chapter 9

The announcement was made the very next day and so was the press conference that ruined the Ruiz family and saved our image:

All top newspapers carried the news of our wedding and the forceful marriage of the Rivers to Danike.

The wedding was on and with the announcement it was as well as done.

But because of Rivers' disappearance, no one included me in anything, not even in my own wedding preparations.

My mother had decided to hold the wedding on a private island saying "it was the height of style" but I knew better.

She chose the caterers, hired the most expensive organizers, she arranged the guest list , picked out the cake and also picked out the designer of my wedding dress along with the designs.

I didn't have an input, no one asked for what I wanted for my own wedding.

I was forbidden to go out and it's already been a week and at this time, final exams were going on in the academy. It made me think of Danike's clause.

I had no phone, no money, and was monitored 24/7 in my own home and it seemed I also would not have my education.

I stood by the window as I saw my father's Bentley exit the gate.

I have already memorized the schedule of the people in this house by default.

Five am the gardeners will start, by six the kitchen staff starts to prepare breakfast for dad who will take his meal by six thirty and leave by seven.

Mom doesn't go out for social gatherings until 12 noon but ever since the wedding preparations she has been leaving the house by nine am.

" Miss Porter"

My head snapped in the direction of the door, I didn't hear the knock because I was too deep into my thoughts.

"Yes?"

"Breakfast is ready, miss"

"I'm not hungry".

I didn't wait for a response before I returned to my initial thoughts.

"Miss Irène"

" I said I'm not—"

"You mother asked for you to join her for breakfast"

This was new. That woman never asks for my presence.

And to be honest, since River's disappearance, I think I lost all respect for her so I didn't care that we didn't see each other at meals.

And I was okay with nor seeing any of them.

The maid waited nervously at the door, waiting for my response.

I knew she'd take the blame if I didn't follow my mother's order.

The staff of this house are always informed about what goes on under this roof.

And I was sure they knew how perilous times were .

"I'll be there in Five." I sighed

The maid was visibly relieved, before nodding and exiting my room.

What could she want now?

As soon as I entered the dining room, I saw my mother busy on her phone.

She was formally dressed and obviously on her way somewhere.

At my murmured greeting she looked up only for me to be answered with a frown.

"Irène, why aren't you dressed? We are leaving in thirty minutes! Go back to your room and get dressed, there is no more time for breakfast",finishing that statement her phone rang and she waved me away.

Just like that I was dismissed.

I saw the worried look on the face of the two waiting maids.

They know I haven't eaten dinner or anything at all for a few days.

It was either I had no appetite or I was craving death.

Since It has been proven that I had no opinion in this household, I turned around and followed my mother's order.

I came back down to meet her only to find her still on her phone, she stood by the foyer and left the house at the sight of me so I followed her.

It was only when we entered the car did she acknowledge my presence.

"Rose wanted your opinion on the wedding preparations for some reasons"

I simply nodded which seemed to irritate her while I resisted the urge to roll my eyes.

" I invited her to see the preparations so she could guess the guest list I made, but she insisted that you had to be there too. Although I don't see why you need to be there. I could handle these without your help"

Maybe because it was my wedding? But I didn't make a sound, I just looked out the window.

The first shop was the cake shop and Rose Blackwell was already waiting there.

Like mom, she was dressed to the nines. She has the same hair as her son,same eye color and added dimples on both checks.

She had clear fair skin and was wrinkle-free even when she smiled at us.

"Rose!" My mom greeted her a bit too jovially, reaching for her.

Fake bitch.

They made air kisses, and when they pulled back, Rose smiled brilliantly and remembering the last time we saw each other was a month in that sordid dinner, the legitimate warmth she exuded was questionable.

She then turned to me "Irene!"

When she opened her arms, I immediately hugged her although a bit awkwardly.

"Hello ma'am…" I didn't know how to address her.

She laughed already knowing my dilemma. " Call me mom, Danike always calls me that"

And just like that, I think I was accepted into their family?

This was too strange.

"Okay ….mom"

This seemed to please her " I told your mom we needed the bride's input on her wedding, it's a good thing you decided to come.".

Mrs Blackwell nodded to my mom as she gestured us inside.

My mom smiled tightly, "I can handle the preparations, Rose. Besides the wedding should leave up to our families names, what would Irene know about that"

Mrs Blackwell winked at me, "Even so. This is her wedding and the bride has to have a say. Which reminds me" she perked grinning broadly as she linked her arms with mine, " Danike will be stopping by later" she whispered that part for some reason.

I resisted the urge to cringe "Ah"

I could only be glad that the others did not notice as she pulled me back to greet the shop owner.

We were all settled down, it was when my mother and the shop owner discussed the cake that I realized I wouldn't like anything else that would be shown to me that day.

