Three months later
"Time tells all things"
The wedding preparation was far too hectic for even Nathan. His mother indeed had her way and now he was getting married to a girl he barely knew.
Who is was he to complain?
Bianca as taking this really well. She was a good little girl or maybe she was just doing it for the huge paycheck he was going to offer her.
Nathan had no male friends so his room was filled with his co-workers who hardly cared if he was dressed or not. They were all too busy either chatting or on their phones.
Nathan spoke to the only person who would listen to him, himself.
"Just do it Nathan. In a year you'll file for a divorce and everyone goes home happy."
He put on a black tie adorning his spotless and ironed white shirt. His favorite color.
"Are you ready?" Rodriguez asked.
Apparently, he was quite good at fashion designing and his brand, Rori had taken the fashion world by storm. Boulderfist was now ten times richer and Rodriguez now shared stock with our company, proving me wrong.
"Yes, just thinking."
Rode seemed to take Nathan's words the wrong way and he proceeded to give him a pep talk about starting a family.
"I know." Nathan lied.
This wasn't me. He didn't want kids...at least now. It had been his big sister's wish to have a huge family she could cuddle and somehow that reminded Nathan of his dead sister.
No! He had to clear his mind off the incident. That was in the past and even if this wasn't his future, it was his present.
He had to do this. He put on the last piece of clothing to complete his attire. A dark blue lounge jacket trimmed to hug his skin.
"Let's go."
***
"You look really beautiful."
Bianca did not feel so beautiful. Her mother had refused to the honors of dressing he or even complimenting her.
Sure this was not an average wedding but the least she could do for her was put on a happy face for her sake.
"How does she look?" Claire innocently quizzed her mother.
Mrs Romero was neither pleased with Claire's incessant ramblings but she kept her mouth shut. She would spill far lethal things if she let her tongue roam.
Claire finally let it go and continued dressing Bianca. She was complete. The delicately sewn gown was a creation of "Rori". It was simply perfect.
The gown spun on the bare floor like cotton, soft. It even made the bride look more innocent but what was innocence without the veil.
Bianca's hair had been plaited into a bun to accommodate the veil's comb and not bother her too much.
"Done. We can meet the groom now." Claire said in delight almost grabbing Bianca's hand and taking her out. Her mother didn't seem to elater ti watch her daughter getting married. Maybe she knew it was a marriage of convenience.
"No Claire! I'll take it from here. No one does it like a mother would." Mrs Romero's voice was authoritative. Claire wasted no time in obeying the woman's wish and disappeared out of the room.
" Adriana! You can still stop this madness!" Mrs Romero said in a hushed tone.
Bianca faced her mother, her stance now possessive. She was no longer Bianca, the girl she played far too good.
"No mother! You are wrong. I'm doing this to stop that bastard's madness." Bianca/Adriana shot back.
Her mother's solemn look turned pale.
"You don't have to be vengeful like your father. I'm begging you."
Adriana/Bianca ignored her mother's concern but acknowledged her words.
"He didn't think of the repercussion when he almost destroyed father. He's about to learn the world is not a monopoly he's good at."
Adriana's mother respected her daughter's wish. She only wished she had been there earlier to prevent her husband from filling her daughter's head with so much evil. Her sweet innocent girl was going after a man that had ruined her husband and made a lifelong rocky relationship between the three, Maybe it was meant to be.
He avenges the innocent after all.
***
The bells rang rhythmically and gave Claire a tune that was surely going to get stuck in her head. S'nt Marco cathedral was a beautiful place and old in every way.
The walls were made from stone bricks and had refused to be changed to concrete due to the popular belief that it would disturb resting souls.
The walls were now mossy green and some looked moist and sleek enough to disgust a germ-phobic but it actually gave the arena a more archaic look and it just sent peace sign to every troubled soul if you just let yourself go and absorb the scenery.
Taking in the dove chatter, the bells rhythm and the priest's...
"Wow! Nathan's bride looks awful familiar."
Claire groaned and wondered why she even brought John here. He had ruined her quick 'peace within the storm' kind of experience.
