The-Wrong-Bride-Ares--Raven’s-story-(Maura,-Catharina)_bibis

Chapter Six
ARES
I’m apprehensive as I park in front of the Du Pont mansion. I should be looking forward to celebrating
Hannah’s birthday tonight, but things just haven’t been the same between us in a while, and it’s
becoming harder for me to ignore it.
With a mere few weeks until our wedding, every issue we’ve ever had seems amplified. Perhaps
I’ve just got cold feet, but it feels like more than that. Part of me wonders if the only reason she and I
even started dating was the knowledge that we’d end up together eventually, through our arranged
marriage.
Except... would we have? The woman my parents wanted me to marry was Raven. If I hadn’t… if
that night hadn’t happened, would I be getting married to Raven?
I run a hand through my hair and draw a shaky breath. It doesn’t matter now. There’s no going
back in time, and cold feet or not, I’ll have to marry Hannah if I want to keep my job and my
inheritance.
I steel myself as I get out of the car, feeling oddly out of it. I haven’t felt like myself lately, and I’m
not sure why. It isn’t just about the wedding. It’s more than that.
“Ares!”
I look up to find Hannah’s father standing by the door, a wide grin on his face. It’s been a while
since I last saw him, and I have no doubt he’s got a nice bottle of scotch to share with me. When it
comes to my future father-in-law, I’ve hit the jackpot. He’s a genuinely nice guy, and he quickly
became a second father to me. He makes my own father’s absence a little easier to bear. The pain of
suddenly losing your parents never really goes away, but it dulls over time.
“Arthur.” I shake his hand before he ushers me in, the sound of laughter greeting us as we head
toward the patio in the back.
“How’s work been, son? I’ve barely seen you around. You staying over tonight?”
I nod. “Work has been busy, but I’ve freed up the weekend.”
Hannah looks up when I walk toward her, my birthday gift in hand. Thankfully, it’s just a few of
her closest friends and her family tonight. Larger events are too stressful for both of us, and lately it’s
put a lot of additional strain on our relationship. Tonight is exactly what we needed.
I wrap my arm around her and lean in, pressing a quick kiss to her cheek. “Hey, Han,” I murmur,