"But your every path leads to my destination, Erich. Look at you, here you are being all mine. And embed it in your soul, you can never leave me. Today is the proof of it."
Red told him with a faint smirk, the truth about the connection of their soul.
"I don't know. You are not a part of my life but my very soul resides in you, Red." He confessed, moving away.
She took off the corset and turned to him, holding his hands.
What can I ask from God when I have you, Red?
They were looking down but Erich moved away, pulling his hand back.
"Uh.. I will leave, you change." He looked away, she was only in her petticoat, not wanting to look at her.
"Wait, help me to hang this heavy dress first." Red stopped him.
They hand the wedding dress in the closet and she sighed, "God, it was heavy. Who creates such difficult dresses?"
"You." He replied with a chuckle.
"Oh yeah. From my best bridal collection. Huff." She shook her head.
"Red.. I am supposed to give you a gift for our wedding. I was told to give you something valuable. I.. I don't know if they meant expensive or something close to my heart."
He trailed off, heart on the verge of bursting, taking out a box and giving it to her.
"It's my late mother's... I am giving my treasure to you."
Red smiled when she saw an elegant flower shaped brooch.
It has a sapphire fixed in the middle and shaped into a flower by white gold increasing its grace.
"Thanks... I will take great care of it." She smiled.
"Thanks... And yeah, I will sleep on the couch." Erich told her.
"You don't have to, the bed is big enough."
"You.. you want... to s-share b-bed?" He stuttered, shocked by her words.
"You don't want to?"
"I do!"
"If you are not comfortable, the couch is free or we can put the pillow in between."
"Oh, okay... You change."
He couldn't understand the one who swayed any woman on the snap of his fingers is how unable to share a bed with Red.
How she crushed his superior presence under her high heels and left him powerless before her.
He entered later and saw Red sleeping. With a gulp, Erich came and sat on his side.
Red turned to him, sleeping peacefully, stealing his lull and driving him insane.
With the pace of Erich's heart beyond normal, he stared at her beguiling features, removing a strand of her hair and etching her pleasingly aesthetic features.
His wandering soul found a shore, entalging his heart with hers and lost in the light of a new start where either devastation or a loving life lies ahead.
In the garden of my heart, the flower contains your pigments- maybe that's why they are so bright.
In UK,
You were never mine then why do you dwell in my very existence which brought a smile to my lips whenever your name is called?
Lucifer thought while looking at the wedding pictures of Red and Erich with a smile and a tear of agony.
Ever since she left, he has avoided her.
Never texted her or tried to talk to her, refrain from entering meetings which includes her; aware of his passion which requires just a glimpse of hers.
After three years, his heart clenched in suffering as he decided to send a message to Red not before glancing at the picture of them.
Where Lucifer was holding her shoes with a deep frown and she was sitting on his shoulder enthusiastic like always.
Smiling at the picture of their honeymoon, he typed,
Congratulations.
But he erased it.
Wherever you are, be happy.
No
Didn't even bother to invite me?
He cut it again.
You forget me after leaving. Ugh.
He couldn't find a perfect text to send her- there isn't one because he can't tell what he truly wants... not anymore.
And deep down he had a feeling that she needs him and he should fulfill his promise and help her but there's a wall of fondness which shouldn't fall.
As he was lost in distress, Harry knocked, interrupting his thoughts. "Come in."
"Here is the shipping list for this month."
"Hmm. Put it aside." Lucifer leaned on his seat, closing the message app.
"Apart from Ms Bennet, the list is the same as previous month's."
He cautiously mentioned Red to see Lucifer's reaction.
"She is not Ms Bennet anymore. Call her Mrs Black from now on."
These sour words were too much for Lucifer to swallow but he had to.
"She must have been busy, leave it." He muttered, picking the file and taking a look.
"She got married?!" Harry's staggered voice came.
"Every girl does, it's not a big deal." Lucifer shrugged.
"Don't you feel anything? You are mixing up your emotions, Sir."
"Has she arrived yet?" Lucifer asked, irritated.
"She will be here next week... Sir think about it-"
Lucifer cut him off by a plain order, "Leave."
Diverting his mind by engrossing in work.
Lucifer tried his best to keep his emotions concealed knowing things which slipped out from his grasp are now about to get messy and wreak havoc.
After a stressful day at work, he returned home late as usual and surprisingly saw his Mother.
"Ah, Lucifer. We were waiting for you. Your dad went to sleep. Come, sit with me. I need to talk to you." Mrs Grave motioned him to sit beside me.
"What is it, Mom?" He asked coldly, taking a seat.
"Lucifer... my son." She held his hand and passed him a smile.
"It's been two years since you and Iris separated. I know you miss her a lot."
"There's no use talking about a person who is not alive anymore, Mother." Lucifer pulled his hand away, annoyed.
He vanished the fake identity with a fake death.
A death certificate and a fake body was enough to deceive the world about 'Iris' death.
"I know Iris is alive. She is Red Bennet." Mrs Grave said seriously. Lucifer held his astonishment inside him and turned to her.
"Do you even know who she is, Mother?" He mocked.
"Who doesn't? Her name revolves around the world." Mrs Grave said.
"Just because she looks like Iris that doesn't mean she is her. Iris was the first and last woman of my life so it's better if you don't mention this topic again."
His vexed voice made Mrs Grave worried as he stood up angrily and left to his room so he could wallow in misery without any disturbance.
•~~•~~•
Back to California where April was attending a client of hers.
"After my sister's death, I couldn't think anymore."
"Mr Xander you cannot die with the dead. Look around you; you will surely find a reason to live, for example, your wife."
"I am trying."
"Notice her pain to see you suffering and you will understand you have to live and keep yourself together."
She explained, putting her one leg over the other, her bewitching aura never ceasing and the smirk playing over her lips.
"What do I do?"
"Make your wife aware of your tears. Cry on her shoulder and tell her everything."
"You are right... I should talk to Jenna."
"You should." She nodded, taking a sip of her coffee.
"Thank you." He smiled and left after his therapy session.
April sighed and received a message,
Your tickets have been booked.
A quiet laugh escaped her lips knowing the roles have been switched and another tale of love and passion is about to start.
Shaking her head along with a thrill turning her smirk dark, April said to herself,
"Ah... Love is a strange emotion. No less than an ocean of fire in which you need to drown to get your desire."
Standing up she looked out at the California city from her apartment contemplating the upheaval she could feel.
"It's been 2 years... Now is the time for the paths to cross as everyone will come to know about the story of this entangled love" She began to say.
"... Let's see how long Red and Erich's wedding will remain."