A LOVELESS VOW
【1】 Substitute?
“He stood at the altar for a bride he didn’t care to know.
But fate sent him the one he was never meant to have.”
Kaelix Estate, Private Wedding Hall.
Xaven Kaelix stood at the altar like it was a boardroom—hands behind his back, spine straight, expression unreadable.
He looks exactly how a man should when marrying for legacy, not love.
The room smelled of roses and was decorated with formality.
Knox Rivare
*nudges his arm with a grin*
You look like you’re being sentenced, not married.
Xaven Kaelix
*deadpan* Same thing.
Knox Rivare
*chuckles* Come on, man.
You’re finally getting a woman.
Knox Rivare
The Kaelix bloodline survives another generation.
Xaven Kaelix
It was never about the woman.
Knox Rivare
You say that like you have been celibate since birth. →_→
Xaven Kaelix
No lie in that. *says flatly*
Knox Rivare
Bro, don’t say that so confidently. *mocks*
Xaven Kaelix
*fixes his cufflinks*
I’m not interested in distractions.
Xaven Kaelix
Besides, I don’t have time to entertain anyone, especially women.
Knox Rivare
*shakes his head*
You’re not just untouched. You’re an iceberg from Antarctica.
Xaven Kaelix
That means no one melts me.
Knox Rivare
Bet your bride doesn’t even know she’s marrying a man who has probably never even held hands before.
Xaven Kaelix
*coldly* She doesn’t need to know that.
Knox Rivare
*raise his brows* Sure?
Knox Rivare
She will get to know about it when you do that, anyways.
Xaven Kaelix
You are awfully obsessed with my sex life. *bored*
Knox Rivare
*snorts* I’m just worried about my sister-in-law.
Knox Rivare
Wedding night is gonna feel like she married a marble statue.
Xaven Kaelix
Stop thinking about my future wife. 😑
Behind them, Victor and Celeste Kaelix—Xaven’s parents, watched quietly.
Neither looked particularly joyful, just satisfied that the terms were being fulfilled.
Celeste Kaelix
Claire’s family delivered on their end. The Queens name is strong.
Victor Kaelix
Let’s just hope she knows what she’s marrying into.
Queens Estate, Bridal Room.
That’s all the room held.
Vivienne Queens was pacing, her heels echoing against marble.
Reginald Queens stood by the window, fuming in silence.
The wedding dress laid on the bed, untouched.
Vivienne Queens
WHAT DO YOU MEAN SHE’S GONE?
Reginald Queens
*snaps* She had one job. Damn, one!
Reginald Queens
And she throws it away hours before her wedding?!
He was holding a note, written by his elder daughter—Claire Queens.
She was supposed to marry the ultimate, Xaven Kaelix, but boom.
Aria stepped in, still in casual clothes, holding a trembling teacup.
Aria Queens
What happened?
She looked at her mother, then at her father. They turned toward her.
Vivienne Queens
Your sister has humiliated us.
Reginald Queens
She has ruined everything by running away.
Vivienne Queens
Everything is at stake. What are we going to do?
Vivienne Queens
The Kaelix family will ruin us.
Reginald Queens
She is a Queens. But she didn’t stand by her surname.
Silence fell over the room.
Then suddenly, both of them looked at Aria—their youngest daughter.
Aria Queens
*looks at them, confused*
Reginald Queens
You. *points at her*
Vivienne Queens
Aria, you’re the only one who can fix this. Please marry him.
Reginald Queens
You’re her sister. We don’t have any other options.
Aria Queens
*shouts* I’m not Claire!!
Aria Queens
He will know. Everyone will know. You can’t sell me away like this.
Vivienne Queens
We are not selling you out. It’s the only solution, Aria.
Reginald Queens
You were born to protect this family, to play the role of substitute.
Aria Queens
Substitute? *laughs bitterly*
Aria Queens
That’s what I am now, huh??
Aria’s voice cracks, her whole body trembling.
Reginald Queens
Shut up, Aria!!
Reginald Queens
I didn’t raise you to defy me. Wear the dress and do as you are told.
Reginald walks out of the room, declaring his final words.
Aria turns to her mother who looks at her with sympathy.
Vivienne Queens
Earlier, your sister said yes to this marriage. It was not like we forced her or something. But then, she just disappeared.
Aria Queens
I used to like him.
Vivienne Queens
What? *stunned*
Aria Queens
*nods* Back in university, I had a crush on him. He never noticed me, though.
Aria Queens
[Maybe that’s why it hurts so much.]
Vivienne Queens
Then this should be easy for you. Why didn’t you say that before?
Aria Queens
Not like this, mum. And a small crush doesn’t matter.
Aria Queens
[Crush or not. I wanted him nevertheless. Now I will have him. But was I expecting it in this way, as a replacement? Absolutely not.]
Vivienne Queens
Please, darling. This family will be ruined if you say no.
Aria takes a long sigh, before nodding reluctantly.
Her mother smiled at her.
But the bride wasn’t happy on her own wedding day.