"Oh! A model you saw maybe." Claire joked.
John laughed a little but he wasn't letting his premonitions go.
"Yes, A COO at..." John said snapping his fingers and hoping to remember the name of the company he thought he saw Bianca.
"Yeah!" He snapped his fingers, "Transcorps."
Claire glared at him. He was speaking gibberish. There was no way the bride exchanging vows with her reluctant friend was a COO but it was worth checking into.
"Yes, I do." The bride answered the priest question looking sweet and adorable to her future husband.
"Do you Nathan Tellez take Bianca Romero to be your lawfully wedded wife, to be true to her in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. To love her and honor her all the days of your life?"
Nathan gave a smile, one that spoke of fear.
"I do."
The rings were brought forth, a young child holding them in a red cushion, bands to seal their relationship. One that was never even real.
It was now or never for Nathan. He turned to see his mother weeping with joy for him. The bands were getting closer to his hands and he was also touching Bianca's hands already. If only someone could just object.
No one did and the rings went in on the new couple.
"You may now kiss the bride."
Claire reached into her pocket and withdrew her phone. Turning on the internet connection, she went over to Google and searched on the Transcorp agency.
It was one of Boulderfist stiff competition and if it turned out John was right, she would have to tell Nathan.
The page loaded and she began scrolling through, inspecting the individuals in the pictures wiki provided.
Claire soon got her answer and it made her jaw drop.
A photo of Transcorp CEO, Everado Romero. The surname was the same as Bianca's. The woman close to him was what added to the shock.
"Adriana Romero, COO of Transcorp."
The lady was a splitting image of Bianca except the woman staring g back at the camera in the photo looked more confident.
Just to be sure, Claire checked Nathan's new bride. She could not be wrong. Those cropped hair, those deep eyes, the restlessness, and the craving, it was all there.
Claire read recent news concerning Transcorp and tye headlines she saw terrified her.
"Mexico's leading agency, Transcorps COO disappears. Rumored to be in a top-secret meeting."
It could not just be a coincidence. The answer was obvious. There was no one like Bianca.
Adriana was only here for no good but what kind of evil could she possibly want to achieve?
Claire had to know for sure before she accused Bianca of spying and if she was right, she would know what to do.
"After God, fear women"Claire was dumbstruck. It could not be. Nathan had just married his competitor and she had nothing to say about it.The dinner was about to commence so she had plenty of time to prove Bianca was a fraud.Wrong!She had very little time and she remaining glued to her seat was not going to change anything.Claire stood up and joined the new wife, her suspicion making her unable to keep a smile."Bianca..." There was nothing to say. Claire did not want to throw the bombshell just like that, people could still make out what she was about to spit put and moreover, Bianca might just be a lookalike. A thousand thought was scrambling her mind and she was about to utter a word that ruin Nathan's marriage."Bianca! You look beautiful."Luckily, Nathan's mother came to her rescue along with her bubbly nature."Thanks!" Bianca coyly replied."Now let's go get dressed for the party
" Evil lurks in the walls you conceal."Damn! Fear grippedAdriana. Had her cover been blown?Her father would be so disappointed with her. She needed to act quickly but first she needed to get dressed.She had made up her mind not to go out of the room until she had gotten her answer.Adriana went to Nathan's room hoping to find what she needed to hold on to if indeed she was revealed or even if she had to flee.She was really regretting he decision now.She slipped into a pair of new undies that Nathan had made sure he bought for her.That man just disgusted her!She reached for her luggage which was stuffed inside Nathan's wardrobe and brought out a phone she had concealed inside the bag.She dialed a number and placed the phone to her ear."Hello, My princess."Her father's voice calmed a bit."There's a problem
