THE MAFIA’S MISTAKEN BRIDE

Jasmine’s POV

His eyes do not hold anger or intimidation.

It is just a gentle stare. A stare that makes my heart flutter like I am having the wedding of my dream indeed.

A stare that makes him the opposite of the monster I call. A stare that makes me wish things were different and we aren’t total strangers but two people who found love in each other and are here because of that.

There is absolutely nothing great about this wedding. Not my well-styled hair with different beautiful ribbons, not my white beautiful short wedding dress, not my beautiful makeup which makes me look different and definitely not the expensive heels I have on.

This might be a wedding to him and everyone else here today but to me, it isn’t real.

I can never be his wife.

I am not Andre. I am just taking a place till he finds her.

The officiant stands in front of us as soon as we enter the hall, holding hands like we are truly in love with each other and the desire for this wedding isn’t one-sided.

His hand was extremely cold just like his heart.

Someone comes from behind and I turn slightly to meet Mr. Moore’s eyes. A sympathetic smile is what he throws my way before darting his eyes away.

He presents the marriage license to the officiant and goes behind us while I stand rigidly, wondering what that stare meant.

That sympathy I read in his eyes means he knows and he is so sure I am not his daughter yet I am getting married to this monster on her behalf.

This was the reason why I said I wanted to visit him yesterday but he denied me that right and I was locked up till this morning. The guards were back at my door so there was no one I could try anything funny.

The stylist did my hair this morning as well as the make-up, even though the dress got delivered last night but I refused to look at it till it was time for me to put it on.

I also wish to see the look on Mrs Moore’s face. I don’t even know if she is here yet.

The marriage officiant’s eyes scan the document Mr. Moore gave to him and he began to speak, asking questions to which Mr Devil gave most answers.

Then he places two documents in front of us to sign which I do with shaky hands.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

Signing this means getting stuck with this devil for life but I have no choice. I can no longer escape getting married to him. I can only escape living with him forever.

Now, as I sign the document, I know I have just two options.

The first option is to file for a divorce after some time and the second option is to find Andre Moore.

After all, her name is the one on the marriage license, not mine. She is the one getting married to him, not me.

I am signing beneath Andre Moore’s name so I better find her to escape this imprisonment.

As absent-minded as I am, I know the whole process did not take up to 120 seconds before he announced us husband and wife. He told us the marriage certificate will be mailed to my husband as soon as it is ready.

Then he disappears just like he appeared.

Someone claps from behind and I whirl around to meet her gaze.

Mrs. Moore.

She is one of the witnesses on my side alongside her husband who is avoiding my gaze. On the devil’s side, an unfamiliar face is present and another which I find familiar but can’t find a place where I know him.

“Congratulations, boss”, both men greet him and he nods at them without a smile.

“Congratulations, Xavier”, Mr. Moore moves close and shakes hands with him.

“Thank you, Mr Moore”, he says back, surprisingly smiling at the sad-looking man.

Silence falls.

“Shall we head back to the mansion for the party?” he demands, looking from me to the others.

A party? I wasn’t told there was going to be a party afterwards. What more surprises does he have?

The witnesses begin to troop out of the office one after the other till we are left alone. Placing a hand on my back, he urges me to walk with him but I stand still.

I need to talk to Mr Moore.

“Can I ride home with my Dad?” I ask calmly. Aside from the fact that riding with the Devil on our way to the registry was extremely quiet and boring, I want to use the opportunity to talk to Mr Moore about Andre.

His eyes darken and I am sure he will kick against the idea so I speak up again.

“Your guards can ride with us. I just want to talk to him. We are married already after all so there is no point running away at this point.”

A smirk leaves the corner of his mouth followed by a scoff.

“We are married and we ought to go home together”, he points out, his eyes twinkling with amusement.

“I know but please, just this once,” I beg of him again, hoping he will allow me.

Fortunately, he is different today. His looks, his stares and even the way he talks to me.

“Fine. I will be riding behind you. Don’t try anything funny or you…”

“I know”, I roll my eyes and walk out immediately.

