Chapter 18–A Groom with No Bride
The magnificent event center shimmered in the light of a thousand small lights, with each crystal in the massive chandelier overhead capturing and scattering beams in a kalap of colors. Deep red, michight blue, emerald green, and poll reflections flashed across the tonerting walls, creating a surreal atmosphere throughout the hall,
Every element work meticulously constructed for an amazing evening, from the elaborately interwoven tablecloths to the porgeous arrangi
admed rachube
tentood white poems and huby’sheath that.
Velvet drapes, pushed hark to reveal towering windows, framed the night shy outside, where stars Blinked dimly in contrast to the darling Indoors.
Quests were already coming in, their laughter and talkcreating a soft bare in the air. Sebastian remained cool in these early moments, certain that emerything was proceeding as planned. Herod near the door, nodding at familiar faces and welcoming old filends and family, occasionally looking to the empty spot by his side
It was early, after all, Madeline was probably still getting ready, and she’d walk through those doors at any time, glowing and lovely
But as time passed and more people active, Sebastian found himself checking his watch more frequently
The serenity he had felt at first began to vanish, replaced with a gawing sense of untest. He tinka lng breath, attempting to calm the tense energy within, the lights from the chandelier above appeared stronger, almost overwhelming, oraingod dancing patterns on the foot. He turned away from Herm, anxier to find Madeline.
At first, he attempted to reassure himself. I was still ely in the night, and Madeline enjoyed making an entrance. But as the hall filled and comes spread among the guests, Selustian
lore the unconectable churning in his pil
He checked his watch again and grumbled barely audible above the ring of voices. Without further hesitation, he began wearing through the rod, his gaze dating from face face as he approached each person with a query that rapidly became more frantic,
“Excuse me, have you seen Madeline?
People shook their heads one by one.
As guests became aware of his rising nervousness, they responded with polite smiles, sympathetic glances, and even a few embarrassing laughs. Despite their best efforts to comfort him, nobody had seen het.
He rushed over to a group of Madeline’s acquaintances near the entrance, his heart hammering,
“Exbuse me” he said, barely concealing the tension in his voice,
“Have any of you seen Madeline?”
They exchanged unstain looks before one of them responded,
“No. I thought she was with you, Sebastian isn’t she supposed to be making her way down soon
Sebastian swallowed and mustered a tight smile, nodding in gratitude before stepping away
His heart raced in his ears as he sought to figure out where she was, his eyes spanned the hall, becoming more desperate with each passing second. He needed to find her, the had to be here someplace, perhaps hidden behind one of the magnificent floral arrangements or waiting outside for some fresh air.
At the far end of the corridor, he noticed her younger brother, a teenager engrossed in his phone, livious to the distress on his face. Sebastian moved over, his sneakers tapping forcefully on the polished flo
“Hey Sebastian said, doing his best to keep his voice steady,
*Have you seen Madeline?”
Jared looked up, his brow furrowing as he considered the question,
“Uh, 1 now her in the dressing room a while ago” he replied, glancing down the acridor,
But that was, like, an hour ago. I figured she’d already come down”
Sebastian felt a stab of dread when he heard his response. Thanking him, he turned and walked down the corridor toward the ding rooms, each step taking him farther from the event’s wall warmth and laughing.
The cock was quieter and darker, and the echoes of his hasty footfall filled the silence, exacerbating the uneasiness growing at him
He approached the door to the room Madeline was supposed to be in and knocked. The silence on the other side seems to press against him, dense and stilling, he pounded again, but harder
“Madeline?” His voice echoed in the empty hallway, no response.
Patur erupted in his chest as he attempted to turn the handle, only to discover that it was locked. He put his war against the door, searching for a sign, with his heart racing, any sound that would tell him she was just drade, possibly taking a break. However, there was only silence, he hammeredon the door, desperation gripping him.
“Madeline, open the door!” he shouted, his voice macking as his fist thudded against the wood,
“Madeline, open the fucking door, please!”
When there was still no answer, he stepped back, his chest heaving as he considered his alternatives Without thinking, he leaned forward, pressed his shoulder against the door, and forced Uropen. The door treaked, the lock broku, and he stumbled into the room, breathless with anticipation, the root was empty.
Her perfume’s subele fragrance remained in the air, mixing with the exquisite scent of on a neighbouling table, the gown she was supposed to wear hung neatly in the corner, untouched. His eyes wandered around the room, eventually stopping on the open window, where the catalog awirled in the leece, reaching out like phantom fingers. His the oat clenched as he took in the scene, she was gone. Sebastian spun around to see his best fajenil, the best man, CDI “Sebastian, there you are his friend pamed, eyes darting around the empty space belefoning on the open window, the fluttering curtains, and the stunned expression on Sebastian’s
Isto the coom, his face blanched with coin,