"The tree never forgets what the ax did"The heavy breathing on Nathan's neck awakened him. His eyes opened to see a very exposed Bianca.He himself was naked. Her black lingerie was trapped in his hands and his boxer In a far corner."No!" He silently whispered.She didn't seem a bit dazed nor where her eye glazed as proof that he has forced himself on her.He felt drained, another sign that something stupid had happened last night.His alarm rang as if on cue and Nathan rushed to put the damn thing off.How would she look at him now?Nathan had no time to dwell on such. He was late for work, since it was almost seven in the morning and he was an early riser.He picked up his undies and strapped them on.His head was pulsing heavily. He had to leave before Bianca woke up and began to question what happened yesterday. He was without the answers himself a
"Fear a woman with a purpose or just an intent."Claire roughly snatched the paper from the man's hand."Yes! Yes! He has to see this."Claire mumbled to herself. She needed to give this to Nathan as soon as possible.The paper-man stopped her right where she was.His eyes were somewhat bloodshot and his eyeballs preyed on her."What!?" Claire asked, puzzled."The papers Miss Adriana wanted you to get signed?"Claire was speechless. This was also part of that Bi*ch's plan.How could she be so dumb?"You know of this too?" It was more of a surprise than a shock.The man nodded, not interested in the conversation one bit as his eyes searched the table for the papers."Where are they?!" The man demanded, now in an angry tone.Claire was just dumb. Every piece of puzzle was slowly coming together, or least how she could see it.The old paper
Tower,that name sounded too familiar to be forgotten. In fact, it had been his secret shame, something he had done in the past and regretted.***Six years agoNathan sat all by himself, recluse and with hate. He stroked his bruised hand just to feel something. His mother had bandaged the hurt fists before he was sent to the academy for healing, a subtle term for the mental hospital. He was believed to be suicidal and not in the average way.He had taken it upon himself to get into fights and visit dark alleys to get hurt or maybe die.It was not working well."Howdy."It was the other patient. The small box could only contain that or less. His roommate was a man in his forties, the golden age. He had a full beard, fairly unkempt and had grown his hair to achieve the rockstar look. He looked a bit skinny too. Other than those, he was alright.Nathan ignored the man's
"Rolling Stones gather no moss"How to get to her? It was the only question Nathan could ask himself. She had remained to herself with her eyes glued to her phone.It was like she didn't even care he was here."The files!" His mind got working.Nathan doubted the files having his signature would be in the house but he had to give it a shot.Talk about way over your head!"So...Now that Boulderfist is yours what do you intend to do with it?"Adriana gave him a bemused look crossing her slender legs in the most intimidating manner."What makes you think I want your company? If it was left to me I would have it to the ground but he has other plans."Her answer got Nathan more curious,"Who? Your father!"She didn't reply. She stared back into her phone and began to type."About your father—I didn't mean to betray him, my…"A knock cut Nathan short.
"Two can't play Cupid's game"" This...This and this"Nathan nodded absentmindedly as Adriana threw files at him. His mind was still transfixed to what had happened earlier.The wordsBoulderfistwhich he had erect on top of the building for the price of thousand was tossed down like it was nothing. Nathan remembered Thomas' smile as the wordsTowerwere reconstructed in its place."Are you even here?" Adriana quizzed seeing he was lost in thought."Nothing..."Adriana questioned no further. She instructed him on what he had to do even if he knew it all. It was part of her torture.The conference room had been refurbished to meet her standards as it was her new office."Don't just stand there...Go and get something doing." Adriana spat clearly irritated.Nathan nodded in submission and went out.
"love is a drug, can be used and abused"The bed felt like a bush of roses with prickly thorns tearing at her skin.Adriana tossed around, shivering as her sleep became a plagued nightmare.Sweats drenched the bed and her grunts and pleas for help went over the top."No!" She suddenly shrieked getting a breakthrough from the demon.Nathan got in as quickly as he could and joined her at her bedside.His room was opposite Adriana's."It's alright." He pacified her, clutching her tight in his arms.Adriana's fingernails bit into his skin like pine needles but he hardly cared. Her soft skin touching his, intoxicating."What the hell are you doing?" Adriana demanded when she came around.She was as of before a scared child waking from a bad dream but now, her bossy demeanor had returned."I thought...""Leave my room," Adriana ordered.There was one problem though, Nathan did not want