Mr Moore and his wife are talking when I get outside. They must be waiting for us to come out first before leaving.

“Can I ride with you?” I interrupt their conversation which is obviously about me. He looks up with a curious expression. “Your wife can ride with the groom of the day, I don’t mind.”

Slowly, he nods.

I won’t spare her a glance. She is obviously up to something. She knows the truth but she isn’t saying anything.

I respect Mr Moore more because he spoke up the very first time he saw me. He told Xavier I wasn’t his daughter but his wife insisted that I was, probably out of desperation or out of protection for her daughter wherever she might be.

I grab his hand and head to the car. When we get there, he opens the back door for me and I enter, then he follows.

The car roars to life immediately.

I know I said I wanted to ask him questions. Lots of them but now that I have the opportunity, I can’t find my voice.

“I’m sorry”, he pauses and I wish he can go on with whatever is on his mind. I wish he can say it again and confess that Andre is hiding somewhere. I wish he knows where she is and he can tell me.

“Do you know where she is hiding?” My question makes him jerk his head up instantly.

“No, I don’t. If I do, I wouldn’t let this happen”, he mutters with all honesty and I believe him. If this is Mrs Moore, I wouldn’t believe her. I can’t believe a word that woman says.

“You don’t need to feel sorry. I wanted to talk to you to know if you know that I am not her. Now I know you know. But I am curious about this girl of yours. Do we really look the same?”

He smiles and nods his head, his eyes fixed on my hair.

“I almost didn’t believe it myself. I kept dreaming about you two since the other night I saw you with Xavier. At first, I was scared it was indeed Andre and he was going to punish her severely for causing him pain and humiliation but it wasn’t Andre. I was supposed to be relieved but I wasn’t because guilt was the only thing I felt. I knew you were going to be the one paying for Andre’s rash decision. This was the reason why I wanted to be the first person to find her and then bring her back home. I almost regret convincing her to marry him but now I don’t. She deserves to be punished.”

I nod meekly, tears springing to my eyes but I am doing everything in my power for them not to roll down my eyes. I made a resolution last night that if this wedding happens, I won’t cry anymore. That devil doesn’t even know if I am crying or not and doesn’t even care.

He is not worth it.

I want to ask him why he convinced her to marry him but I guess that is none of my business.

“I want to see her”, I say dreamily, wishing she can appear from nowhere so we can converse and I can see the similarities and differences between us.

Mr. Moore sniffs. “Do you want to see a picture of her?”

I nod immediately. “Yes, please.”

He brings out his iPhone and begins to scroll through his pictures until he stumbles upon the album which has her numerous pictures there.

I take the phone from him shakily and stare with a dropped jaw at a complete replica of myself.

Andre Moore looks just like Jasmine Cooper.

I spare him a glance and he smiles.

We look so alike. Like siblings or probably twins. I would have jumped to the conclusion that we are twins but I know our parents are different so that is impossible.

I keep scrolling till a video pops up. A video of Andre taking a picture of herself. The background is quite noisy so I can’t hear what she is saying clearly.

But the moment she flings her hair backwards, I catch it.

The hair. She is red-haired, not black-haired or white.

Her voice is just like mine but she seems a bit chubbier than me. She looks elegant too and sophisticated. All the pictures are pictures of her with make-up and fashionable dresses.

This isn’t me.

If she is red-haired, why did he mistake me for her then? Did he think she changed her hair color just to throw him off the rein?

The video stops and I stop scrolling as a sudden idea hits me.

The hair is enough evidence. This was the same thing I showed Mrs Moore that got her convinced that I am not Andre. Xavier is the only one who isn’t convinced.

Andre’s personality is totally different from mine as well. Just like I thought, she is a spoiled brat.

Isn’t it high time I behaved like her? Will my hair do the trick now?

I turn to Mr. Moore whose eyes are fixed on the picture. I see longing in his eyes.

Carefully, I place a hand on his shoulder and return the phone. “We are going to find Andre, you and me but for now, I am going to act like her henceforth.”

His eyes bulge open and a genuine smile leaves my mouth.