A Substitute Bride for Mr. Voss

~Astrid~

I moved around the room as the guests chatted and the engagement party went on. Organizing this engagement party for one of the biggest names in the tech industry was my proudest achievement this year.

The lights were dimmed just right, casting a warm glow over the elegant centerpieces and spotless glassware. Each table had delicate arrangements of ivory roses, just as the bride had requested in her very specific notes. It was flawless.

After working as an event planner for the last two years, I knew this party could finally put my name on the map. I'd been on the grind, taking small gigs, dealing with difficult clients, and working late nights just to prove myself.

And now, here I was, overseeing an engagement party that every guest seemed to be talking about. The compliments from the guests filled me with pride-this was exactly the kind of buzz I needed. I glanced around, making sure everything was in place. Everything looked perfect.

"Ash," a voice snapped me out of my thoughts. My assistant, Nora, was approaching me in quick strides. Her usually calm expression was twisted with worry, her brows furrowed as she wrung her hands. I had hired Nora because she was unshakable under pressure, so seeing her like this instantly set off alarm bells in my mind.

"What's it?" I asked, surprised at how steady my voice sounded, even as dread began to stir in my chest. I'd worked tirelessly over the past three months to make sure this party was perfect.

"The bride is missing," she whispered, glancing over her shoulder to make sure no one could hear. I stared at her, feeling a cold wave of shock rippled through me. My heart skipped a beat, and my stomach twisted.

"What do you mean, the bride is missing? This is her engagement party," I hissed, keeping my voice low but sharp. Nora shook her head, her face pale as she looked back at me, clearly at a loss.

"We've been trying to reach her for the last two hours, but her phone isn't connecting. The groom is getting worried," she said, biting her lip. The thought of a panicked groom sent another shiver of anxiety through me. This was supposed to be the night they celebrated their future together-how could the bride not be here?

I forced a smile at a few guests who passed by, offering polite nods and murmuring greetings as if everything was under control.

"Where's the groom?" I asked Nora, gripping the skirt of my dress so I could walk faster, my mind racing through possible explanations. Maybe she'd had some kind of emergency. Maybe she was just running late.

"He's in the second hall," Nora said, her voice tinged with uncertainty. She sped up to keep pace with me as we made our way through the main ballroom and toward the secondary, smaller hall we hadn't used tonight.

I hadn't even met the groom. The whole arrangement had been unusual from the start.

A blonde woman named Martha had contacted me, introducing herself as the groom's secretary. She wanted a lavish engagement party for her boss and his fiancée, but she'd been oddly tight-lipped about the details.

I didn't know anything about the bride or groom except that the groom was a high-profile executive for Zenith Crypt, one of the biggest tech and security companies in the country.

The secrecy around it had made planning even harder, but the paycheck was good, and the opportunity was even better.

We reached the door to the smaller, unused hall, and Nora hesitated, fidgeting with the edge of her sleeve.

"Mr. Voss asked to be alone," she said, a note of reluctance in her voice. I could see the conflict in her eyes.

"Nora, I need to talk to him. He might know where his fiancée is," I replied. I wasn't about to walk away without getting some answers. She bit her lip again, her usual calm facade cracking under the pressure, and I felt my own nerves brimming.

I took a deep breath, nodded, and turned the knob. The door creaked as it opened, and I stepped inside. The room was dim, hazy, and smelled faintly of dust and fresh paint-a far cry from the polished elegance of the main hall.

"Mr. Voss?" I called softly, my voice barely more than a whisper. Every instinct told me that I shouldn't be here, that I was trespassing into something private, something dangerous.

But I had to see him; I had to understand what was going on. I took another cautious step forward, my heels sinking slightly into the thin layer of dust coating the floor.

A low, angry voice came from my left, stopping me in my tracks.

"What do you mean, you don't know where she is?" The voice was oddly familiar, sending a chill down my spine. I felt my pulse quicken, prickling the hair at the back of my neck.

I stayed still, listening. He continued, his tone cold and deadly calm.

"If your daughter isn't here in twenty minutes, you know exactly what will happen to your company." There was a dark edge to his words, an unspoken threat that made my skin crawl.

What kind of man was he to speak like that, especially on a night that was supposed to be a celebration?

There was silence, then he spoke again, his voice even softer, but somehow sharper. "What we had, Xavier, was a deal. Deals aren't supposed to be canceled at the last minute." His words were laced with malice, the kind of malice that leaves a bitter taste in the air.

A deal? Was this engagement nothing more than a business arrangement?

A sickening realization began to dawn on me. The guests, the decorations, the band-all of it was just a facade.

This wasn't a celebration of love; it was a transaction, a merger, a deal made under false pretenses. My stomach twisted at the thought, and I took a shaky step back, trying to process what I'd just overheard.

I was a romantic by heart and derived joy in organizing events like this and seeing the couples so in love. But this?

As I moved, my foot hit something hard-a plastic container left on the floor. It toppled over with a loud clatter, and I froze, my eyes widening in horror.

"Who's there?" he demanded, his voice sharp. Panic flooded through me as I considered my options.

I could run, but that would only draw attention. Or I could stay here, hoping he'd believe I hadn't heard anything important. My mind raced, but before I could decide, the door in front of me creaked open.

I forced a polite smile, every muscle in my body tense, as I looked up. And then, my breath caught in my throat.

It was Adrian.

My heart dropped, and for a moment, I couldn't believe what I was seeing.

His jaw was set, his brown eyes narrowed as he took me in, recognizing me just as quickly as I recognized him.

Memories flashed through my mind-the late-night arguments, the whispered promises, the painful end that had left us both broken.

"Adrian?" I whispered, barely able to believe what I was seeing.

There was no mistaking it. The groom, the man I'd been planning this entire engagement party for, was my ex.