Averi stared at those three words, deleted what she had typed, and replied: "See you soon."
She had meant to ask Dallas how he had been during the six months they'd been apart, but after hesitating for a while, she decided it wasn't worth dwelling on a dream that might not even mean anything. The wedding in just a few hours was her reality.
At 8:15, Jordan arrived with the styling team ahead of schedule.
Averi instinctively glanced at Jordan's stomach, making him look at her strangely. He looked down at himself and asked, "Averi, what's wrong with my stomach?"
It wasn't until he asked that Averi realized what she had been thinking. She quickly looked away and said, "Nothing."
The makeup artist commented, "Your eyes are a bit puffy. Didn't sleep well last night?""
The dream crossed her mind again, and Averi lowered her eyes. "I've been having some trouble sleeping."
"It's totally normal. Every bride wants to look beautiful on her wedding day, but a lot of brides can't sleep the night before, and the next day they end up with huge dark circles under their eyes. Some even cry while getting their makeup done, and by the time the ceremony starts, their makeup's a mess from all the tears."
The group chuckled, and the assistant seized the moment to gossip about styling for celebrity weddings—like how someone brought their own hair extensions, or how a bride spent millions on her dress but had the bridesmaids rent theirs.
They were all pros at keeping things vague, only talking about trivial stuff to keep the mood light.
Just after ten, Teagan arrived. Seeing Averi in her wedding dress, she pursed her lips with a sigh and handed her an old velvet box. "This is what your grandmother gave me on my wedding day. Now I'm giving it to you."
Inside the box was a sapphire ring. The stone wasn't large, but it was surrounded by a circle of tiny diamonds, resembling lace.
The makeup artist smiled. "Now you have something old and blue. We don't usually care about these things, but it's a good omen."
Averi's heart skipped a beat as she slid the ring onto her right middle finger.
There's a tradition in Western weddings where the bride wears something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue. It's said that the "blue" symbolizes eternal love.
*
Although the guest list was small, the scene was grand. The florist, using white roses as the main flower, led the team through the night to completely transform the entire backyard. Cristopher had spent a small fortune creating the landscape back then, with every level thoughtfully designed. Today, it was adorned with roses, stretching out like an endless sea of blooms.
The time had come. Averi, with her veil in place, walked downstairs and unexpectedly ran into someone at the corner of the staircase.
"Odin?"
"Averi," Odin said, staring at her without blinking. "You look beautiful today."
"Thank you."
He seemed to have just gotten off a plane, looking quite exhausted.
Averi asked, "How long can you stay?"
"I'll leave tonight."
"Are you in such a hurry?"
"I didn't take leave, so it's better this way. I avoid the hassle of adjusting to the time difference."
Odin lowered his gaze and smiled briefly. He took the hem of Averi's dress from Jordan's hands and said, "Let's go. The bride can't be late."
Averi turned back to look at him, smiling back, and continued down the stairs.
Averi had only Jordan as her maid of honor, while Dallas had brought Leon along.
Compared to Leon, who was all smiles, Dallas, the more serious groom, seemed a bit stiff. Leon slapped him on the shoulder with a teasing grin. "Come on, Dallas, loosen up. You've already got the marriage certificate—Averi's not going anywhere."
In the garden, the guests were seated, and Dallas stood at the end of the flower-petal-lined aisle.
Averi linked arms with Teagan and walked out through the glass doors, slowly making her way toward the upright figure at the end of the aisle.
He was in his military uniform, and when he saw her from a distance, he froze for a moment, then his gaze turned intensely hot, locking onto her and never leaving.
Averi's lips curled into a smile. Her skirt brushed through clusters of petals, and her veil fluttered in the wind as she slowly walked toward him.
They locked eyes through the thin lace veil. The scent of flowers in the breeze was intoxicating, and Averi's heartbeat quickened as she softly spoke the words, "I do."
She saw Dallas's Adam's apple twitch unnaturally, his jaw clenched tightly as he fought to suppress his emotions.
In front of all the guests, he lifted her veil and kissed her cheek. His gaze and touch were burning, but the kiss was surprisingly tender.
Averi kissed him back just as subtly, her soft lips barely grazing his cheek a couple of times.
Dallas's breath caught in his throat as he gripped her hand tightly.
The ceremony lasted until evening, when the guests were sent off, and the couple set off on their honeymoon. Dallas could not travel abroad casually, so Averi chose the honeymoon destination to be the new resort developed by the Forbes family in M Mountain.
They had dinner on the plane, and by the time they arrived at the hotel, it was completely dark.
Both had a drink, and Averi kicked off her heels and dashed to open the door leading to the backyard pool. She had already changed out of her wedding dress, but the sight of her slender waist and curvy hips made Dallas's mind fill with images of her walking down the aisle in her wedding gown, and his body suddenly felt hot.
He unbuttoned two buttons on his shirt and moved closer to pull Averi's zipper on her skirt.
Averi didn't say a word. The fabric fell to the ground, and she undid her bra clasp with her own hands, then slowly lowered her fingers to the edge of her underwear, as if she were about to remove the last piece of fabric as well.
Dallas breathed heavily, wrapping his arms around her waist and fondly stroking her back and forth.
Just as his hand was about to touch her breasts, Averi suddenly pulled away and ran into the backyard, partially covering her chest with her arms and smirking at him, "Take it easy."
After saying that, she turned around and took off her underwear, sliding naked into the pool.
After swimming one round, Averi lay on the poolside and invited, "Dallas, would you like to swim?"
The pearls rolled along her skin, revealing glimpses of her beautiful body as the water waves rose and fell, all accompanied by a seductive smile that seemed intent on luring her prey. She was as alluring as a mermaid who devours men.
Dallas turned and slipped off his shirt, walking toward her as he undid his belt, exuding a deadly kind of sexiness.
The black underwear tightly outlined the shape of his penis, and from her perspective, his legs looked longer, and the size of that thing was even more impressive.
Averi raised her eyebrows and parted her red lips, saying, "Take it off."
