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Chapter 276 - Abomination

When Lina was helped into her wedding dress, men slipped on bulletproof vests. When she clasped her necklace, ammunition was loaded. When she slipped on her bracelet, guns were strapped on. When she placed her veil in position in her hair, gun holsters were resting on the shoulders. As Lina stepped into her heels, men in black stormed out the doors.

Something blue—the sapphire ring. Something old—the ruby ring. Something new—the dress she never wanted. Hair pulled into an elegant bun with strands rolled to mimic flowers, pearls lingering on her skirts like a mermaid stepping out of wave foam, and white gold glistening on her pulse points, the planners had never seen a more beautiful bride.

The list of guests was small. Atlantis\' close friends and family were invited, the King and Queen of Wraith were present as witnesses, and on Lina\'s side, there was no one.

"Now enters the bride!"

When the bride made her entrance, people stood and admired her, but didn\'t cheer.

When the white flower petals were tossed into the air by the royal children, they fluttered like snow. And like snow, the petals were replaced with water. Tears slid down Lina\'s face as she bowed her head, flowers in her hand, and thorns in her mind. She felt like she was going crazy.

This had to be a delirious dream caused by fever. It had to be! Lina couldn\'t fathom the situation before her. Never in her wildest dreams would she expect this chaos. This mess.

The officiator was some old man with salt and pepper hair, aging eyes, and more wrinkles than she wanted to count. He was in off-white ceremonial robes with satchels over his shoulders, a book in his hand, and words of wisdom spurting from his mouth.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we gather here, before His Majesty and Her Grace, to celebrate the grandeur of a wedding held between close friends and family," the officiator humbly said in a soft and gentle voice. It was almost as if he knew. He knew this wasn\'t her first choice.

Lina\'s hands trembled on the bouquet. Her fingers were bare without a ring, but on her neck shined gems the color of blood and sapphire. When Atlantis saw it, he was ready to yank it off of her neck. She dared to wear both rings around her neck.

"This union is one of worship and love unlike any other, a lifetime of commitment even through death and life, through the highest peak and the lowest troubles, thick and thin. There is nothing that love can\'t overcome."

Lies.

This was Lina\'s dream wedding. Her inner little girl was squealing at the flower arches, the carpets littered with petals, and the enormous castle behind them. The setting was perfect.They were getting married in a palace like a Prince and Princess. The dream of every little girl had materialised in front of her eyes and Lina was living through it. But, what was once the dream of a little girl, was now her greatest nightmare.

Her neck was sore from the necklace. Her feet were aching from the heels. Through pain and sweat, she remained standing, her back straight, and her teeth gritted. She held back her complaints.

"... with hopeful hearts, we look towards a bright future…"

Lina settled. She\'d settled for the comfortable life with a man who\'d love her without trouble. He\'d remain loyal for the rest of his life. He\'d whisper sweet nothings into her ear. Protect her, hold her, embrace her. They\'d start a family together with a comfortable house.

Lina would curate her hobbies and passions, but wait for him to come home. She\'d be on the couch, curled up with a cozy book, a warm drink, and pets running around.

When he\'d arrive at their doorsteps, she\'d raise her head to find out he had brought her a large collection of books. Never paperbacks. Always hard covered ones. Or, a new tablet, more comfortable on the hand and less strain on the eyes, for when he wanted to read digital books.

"... celebrating the union of Lina Yang and Atlantis Medeor…"

Lina could hear Atlantis\' name sharp and clear. He was named after the most beautiful ocean, the one where a sapphire necklace once sank to the bottom of the sea, alongside the world\'s largest and most luxurious ship in the world—the Titanic.

Funnily enough, she was wearing a necklace of sapphire.

Except, that memory. That future she wanted desperately. The man in that future was not Atlantis. It was a far cry from him. What greeted her in the morning was eyes the color of rubies, not decaying organs. Who smiled at her was not her childhood lover, but the man who had "kidnapped her."

The man she dreamed of wasn\'t Atlantis. It wasn\'t the boy who\'d run down the school hallways with her.

That thought terrified Lina.

"... what a joyous couple they are…"

Lina was standing at the altar before another man. She was to be his wife. This was a ceremony celebrating their union. She wore a white dress he had picked out for her, with flowers he said were her favorite, and they stood in the castle grounds owned by his good friends.

Everything belonged to Atlantis. Everything but Lina\'s heart and soul. He might\'ve had her hand, her body, but a man had already stolen the most important things. And she didn\'t even know why.

Lina couldn\'t understand why her heart couldn\'t beat for Atlantis, but raced at the thought of Kaden. She couldn\'t wrap her head around why she thought of him day and night, replaying their encounter in the parking lot.

"Lina," Atlantis softly said. "You\'re making me the happiest man in the entire world."

Lina wondered. Her mind was far away. That day in the parking lot, if she hadn\'t? held onto Atlantis so tightly, where would she be? Where would he have taken her? What would Kaden have done to her?

What\'d have been the outcome if she had chosen Kaden?

Lina had too many unanswerable questions. Why did her heart ache for him, but her thoughts screamed at the sight of him? Why did her chest twist with betrayal, tears in her eyes, and hatred in her mind, when she laid eyes on him?

What did Kaden DeHaven do to Lina Yang? What was the unforgivable sin he had committed?

"I remember the most beautiful memory we\'ve shared," Atlantis gently said to her. "Under the misty rain, we ran for shelter and it felt like a daydream. You stared at me so deeply in the eyes. I realized, everything was not an illusion. You were, indeed, with me from the very start, under the willow tree."

Lina could hear the crowd let out a soft sigh. His family awed and his friends laughed. She was in a daze, not paying attention to a single thing going on. She was lost in her own little world.

Through unfocused eyes, Lina turned to him like a skeleton. "Your warmth could melt winter and ice, except, it burned me."

Atlantis\' amiable smile slowly dropped. He noticed her distant expression. She was physically here with him, but her mind was elsewhere. She appeared like she was in a different universe There was no joy in her eyes. No happiness to speak of. Nothing.

"Lina—"

"Do you, Atlantis Medeor, take Lina Yang to be your lawfully wedded bride, to be loved even amidst hatred, to be adored even amidst pain, and protected during storms?"

Atlantis stared at his family heirloom that dangled from her neck. Good thing for him, he had another ring prepared.

"I do," Atlantis stated, taking her hand in his.

"And do you, Lina Yang, take Atlantis Medeor to be your lawfully wedded husband, to inherit his great name, to be by his side when the world falls, to cherish during the hard times, and celebrate in the great times?"

Two words. Three letters. That was all they needed to hear. That was what everyone in the room was gathered to listen to. Every pair of eyes were on her. No one could look away. The crowd held their breath.

The Queen painfully closed her eyes, made a soft prayer under her breath, and tried not to look away. Elias frowned to himself, noticing his wife\'s distress and realized she must\'ve given the wrong advice. They both knew. Everyone knew.

"I do," Lina breathed out.

Atlantis nearly cheered out loud and fisted the air. He couldn\'t hold back his large smile. His happiness was face splitting, his eyes lighting up from his billion-watt grin. He was floating on cloud nine, not knowing he\'d visit Heaven soon.

"And before our joyous union, I must invite the crowd," the officiator stated.

Everything happened faster than Lina could blink.

"If anyone objects to this wedding, speak now or forever hold your peace."

The doors to the grand wedding slammed open. Everyone loudly gasped. Every pair of eyes snapped to the door. People rose to their feet, screams filling the air, hysteria so loud, the entire castle could hear it.

"I object to this abomination."

Five words.. And that was enough for blood to be spilled.