My mother wanted a six- foot tall seven-layered red velvet and pulled all the stops on it.

"What do you think, Irene?" Mrs Black packed when I was handed a slice to test.

This was barely pure sugar baked into a cake and I would have to brush my teeth twice to get the cavities off my teeth.

I Immediately hated it.

I set my fork down.

And at the expectant look Mrs Blackwell gave me i decided to be honest,

"I think a sponge cake would be better, the one with the orange zest, the fondante is okay but I think more people will appreciate the traditional egg white icing and I think the cake is too big, three layers would be enough and the traditional figurines of the couple on top are missing from the stretch you showed—"

"That's because there wouldn't be a figurine", my mother sharply cut me off .

"That's already too common and cheap, Irene what type of tacky design is that? And red velvet is the latest trend in wedding cakes, the height of the cake stays. God forbid the guest think for a second we couldn't afford it!"

The shop owner excused herself, advising us to make a decision and call her for the design we want.

My mother spluttered indignantly. "The cake will be as I said before. There is nothing to change!"

The woman turned to me and I flushed in embarrassment with my mother's behavior… "okay. Uhm, the original design stays".

Rose Blackwell stepped "how about we come back? We have a few more appointments to handle today and it will be a good call to cover everything before we make our final decision" she smiled brightly and thanked the shop owner.

As if to add to my embarrassment she let out a sigh of relief as she led us out.

Didn't want to continue but I didn't really have a choice.

The next stop was the wedding planner, who showed the proposed decorations for the wedding.

It wasn't a wedding my mother was planning, it was a show of wealth.

After that we went to have lunch in a five star restaurant while they talked about the guestlist.

It was scary when I realized the amount of people that were coming to witness the…show.

They were expecting four hundred guests from both the local and international business scene.

It was then I realized the Ruiz were not invited.

Rivers would have been the only person I considered my guest, we had promised to be each other's maid-of -honor.

I had no news about my best friend and as it seemed my parents had cut ties with their family and the media didn't give anything either.

The latest news in the business works was about our engagement and there was no further news about the missing Ruiz heir.

I smiled bitterly at the thought.

" Your birthday will double as an engagement party. We decided not to do the eighteen roses and candles, because it would be more preferable to emphasize the engagement.

My birthday was in two weeks.

To be honest, this pace of things shouldn't surprise me but it still did.

This was actually very common within our class as it was expected.

Danike's mom looked at me "why do you look so shocked? Didn't you know about this? The wedding is in a month, it's only to be expected."

I felt nauseated, add that to the incoming headache that seemed to be nagging me morning as we went through the preparation.

I was quiet as we headed for the designer.

My mother already had a wedding gown made and all I had to do was the final fitting.

I was ushered into a room where the staff readily helped me into the gown.

The gown was expensive- just like my mother wanted.

But it didn't suit me, the dress gave me a matured feel that didn't really fit my age.

I felt small and the dress was daunting, it was too heavy at sixteen pounds and suffocating my entire frame.

It felt like a view Into the future of what my life would be.

Heavy and suffocating.

The curtains behind me opened. And I steeled my smile for a faux smile for my mom and Mrs Blackwell even as the headache now pounded in its full force.

But they weren't there. Wonderful.

And instead it was Danike Luther Blackwell in a navy blue three piece suit and there with a firm stare on my face.

I didn't have the energy to be surprised, it took effort on my part just to stand straight.

" Don't you know it's bad luck to see in my wedding dress"

Jace merely raised a brow at that, i laughed dryly "who am I kidding? These whole wedding is rotten luck"

" Still acting out your script, Porter?" I haven't seen him in more than a month and his cold tone left my head spinning.

I eyed him tiredly "why are you here? My body was already feeling the toll this day had on me.

"Our engagement is going to be announced soon," he pulled out a blue box from inside his coat. " So you should be wearing this"

He held out the box and opened it for me. It was a ring with a two- carat diamond held in place by two smaller diamonds on either side.

"It looks simple,"I told him flatly.

But the truth was that I liked it and somehow it angered me the more that my mom seemed unable to have an idea or cared for what I wanted.

Of all the things I have seen today this was what I wanted.

Danike watched my face closely, " it's a family heirloom, passed down from my grandmother to my mom and they want you to have it"

Without warning he pulled my left hand and slipped into my fourth finger. For a second I prayed for it not to fit but it slid smoothly in place.

I watched the light play into the gems as I turned my hands and reluctantly looked at him.

There was a sarcastic smile on his face when he said

"Congratulations, Danike Luthor Blackwell you are officially engaged to a minor"

He was joking, I realized.

And maybe I would have found it funny if my vision hadn't spun before completely turning black