67

67

On Saturday, October 3rd, the long-awaited wedding arrived.

Madeleine had delayed the wedding by a week because she couldn't find her friend.

Katia wasn't answering calls or responding on WhatsApp. This made Madeleine worried about her well-being, but she wasn't the only one trying to locate her.

Stefan, upon hearing the situation, sent his men to find her, but they couldn't locate her.

He was distressed, unable to sleep or eat, fearing that something terrible had happened.

He blamed himself, became even more irritable than usual, and subsequently fell into a depression that kept him on edge and away from everyone.

...

That afternoon, a crowd gathered at the entrance of the Church of San Gil, part of the city's group of churches. The wedding guests were dressed in elegant attire for the matrimonial celebration that was taking place at this venue.

As per dress code protocol, the women wore long dresses, and the men were dressed in dark suits.

Joshua stood at the Cathedral door, looking at a brunette woman approaching, clutching the bottom of her dress.

Katia was heading toward the group of people awaiting the bride.

For the occasion, she had chosen an empire-style dress made of chiffon, lace, and tulle. The draped bodice featured a sweetheart neckline with an illusion tulle yoke adorned with lace appliqués. The three-quarter sleeves were made of sheer tulle and lace, and the chiffon skirt had a central draped slit at the waist.

Suddenly, she had to stop and put her hand to her forehead, feeling dizzy. She hated it when she felt this way.

She sighed and started walking again.

Halfway there, she encountered a dark-haired man with blue eyes. He had a light tan and a mischievous smile. He appeared to be in his late twenties or early thirties.

The man was wearing a silver tuxedo. Katia smiled as she removed her hand from her forehead and walked over to hug him.

"Finally, you're back, Katia," Joshua said.

"I'm sorry. I just needed a break, so I went to Boston with my parents," Katia replied as they walked towards the church's entrance.

"Madeleine is very upset with you. She doesn't want to see you until after the wedding," Joshua said, laughing.

"I'm aware of that. She made it clear when I called her," Joshua hugged her with one arm, pulling her closer.

"I have a surprise you'll like," Joshua suddenly said.

"A surprise?" Katia asked, curious and surprised.

Joshua signaled her to look ahead. Without knowing why, she followed his lead.

Gradually, her eyes widened as she saw a tall, lean man with a well-toned gym body, mesmerizing blue eyes, and a mulatto complexion that gave his skin a warm wheat-like tone. His very short, curly dark hair and stubbled beard complemented his features. His lips were incredibly tempting. He was wearing a dark blue tuxedo.

Katia brought her hands to her mouth, still surprised. She looked at Joshua, and he nodded with a smile.

Katia lifted her dress slightly and ran towards Oscar.

The Cuban man smiled as he saw her coming, and she rushed into her boyfriend's arms, wrapping hers around his neck as he lifted her off the ground a few inches.

Their happiness upon reuniting was evident, with the groom and some of the guests smiling as they watched.

After parting, Katia looked back at the German man who was approaching with a woman who appeared to be in her thirties. She had fair skin, shoulder-length straight jet-black hair, and striking blue eyes. She had a good figure for her age, slim but not overly so.

Katia turned her gaze back to her boyfriend, wearing a smile.

"I'm back," he told her, his hands on her cheeks, displaying a wide smile.

"Welcome," she returned the smile and hugged him around the waist, resting her head on his shoulder.

"Um, well... you see..." Oscar glanced over at Joshua, silently pleading for help.

"Why don't we start moving inside now? The bride will be coming any moment," the groom said, clapping his hands to get everyone's attention.

During the Catholic ceremony, Katia kept her head on Oscar's shoulder, trying not to fall asleep.

She despised attending masses, and her level of belief was practically zero. Whenever she entered a church, she'd either end up laughing, as she did once with her cousin Olga at a family wedding when she was seventeen, or she'd have to stay seated throughout the entire service. This time, she had to remain for the entire mass because she had to sign as a witness.

Oscar occasionally glanced at her and became concerned when she'd put her hand to her throat, making a gesture as if swallowing something, or when she'd put her hand to her forehead and sigh.

Both Katia and Oscar were witnesses at the wedding. Therefore, Oscar had to wear a tuxedo similar to the groom's, as did the closest family. The dark-haired man took Katia's hand while sitting next to her and smiled.

During the reception, Katia had to endure the presence of Stefan and the mysterious woman, whose name she still didn't know, at the same table with her and Oscar. They engaged in pleasant conversation, but when Stefan addressed her, Katia either ignored him or responded rudely.

She had no interest in speaking with him.

Oscar and Stefan both watched what Katia ate, as compared to the other people at their table, she hardly had anything. She also had to leave the table and visit the restroom several times because the food wasn't sitting well with her.

Upon leaving the restroom, she encountered Oscar, who looked concerned. She approached him, clasping her hands in front of her body, and they walked towards a nearby bench. Across from them, a park was filled with children playing and climbing.

Katia turned to face Oscar, and he said, "I need to tell you something."

"What is it?" She felt her heart tighten.

"I haven't come because I was cured… I came because... I wanted to die by your side," he confessed.