Chapter 74- His bride
“I always wondered why I was fascinated with green eyes. Turns out I had a memory of your bright green eyes in my mind,” Aaron remarked.
He had only recently recalled this. Elena had shown him photos of Tessa when she was a kid. That was when he remembered that they had met before. She was the little girl who dared to boss him around!
– Flashback to twenty-one years ago-
A young Aaron lost in a horse race with his peers. This meant it was his turn to go and buy their snacks for when they go for their usual extra lessons.
It was a price to pay for losing, but young Aaron wasn’t happy. He always won so he couldn’t accept that he lost just like that.
Begrudgingly, he walked into a convenience store that was on the way from his father’s ranch in the Countryside. His friends, Tony, Victor and Graham waited in the car and laughed at his predicament.
Aaron had butlers to tend to him so naturally, he didn’t like running errands for others. However, a deal is a deal. Since they had agreed on the punishment, he could only bury his dissatisfaction and head into the store.
He quickly grabbed the snacks and went to the till to pay. At the same time, a little girl happened to run into the store. She was eyeing her favourite chocolate with a hungry expression.
Suddenly, she saw a boy buying snacks and her eyes lit up. She grabbed the chocolate and rushed to the till before placing her chocolate beside Aaron’s snacks.
She then tugged at his shorts and ordered, “Buy.”
Aaron glanced at her and frowned. He took the chocolate and pushed it aside. But the little girl pushed it back to his things.
“Buy!” She glared at him.
He felt irritated and glowered at her, but he soon changed his expression when he saw her puppy-doe green eyes. She was trying to look intimidating but she just looked adorable.
“I want chocolate!” The little girl ordered.
Aaron furrowed his eyebrows. He had never been bossed around before. However, the little girl had a way of making him bend to her will.
It was just chocolate and he had money. He thought he wouldn’t lose anything if he bought it for her. He added the chocolate and paid for it before giving it to the little girl.
He looked down at her and asked, “What’s your name?”
Tessa smacked her lips and opened the chocolate wrapper, saying, “My name is Tessa. Tessa Hilton.”
Aaron leaned over and looked into her eyes. He advised, “Don’t go around asking strangers to buy you chocolate. You might end up asking a bad guy.
Tessa frowned and asked, “Are you a bad guy?”
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Aaron’s eyes widened. He quickly refused, “No, I’m not! I’m a good guy. But you won’t be so lucky next time. So don’t ask strangers for things.
“I knew you were not a bad guy. That’s why I told you to buy me the chocolate. Thank you, you’re such a darling!” Tessa ran away after saying that.
From that time, Aaron always remembered her green eyes. He might have forgotten her but his mind always remembered. When his family became acquainted with the Winstons, he got close to Serena because he thought her green eyes looked familiar.
He realised that he wasn’t really in love with Serena. The one that was engraved in his mind and heart was Tessa all along. It was always her.
-End of flashback.-
Tessa’s eyes watered as she watched Aaron’s interview. She noticed how he became emotional as he explained how they met years later as Boss and personal assistant but he couldn’t recognise her.
Due to the mix-up in his mind, he ended up hurting the woman he loved.
Aaron looked into the camera and said, “I would like to set something straight after what happened to Tessa a few days ago. She was never my mistress. We might have been dating secretly, but there was no one else. She’s the only woman I’ve ever been with. And the only one I want to grow old with.”
“Wow! You seem to love your bride very much,” Natalie remarked.
Aaron nodded, smiling at the thought. “Yes, I do. She’s my life.”
It was now time for the first part of the wedding. Aaron and his groomsmen entered the church first. The hall was really big and about five hundred people attended the service.
A lot of people wanted to attend, however, Aaron couldn’t put Tessa and his children at risk.
So he settled for family, friends and some important business associates.
The aisle was adorned with arches that were incorporated with lush blooms. Each arch was
five steps apart. The floor had a white platform that had the words, “Aaron weds Tessa” at the
beginning of the aisle.
At the altar, a priest stood on a raised platform and just below, there was a white leather bench with a gold intricate frame where the couple would sit. White petals were incorporated on the floor where the bride and the groom would place their feet.
Sitting at one of the front seats, Edmund Wentworth was all smiles. He sat next to Aaron’s aunt, Tina Smith. She looked around and commented, “It’s good that Aaron is marrying the mother of his kids. However, I hope he’s not marrying her because she has his kids. He used to refuse to get married. I find it strange that he made the decision in a space of a few months.”
Tina Smith was Aaron’s mother’s sister, so naturally, she didn’t want her nephew to be taken advantage of. He recently found out he had children and a few months later, he was getting married. She couldn’t help but feel suspicious.
Edmund chuckled at her words. He glanced at her and said, “My boy is all grown up now. He’s smitten with his bride. I’m afraid he would have married her even if she was taking advantage of him. But don’t worry. I have studied Tessa. She’s a very good woman. She makes my son happy and that’s all that matters.
