a shower now than to continue feeling irritated about her husband’s words. Once she finished cleaning herself, Anne quickly crawled onto her bed.

Just as she pulled the covers over herself, she distinctly heard her phone ringing loudly. She hurriedly grabbed the device from the nightstand. An unfamiliar number was calling repeatedly.

At first, she wasn’t interested in answering. But her curiosity got the better of her, and with a bit of courage, she eventually answered the call.

“Hello…”

“Anne… are you okay over there?”

Tears welled up in Anne’s eyes upon hearing the voice on the other end. She had been eagerly awaiting this call for a long time.

“For heaven’s sake, I-I’ve missed you,” she stuttered. A mixture of joy, sadness, and longing overwhelmed her. “Why are you calling me just now? I even thought you might be dead.”

“Shh… ” The voice on the other end hushed softly. “I’ve missed you too. I told you, I will never leave you.”

“Where are you right now?” Anne asked curiously.

“It doesn’t matter where I am. What matters is that I’m not far from you.”

Anne reflexively turned her head and observed her surroundings. She even scooted down from her bed to rush to the window. She pulled back the curtain and gazed outside, trying to spot something.

“Where are you then? Are we close to each other?”

“Anne…” the man on the other end sighed. “You don’t need to search for me.”

“But-”

“The important thing is that you’re safe right now,” the man interrupted from the other side.

“How much longer will we be like this? I even had to marry that man!” Anne’s voice weakened, tinged with a hint of melancholy. There was a touch of sadness in her words.

“Please be patient a little longer. I promise that after everything is over, I will come for you. While you wait for me, stay where you are. He’s the one protecting you from danger.”

“I can take care of myself!” Anne protested. “You’re the one who has doubted my abilities all along.”

“No, you’re wrong,” he countered. “I’m doing all this because I care for you. I don’t want you to get hurt. So, please follow my instructions.”

“But when will you come for me?”

“As soon as possible. I promise to come for you very soon.”

Anne let out a long sigh. That meant she had to find even more patience within herself.

“Alright, I’ll hold you to your promise.”

The call ended abruptly, leaving Anne squeezing her phone in her hand as tears streamed down her face. She realized that everything happening to her was much more complicated than she initially thought. She didn’t know when all of this would be resolved.