I love you, mom and dad but I can't do this. I can't participate in a marriage that is practically a deal.

I'm sorry, don't try to search for me.

Julie.

I run towards the bathroom to look for her. But she isn't there. I search the rest of the room and move on to the adjacent rooms but she is nowhere. Returning to the bride's room, I spot the window towards the east which is opened. My throat immediately starts drying up.

I don't know what to feel. My head starts getting jumbled up. This marriage was a deal? But why? And were her parents forcing her into this marriage? I feel angry towards my uncle and aunt 'cause Julie was surely not happy with this marriage and disappointed because I expected her to confide in me in times of need like I did after I lost Marcus but maybe I was wrong in some way. A small pang of guilt washes through me for letting her down. I push it back and decide to confront her parents. Moreover, they need to know that Julie has left.

I pull out my aunt's number from my contact list and wait for her to pick it up. She wastes no time picking up and when she does, she asks if Julie needs anything.

"No...but I need you to come here."

"Why what happened. Is something wrong with the dress? I told her—" I can hear her moving. And I know that she is coming here.

"Just get here fast, " I cut her off and hang up. Slowly, panic starts to build inside me and I fall on the bed beside the wedding dress. Putting my head in my hands, a groan escapes my lips. I squeeze my eyes shut, trying to think straight. I should have guessed something was wrong when I heard about her marriage even though she wasn't dating anybody. I just didn't know that she was being forced. Or was it something else? God! I can't even decide who to support before knowing the whole thing.

The door opens and in walks my frantic looking aunt. "What happened? Where is Julie?" asks aunt Claire, looking around. I silently look at the wedding dress lying beside me and hand her the note in my hand.

I look at her while she reads it and her eyes widen. "I came in and Julie wasn't there. The dress was lying here and there was this note with it, " I explain.

"Oh my God!" aunt Claire gasps and stumbles back to sit on the couch. She puts her head in her hand and lets out a small sob. "How could she do this to us? Have you looked into the bathroom? Maybe this is a prank. Maybe—" she starts to stand up.

"I have. She isn't anywhere to be found." I let out a sigh and consider asking her about the reason. But before I can ask my questions, she is already calling someone.

"Tom...come to Julie's room...yes, now... it's important...please...yes, " as soon as she hangs up, her voice cracks and she starts sobbing. I quietly go and sit beside her, wrapping my arms around her body as she cries holding me.

Minutes later, uncle Tom comes barging into the room and his face becomes panicked as soon as his gaze falls on us. "What happened? Where is Julie?" He rushes and kneels in front of aunt Claire.

"She...left, " says my aunt through sobs while I tighten my arms around her. My Uncle looks so defeated that I feel bad for him.

"How could she?" Uncle Tom's voice comes out in a mere whisper. He rubs his forehead and sits flat on the ground.

"Was this marriage being forced on her?" I ask, after a long session of silent break down. My aunt looks up at me with swollen red eyes and my uncle sighs heavily and that's my answer. "Why?" I feel my own anger building its way into me.

"It was a deal. We needed the deal. We were going through a loss. I met Mr Walker. He promised to give me the deal but he had one condition. Julie said she would do anything to get over this loss and she agreed to this marriage, which was the condition." I jolt up from the couch and step back.

"I can't believe it. You guys suck. You let Julie do this for the company? You realize that you basically traded her for money!" I scream.

"She was the one who decided to do this. We never forced her. And now if we cancel the wedding, he will destroy me. We will be devastated." I can't think straight but one thing I know is this Walker is not at all someone good. Why would he want to marry Julie in return for a deal anyway? Is marriage that simple?

"Do something, " my aunt cries, looking at my uncle. Shaking my head I sit on the bed. I tilt my head down to look at the ground. I can't even bear to look at them. They are sick.

"I don't know what to do. There is no way I can cancel the wedding. He is a powerful man and if he decides to destroy us, we won't stand a chance in the market. So that means this wedding is happening, even if I have to search down my daughter or bring a new bride for the wedding. I don't care."

"She told me not to search for her and you probably won't be getting her anytime soon, " I remark. I know Julie. She does everything with perfection. Mostly. If she decided to elope, then there is no way they can find her until she wants to be found. At least not today.

