"Leave us alone,"
The maid and the two other girls bowed their heads and then left, hearing him.
His gaze stared at her back, who still didn't turn around to look at him. Arzal slowly walked towards her.
Seraphina fisted her palms, feeling him standing behind her.
"Get ready for the engagement ceremony," He uttered, calmly
"I am not going anywhere," She spat, without turning around.
He sighed, but didn't lose his calm.
"You're going, Seraphina. Now stop being stubborn and get ready,"
Seraphina turned around and glared at him through her glossy eyes.
"I am not going anywhere, Mr Grayson and no one and nothing can make me change my decision,"
His gaze turned firm at her words. He stepped closer to her.
"Are you sure, Miss Miller, that no one and nothing can make you change your decision?" His voice was still lower but his gaze was predacious.
"Or perhaps you have forgotten about your precious brother, Nathan Miller, Miss Seraphina Miller?"
Seraphina gritted her teeth, realising now he was using her weakness against her.
"Get ready, we're leaving in an hour," He uttered, looking into her watery eyes, which now started falling more tears.
He noticed how swollen and reddened her eyes had turned. Her already pale face had turned bloodless. Her beautiful luscious lips had dried up. She was looking more weak and fragile.
Without blinking, she continued to stare at him and losing himself in her pain, Arzal lifted his hands and palmed her face. He started wiping her tears with his thumbs and she just gazed at him, until
"D.. Don't marry her p.. please,"
A volcano of pain, guilt, helplessness, rage bursted out inside him, hearing her words. Her tears, her eyes, every inch of her being was begging him to stop that pain but he couldn't.
Seraphina noticed a vein on his neck stretched out, as he detached his hands from her face, leaving her utterly broken.
Without speaking a single word, he turned around and left her room and she just gazed at his disappearing figure.
The two girls again walked inside her room and one of them spoke, looking down.
"Mr Grayson has ordered us to get you ready in an hour, Mam. Shall we start?"
Seraphina didn't reply and just closed her eyes tightly, holding those burning tears in her eyes.
"Mam, you're so looking so beautiful,"
Seraphina trailed her eyes towards the full-length mirror. Her petite body was wrapped in a beautiful flowing blood red gown, which was strapless. Her face was covered with a thin layer of makeup. Her dark long lashes were curled up and looking more big. Her lips were painted in a matching blood red lipstick. Her hair was tied up in a high beautiful bun. The dark makeup over her eyes was complimenting her light eyes, beautifully, but Seraphina had no interest to wander her own beauty.
"Indeed this colour is complimenting your beauty so well," The girl said, fascinated with Seraphina's alluringness, until her eyes travelled towards the door.
"Mr Grayson,"
Seraphina's body turned more stiff, hearing his name from that girl's mouth.
"We've done our work, Mr Grayson," The girl bowed her head.
He, without taking his eyes away from Seraphina, just nodded, making both the helper girls leave.
Seraphina heard his heavy footsteps getting closer to her but she didn't take her eyes away from the mirror and finally the image of those grey eyes reflected on the mirror.
Arzal's eyes scanned every inch of her and mesmerised was an understatement, her beauty had bewitched him in every possible way. Her azure eyes enchantress was looking beyond ethereal. He wondered how she could just not only look beautiful, she was even feeling beautiful to him.
He wordlessly gazed into her eyes, in the mirror and then took out a box from his pocket.
Seraphina saw him opening that matte black box and then he took out a shimmering chain pendant from it.
Standing her behind, he wrapped the chain around her exposed neck. Her body shivered a bit, feeling the coldness of that tiny heart shaped pendant on her warm naked skin.
It was plain but was too gleaming and beautiful, just like her. Goosebumps formed all over her body, feeling his warm breathing on her neck, as he clutched that clasp of the chain.
After getting done clasping it, he took a good amount of time to admire that pendant on her. It was beautiful but its beauty was nothing, compared to the beauty of his azure eyes enchantress.
"Even beauty in itself would feel inferior before your beauty, Princess,"
Seraphina heard him huskily cooing those words in her ear, making her gulp.
