CHAPTER 67

AN HOUR PASSED AND THE WEDDING WAS ALMOST OVER. I lost track of the events, busy on my phone getting astounded each time to see how this wedding was trending on line.

Around 15% of Twitter posts with 5000 retweets every minute, mentioned this white themed wedding. Kelly's dress was a talk of the town and I wasn't surprised in the least.

I went through the tweets and a smile froze on my face making my facial muscles cramp and ache.

AOL install messenger had collapsed for 40 minutes and called it 'A seminal moment in the internal history...We've never seen anything like this in terms of scope and depth.'

I was giggling the entire time and suddenly felt a hard jab on my side, waking me up from my Dreamland and reminding me I was at a wedding.

"Eleanor....put your phone up!" Ayesha whispered again and this time I felt embarrassed.I wasn't on my best behaviour.

I looked around and saw everyone with their phones up, shooting a video of the couple as they recited their vows to one another. Sven went first.

"I..." the priest began

"I Sven Astride, take you, Kelly Kluger, to be my lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...."

"I promise...."

"I promise to love, cherish, and worship. Write our vows on my heart I shall. I promise to be your lover, companion and friend,Your partner in parenthood,Your ally in conflict,Your greatest fan and your toughest adversary, for as longest as we both shall live. This is my vow to you, I pledge to you my life as a loving husband..."

A loud round of applause echoed through the vaulted church and it felt as though thunder was clapping.

The sound coming from outside was loud enough and it almost shook the cathedral to its foundations. I was so excited I looked at Ayesha who looked back at me and smiled.

Through her shoulder, I looked at Ciara who were a casual smile and that was unlike her.

The series about the investigation was bothering her for sure.

If only there was a way for me to prove that she wasn't supposed to be a suspect. This whole scandal would ruin things for her and I was worried her engagement with Griffin would get broken off. I had to do something about it.

I saved my video and seeing that Kelly was yet to start her vows, I decided to go out and make a phone call to Conan.

He was the cause of this mess and only him would rectify it.

Looking at the tight seats, I saw just difficult it was going to be for me to walk out of this cathedral.

It was the kind of sitting that demanded to you to pee in advance because two hours seated was definitely two hours seated.

I sighed and looked at Ciara again. She was looking down at her phone and the smile disappeared.

Her attitude bothered me.

It was her who invited me here so that we could have fun together. I was supposed to be sitting next to her, smiling and laughing and giggling all the juicy treats from online posts pertaining to the wedding.

I had to go apologize to her.

Just then, my phone vibrated and I opened it to find a message from Adam. It was a picture. From the background it looked rather horrifying.

I downloaded it and almost dropped my phone after looking at the face in it.

A causal Asian with a tattooed face and a black bandana in his head stood mouth opened as a fish of smoke escaped from it. He had the Russian mafia logo burnt on his cheek; a sickle with a Skeleton head inside it and something like the hammer at the back.

Yuck!

I read the caption and it went Ivanovich. He was one hideous person.

I shoved it away and turned to Ayesha.

"Uh...may I please switch places with you? I want to talk to Ciara for a moment..." I gave her a cute smile and she totally got me. Girl code!

After moving next to Ciara, I felt a heavy burden lifted off of me.

"Ciara...am so sorry...I never meant for you to be a suspect. Really...it just--"

"It's okay Eleanor. He was just doing his job...." her words were a wall that silenced me immediately drifting me away from her.

I got heart broken and it was in the same moment that Kelly started reciting her vows to Sven.

"I..." the priest did the same for her like he did with Sven.

"I, Kelly Kluger, take you, Sven Astride, to be my lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health..."

"If only I'd prove that you have no connection with Ivanovich...." I whined and a loud shush echoed from behind me.

"Ivan-ovich...." Ciara's tone changed this time around as she approached the name of the murderer.

"Ivanovich!!" she gasped delight as if we landed on a very important clue. "Ivano-- Uh!" she slapped her forehead and took a seat.

I sat next to her holding her hand anxiously. There was something there...

"What is it?? Do you know him??" I asked cautiously keeping in mind that I didn't want her to feel attached.

"No...I mean...yeah..but--but No....Uh...Ivan. Ivan Ritchie Valens...." she shook me and I gave her a confused look because I really was confused.

"W-what??" I asked.

"Shhhhhh" it echoed again.

Ciara pulled me closer and whispered into my ear.

"Remember the day we met at the hotel when I was escaping from Griffin....His newly employed driver, Ivan Ritchie, was the one who dropped me off...."

"Aannd??" I asked not seeing the connection.

"His usual driver had gone for.... Oh No!!" she gasped as if she managed to decipher a complicated clue to expose all the money heist in the world. "...and then he had to employ someone new....to spy on us.....Oh My word....." she looked at me in terror and I smacked her shoulder in anger.

"You're not making sense....!!" I whispered loudly and yet again "Shut up!!!" someone screamed from behind us.

I shut my eyes tight and covered my mouth with both hands.

Ciara giggled after she saw my reaction and that was just what I was looking for.My heart immediately calmed down.

"Griffin and I.....we've been set up!" she whispered and I looked at her confused.

"Do you have a picture??" she asked. "O..of Ivanovich..."

"Uh..yeah..." I replied a moment later after processing everything. "Adam sent it to me a while ago...." I showed it to her and she used motions to communicate her message.

She clasped her mouth and continuous pointed at the picture.

"Just use your words sweetheart!"

"It's him! I recognize him! Ivan Ritchie Valens! Griffin's newly appointed driver. He was the one who spied on us and eavesdropped on our conversation...."

"...that means he was sent by someone to keep tabs on you because you're my best friend and you know everything about me!!!"

"Jackpot!!!" she shrieked and took a deep breath.