Forbidden Heat novel Chapter 141

“You look magnificently beautiful…” Lucien said as he kissed a lock of my hair.

The day of the wedding had finally arrived. I couldn’t remember too well what Lucien looked like on the day he married my mother; however, today he was clearly very gorgeous. Formal tuxedos really do look best on Lucien. Today Lucien wore a white tuxedo which I thought looked fantastic on him because it contrasted well with his dark hair. Of course, he chose this outfit based on my recommendation and preference.

“You look great…” I replied with a sweet smile. Today was supposed to be a happy day for Lucien.

“Of course, you think that. You picked this outfit after all,” Lucien teased as he bent down to kiss me softly on the lips.

I smiled back at him. I imagined that if we were to get married, we would probably be having a conversation and sharing a moment very similar to this one. However, today, we were not getting married. Lucien is going to marry Angela today in a full-fledge ceremony with many VVIP guests and the press in attendance. I wouldn’t want to have such a public wedding like this, but to showcase the creation of new business ties, I guess this amount of publicity was necessary.

“It’s just business as usual. Don’t over think it, Natalia,” Lucien said casually as he took my hand in his and kissed its back gently.

Lucien’s reaction saddens me. What did he have to go through to be so resigned that his wedding is nothing but business as usual? Right, to Lucien this wedding was nothing more than a business deal that the Elders signed him up for. For some reason, I felt anxious and more worried about this whole affair than Lucien was. Perhaps because this wasn’t his first marriage of convenience, but Lucien was really treating it like a stroll in the park.

“Don’t worry for my sake. To me, this ceremony is like a business meeting except that I’m in a tuxedo instead of a regular suit. Head up and smile. I’ll wait to see beautiful photos of you,” Lucien comforted me when I was silent.

“Ok…please…be careful,” I said quietly.

Lucien pulled me up from my seat before hugging me tightly. In that moment, I believed that I felt and shared his pain more than any words could describe. Maybe what hurt us the most wasn’t seeing the other with someone else but knowing deep down that we couldn’t be together. Fate was too cruel.

I hugged him tightly to comfort myself rather than to comfort him. Wordlessly, I forgave him for everything. I shut my eyes tight…these tears must not fall.

“Lucien, we have to go…”

I turned to face Edward and Reiner standing at the door as Lucien slowly released me from his embrace. Lucien followed Edward out of the room as he instructed Reiner to take care of me. Edward was silent and his face was an unreadable mask. I knew dealing with these guys all at once would be a pain at best; I haven’t even met Zak yet.

Reiner and I walked out of the room in time to see the encounter between the brothers and their sister, Madame Francesca. This is the worst timing ever, I thought, as I froze in place. Reiner stood firmly beside me as we waited for the short greeting to come to an end.

“Natalia!” Zak’s voice calling my name cheerfully cut through the tense atmosphere. If there was a guy who didn’t give two fucks about the surrounding situation; it would be Prince Zak.

“Hi…Zak,” I answered back in a timid voice as I waved a little to him.

Prince Zak looked exactly like a prince in formal outfit with Madame Francesca looking like an old and evil queen standing next to him. I gulped as avoided my eyes from Madame Francesca. Unlike Zak, who was never scared of his own mother and knew how to manage her perfectly, I felt small and insignificant like a single grain of sand next to her.

“Lucien…Edward,” Madame Francesca said slowly in her intimidating voice as she greeted her younger brothers.

“Madame Francesca, it’s an honor to have you here at my wedding,” Lucien replied formally as he bowed slightly. Since Madame Francesca could be unofficially ranked higher than all three of the Elders combined, Lucien’s reaction does make a lot of sense. I quickly curtsied in time to Lucien’s bow while Reiner bowed low.

“Franky Frankenstein! How are you sis?” Edward greeted Madame Francesca loudly as he patted her back.

“Edward…” Madame Francesca hissed as she glared at Edward.

I knew Edward was famous for being rebellious in his younger days and even now but seeing it in person was very different. If Zak knew how to handle his mother; Edward didn’t care enough to bother handling her. The hate between Edward and his sister was clear as day. I wasn’t sure if Edward was brave or senselessly crazy, but it was clear that his independence from this family allowed him to act this way. There was not much the family or Madame Francesca could do when it came to Edward.

“Act happy and don’t ruin the mood, ok? I’ll be here to keep you in check after all…” Edward warned Madame Francesca in a teasing voice as he flashed her a perfect playboy smile.

“Wow…entertaining!” Zak cried out sadistically.

Madame Francesca was silent, but it was clear that she was boiling with anger as the two brothers walked off. I pray that there would be no repercussions from this event as I sighed.

“You should go ahead…I’m not escorting you by the way…” Zak stated bluntly as he shooed his mother off with his hand.

“Watch how you behave in front of the press,” Madame Francesca warned Zak sternly before walking off towards the main venue.

“Don’t I always?” Zak retorted.

That’s the point Zak! You never behave yourself in front of the press. I want to scream at Zak’s carefree attitude. Prince Zak was still the same after all these years.

Finally, when everyone else was gone, Zak turned to face Reiner and me. I haven’t seen Zak for a while and I miss him. In events like these where many members of the family were gathered, I couldn’t survive without Zak’s support.

“Hi Reiner. Have you been taking care of my Natalia well?” Zak asked in a playful voice; however, his menacing eyes were anything but playful.

--To be continued…