"Then I need to get a new bride!" shouts my uncle and both I and my aunt flinch at the sudden rise in his voice.

"Who would be ready to do this for us?" My aunt asks wiping her eyes and I look down. I have no idea what to do.

After ten minutes, my uncle leaves the room and slamming the door on his way out. I kept my face buried in my hand, not giving a damn about my makeup. While I refused to look at any of them, they whispered to each other, probably deciding how to get out of this hole that they created.

My aunt crosses the room slowly and sits beside me at the edge of the bed while I still don't look up until she speaks, "marry Mr Walker for saving us." My head snaps up and I look at her wide-eyed. She can't really be asking me to marry some stranger for the sake of their shit of a company. I search her face confused. She looks at me in all seriousness and continues, "your uncle will be devastated if he refuses to hold his edge if the contract which means the company will collapse. You can't let that happen, can you?"

"You can't be serious? What are you talking about? Do you realize what you are asking?" I scoff.

"I realize very well what I am saying. You always claimed that you were grateful to us for everything we did. You always wanted to do show how much grateful you were. This is the chance. Save me. Save us. I beg you, " her voice cracks and she lets out another sob. I can't imagine she used that for blackmailing me.

I am true. And I wanted to convey my gratitude towards them. After my parents died in that crash, they took care of me as a five-year-old and supported me in every way. But does that mean I have to do this? Is it the only way to pay them back? Can nothing else be done to save them? Am I the only one who can save the company?

The door opens with a creak and my uncle enters, cautiously eyeing us both. He looks completely defeated and as if he is silently begging me to do this. Tears start rolling down my cheeks and I look at my aunt who looks equally devastated and probably embarrassed for asking me to do this. That's when I realize how miserable they are.

Sucking in a deep breath, I squeeze my eyes shut and answer, "fine. I'll do it. I'll marry him to save the company." When I open my eyes, they look surprised that I agreed and equally relieved.

"Mr Walker said it won't be a problem with him, " says my uncle. I wonder what's the matter with this Walker. He seems so desperate to get married that I wonder if he will end up being fifty years old moron. I hope not.

"You get changed into the wedding gown, I'll have the makeup artist fix your makeup." My aunt gives me a tight smile before leaving.

My uncle comes to stand beside me. He reaches up and caresses my head once before bending and dropping a small kiss on the top of my head. "Thank you, Avery. You don't know how much this means to me." I nod slowly, refusing to talk. After a few minutes, he leaves the room and I start getting ready for my wedding.

"YOU LOOK BEAUTIFUL, BABY GIRL, " says my uncle, looking down at me. I am in a lacy wedding dress. It hangs low from my shoulders showing a decent amount of cleavage. It's full-sleeved and the sleeves are made up of white lace. A thin veil covers my face and hangs all the way down at my back.

I hook my arm with my uncle's as he leads me towards the aisle. I'm probably the first girl of the twenty-first century who would be seeing her soon-to-be husband for the first time on the day of their wedding. Or better yet, after walking down the aisle.

Thankfully, the heels are not as sharp as Julie normally wore or I won't be able to carry the weight of this wedding gown.

As we start down the aisle I finally look towards the front in search of my soon-to-be husband, silently praying for him not to be a fifty-year-old man. I would probably consider eloping after the marriage then. But when my eyes finally fall on the man in a black tuxedo, standing beside the minister, my heart almost skips a beat.

I haven't had such a reaction in years. Not this intense, at least. As we get close, I can't seem to look away from his heavenly face. His gaze meets mine and I am thrown in front of the piercing grey eyes. He seems to be in his late twenties. Not at all old. His jaw is sharp and his hair is dark brown, almost black. His grey eyes are surrounded by thick black eyelashes. I make a mental note of comparing the thickness of his eyelashes with mine. Even his nose is perfect. Is it even legal to be looking the way he does? Moreover, I haven't seen anyone this...perfect and intriguing.

He towers about six inches above my five feet six inches. He looks down at me as if he is analysing my looks. Or is it the reflection of my reaction? I finally stop in front of him and turn around to face him. Having him so close in front of me, I know one thing for sure—

I'm in deep shit.