Tina released a sigh of relief when Edmund vouched for Tessa. She could finally relax and enjoy the wedding in peace knowing it was a love marriage.
On the other side, the employees of the Wentworth group couldn’t stop gawking at the luxurious wedding. The females couldn’t help but envy Tessa. They could only dream that it was them in her shoes. It was a simple church service but they could see that huge amounts of money were put into the preparations.
Soon, it was time for the bride and her bridesmaids to enter. A song began to play and Michelle was the first to walk down the aisle with a bouquet of baby’s breath. She was in a peach satin A-line pleated gown. It was a sweetheart neckline off-the-shoulder with a high slit on the right side. Her hair was pulled up into an elegant updo and she had put on matte makeup.
When she reached the left side, she stood a few meters away from the altar. Her eyes met Graham who was on the opposite side and her face burned. She averted her gaze and smiled to herself.
From the audience, Mrs Julia Adams happened to see their exchange and squinted her eyes. A small smile crossed her lips and she turned her head to look at the second bridesmaid making
an entrance.
The song continued to play and Celia walked along the aisle with the same gown as Michelle. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a high ponytail and she had left some curly strands on the sides of her face. She had done natural makeup with nude lipstick.
Minutes later, it was now time for the bride to enter. A song by Leona Lewis, a moment like this, began to play. Reagan suddenly walked through the entrance and the crowd went wild
with cheers.
He was wearing a navy suit like his father and he was holding a light board that had the words, “Here comes Daddy’s bride”,
Reagan smiled brightly as he walked to the front and took a seat on the empty seats reserved for the triplets and Elena.
Next, it was the girls’ turn. Nia and Willa walked through the entrance with small flower baskets, scattering rose petals on the aisle.
They were in cute white gowns. The gowns were long-sleeved and cinched at the waist with a huge bowl at the lower back. Their gowns had a train that grazed the ground with each step they took.
The crowd awed and ooed, loving how adorable the triplets were. Some even developed baby fever and vowed to make babies once they returned home. The kids were so cute!
Meanwhile, outside the church, Tessa’s heart was about to jump out of her chest. It was pounding so hard that she could hear it in her ears.
“Relax. Don’t be nervous. I’m here,” Elena assured her.
Since Tessa’s father was late, Elena was walking her down the aisle. Tessa looked at her mother and said, “Thank you for being the best mother in the world, Mom. You’re the strongest woman I know. You raised me on your own without any help. You’re my superwoman. I love you.’
Elena smiled. She couldn’t help but recall the years when Tessa was just a child and her eyes. watered. She looked at her daughter and said, “I’m very proud of the woman you’ve become today. I’m happy to witness this moment of the next chapter in your life. I wish you happiness in your marriage. Don’t let anyone cheat you, marriage is beautiful if you’ve found the right one. I can see that Aaron loves you. I am handing you over to him knowing he will take care of you and cherish you like you deserve. I love you, my child.
The mother and daughter smiled at each other before walking into the hall. The music continued to play.
-“A moment like this, some people wait a lifetime.
For a moment like this, some people search forever, for that one special kiss.
Ohh I can’t believe it’s happening to me.”-
Aaron looked up and stared at his bride. His heart pounded hard in his chest… he felt overwhelmed. Tessa looked breathtaking.
This was the first time he was seeing her in her wedding dress and he was lost for words. She looked like an angel that had descended from the sky to save him from a long life of loneliness.
His eyes stung as his eyes raked her body, drinking her in. “This is my bride. My woman. Finally, I’m marrying the woman I love with all my soul.”
Tessa’s gown was exquisite. An off-shoulder ball gown with a sweetheart plunging neckline. It was embellished with tiny diamonds that made it sparkle every now and then. The train was long and it was made of lace. She had a veil covering her face but Aaron was sure she looked beautiful.
As Tessa walked down the aisle, she locked eyes with Aaron. The song made her feel
emotional. What she was feeling at that moment, it was as if Aaron was the only man in the
world.
Her heart swelled with warmth and overflowed with love for him. Her eyes blurred with tears. as she recalled the things they had been through. After so many obstacles, they found their way back to each other again.
As she got closer to the altar, the song continued.
-“Could this be the greatest love of all
I wanna know that you will catch me when I fall
So let me tell you this….
some people wait a lifetime for a moment… like this!”-
Aaron felt sentimental as he could relate to the words in the song. Indeed, finding true love.
was not easy. If he had never seen Tessa again, he wouldn’t have had a moment like this.
A love so strong, so pure and selfless only comes once in a lifetime. He felt all the more grateful that she came back into his life.
As his bride advanced and got closer to him, Aaron felt overwhelmed. After losing Tessa for five years, he couldn’t believe he was marrying her. Was he dreaming?
He covered his mouth with his hand and went!