She didn't reply to his remark and then saw him taking a ring out from his pocket. Even that ring was shimmering alluringly. Its stone was breathtakingly beautiful.
Seraphina was gazing at him, when he held her left hand. Arzal glanced into her eyes before putting the ring on her ring finger.
Her eyes widened, realising what he had just done. Seraphina looked at him, bewildered, which made a slight smirk crept on his face, at her reaction.
Seraphina shrugged her hand away from his hold and glared at him.
"You're pathetic,"
He chuckled at her precious compliment on him and then wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Felt honoured, Miss Miller. Well you didn't tell me how I am looking?"
Seraphina gritted her teeth and glanced at his whole body. He was wearing a customised expensive black tuxedo, looking villainously handsome, as always.
"You're looking ugly, just like your heart," She spat at him in anger.
He chuckled softly and then bumped their noses.
"But you have declared me heartless then how do you know my heart is ugly, Sera?" He grinned, making Seraphina fist her palms.
She started protesting, but he didn't leave her.
"Leave me, Mr Grayson. Your would be wife must be waiting for you," Those words burnt her tongue.
His smile fell from his face, at her words. His grip loosened and Seraphina immediately detached herself from his hold. She gawked at him and then walked past him but stopped at the door.
Seraphina turned around again, only to witness him already staring at her. Even trying her best to hold back, her eyes still watered.
"Congratulations for your engagement, Mr Grayson. May your life filled with l..love and every happiness of t..this world,"
Arzal could clearly sense her words quivering. Seraphina turned on her heels, after passing him a last glance and walked out of that room.
__
"If you don't mind, can I ask you something, Seraphina?"
Seraphina trailed her eyes away from the car's window and looked at Ryan, who was driving the car. Arzal had ordered him to take her to the ceremony venue.
"Yes," She answered.
"Why do you look so lost all the time?" Ryan asked, focusing his eyes on the road.
Seraphina sighed and replied.
"Because I am lost and there's no way out from it for me,"
She saw a smile formed on Ryan's face, hearing her.
"You don't have any way to come out or you don't want to come out, Seraphina?"
She was shut, at his question.
"Because a person is never too lost, to lose his every way to come out," Ryan tossed his head at her and beamed warmly.
"Think Seraphina, you will eventually get the way to come out or maybe you will find out the reason that why you don't want to come out,"
Seraphina didn't answer. She just turned her head and sighed. Her eyes gazed at that dark sky and she knew exactly, why she didn't want to come out but for how long, when he wasn't holding her?
"Stay by my side, okay?"
She slowly nodded at Ryan, hearing him. They both were standing at the entrance. The place was huge and luxurious and it was beautifully decorated.
So many people were present inside, dressing up well. Her nervousness started rising inside her because she wasn't habitual with so many strangers surrounding her.
"Hey, Seraphina. I was waiting for you," Seraphina heard Nevada's voice and saw her coming towards her, followed by Nicklaus.
"Damn, looking so beautiful and gorgeous, Seraphina," Nevada exclaimed and Seraphina just weakly smiled.
She felt a little ease by finding familiar faces there but still the restlessness inside her was increasing with each passing second.
"Come, I'll get you something to drink," Nevada held Seraphina's hand and started dragging her.
Ryan immediately decided to follow her.
"Don't leave her side alone, at any cost, Ryan," Nicklaus warned him.
Ryan nodded and then followed Seraphina.
Her eyes were staring at the different faces coming inside the party. Nevada was saying something to her but Seraphina was in too much mess to pay attention to her, until
"Ladies and gentlemen, may I have your attention please,"
Everyone turned shut, hearing the host of the party.
"Our charming couple of this night is here. So, please welcome Mr Arzal Grayson and Miss Lyra Bailey,"
Everyone started clapping and Seraphina's heart sank into the deepest depth of agony, when she saw them coming inside the party, with their intertwined arms, looking more than perfect and happy to be with each other.
Tears gathered into her eyes because she thought that was just the end of everything but only if she knew what that night was really going to begin for both of them.