Just before the entrance doors, Aria stood beside her father.
The dress fit her. Too perfectly.
Like it knew it was made for lies.
Her veil covered her entirely.
Her hair. Her fear. Her identity.
But her thoughts screamed.
Aria Queens
[Claire should be here. Not me.]
Aria Queens
[He doesn’t even know who I am.]
Her mother fixes her necklace while her father offers his arm.
Reginald Queens
Walk like you’re Claire.
Aria Queens
[How do I do that, exactly?]
The door opens as the music begins.
Each step echoes around the hall, everyone’s face turning towards the bride.
But Aria sees only one, the man at the altar who still isn’t looking.
Aria Queens
[He never looked before. He won’t start now.]
Aria Queens
[But god, is this really happening? One minute ago, I was the invisible sister.
Now I’m about to marry a man who doesn’t even know I exist.]
When she was finally standing in front of Xaven, he didn’t blink.
Didn’t even glance. Zero fucks.
Aria Queens
[The man was emotionless, that’s for sure.]
The priest began the vows.
Priest uncle
Do you, Xaven Kaelix, take—
Xaven replied before the priest could even complete her sentence.
Priest uncle
Do you, Claire Queens, take Xaven Kaelix as your husband?
Aria Queens
[I’m not doing this for you, my dear parents and my sister.]
Aria Queens
[I’m doing this because a part of me still believes in him, even if he never saw me.]
Aria Queens
[Maybe this is my second chance of my love story?]
Priest uncle
You may now kiss the bride.
Xaven reached for the veil, and lifted it slowly.
Aria closed her eyes, as if she was unsure what to do next.
Celeste Kaelix
*gasp silently* That’s not Claire.
Victor Kaelix
It is their youngest daughter. *mumbles*
Xaven finally looked at her. He didn’t say anything. He just stared at her scared expression.
When he took a step closer, Aria’s eyes snapped open.
Her soft, brown orbs crashed with his cold, blue ones.
There was a long pause before Xaven crashed his lips with hers.
Aria Queens
*eyes widened*
But to her surprise, his thumb was between their lips.
Xaven’s body was pressed against hers, his towering presence covering her hourglass figure.
Priest uncle
From hereby, I announce you as a married couple—as husband and wife.
Aria Queens
*blinks*
[Okay chill. We didn’t actually kiss.]
Xaven leaned back, just slightly.
The claps, the congratulations, the wishes for the newly wedded couple erupted all around the place.
Aria Queens
[Destiny, if you’re listening, you are a wicked little thing.]
Xaven Kaelix
Welcome to hell, Mrs. Aria Xaven Kaelix.
*whispers against her ear*
Aria’s heart skipped a beat as the bricks of realisation hit her.
She stood still with a stunned face, trying to register the words of her husband.
Aria Queens
[He knows my name?]
AUTHOR
Stay tuned for the next chapter ~
【2】 Betrayal!
“They married the wrong girl. But the right kind of silence is more powerful than the loudest betrayal.”
The lounge was dim, sun-filtered through gauzy curtains, and so quiet that the clink of a spoon against a porcelain teacup sounded sharp enough to cut skin.
Celeste Kaelix’s fingers curled around her teacup, her eyes razor-sharp even as her voice remained composed.
Celeste Kaelix
Perhaps someone would like to enlighten us as to why the girl at the altar wasn’t Claire.
Across from her, Vivienne Queens stiffened but didn’t respond right away.
She adjusted her pearl bracelet with trembling hands, trying to mask her discomfort behind practiced poise.
Reginald, on the other hand, didn’t even try to be polite.
Reginald Queens
*jaw clenches*
Claire left a note and ran away just hours before the ceremony.
Reginald Queens
We didn’t have other options, in order to save the reputation of both the families.
Victor Kaelix
So you substituted another daughter like this was a boardroom deal?
Vivienne Queens
She is our daughter too. Our blood. You are blaming us as if you didn’t get a Queen’s daughter.
Victor’s gaze slid toward Aria, who sat behind her mother, still in the wedding dress that felt heavier by the minute.
Victor Kaelix
She stood at that altar under false pretenses.
Reginald Queens
She said the vows and married your son.
Reginald Queens
She did what Claire should have done.
Celeste Kaelix
Do you take us for fools? We were promised Claire. We reviewed her record and her background.
Celeste Kaelix
She was the perfect daughter-in-law of the Kaelix family. Aria isn’t the part of the deal.
Aria Queens
[Why do I feel like something is fishy?]
Aria Queens
[Why are they making it such a big deal? Me or Claire, did it really matter so much?]
Xaven finally spoke, his voice calm but stripped of all warmth.
Xaven Kaelix
It doesn’t matter, mom.
His parents stared at him with shocked expressions.
Celeste Kaelix
You can’t be serious. This was a calculated betrayal. You should’ve stopped the ceremony—
Xaven Kaelix
We are married now, end of the story.
Xaven Kaelix
I won’t tolerate anyone talking shit about my wife.
Aria Queens
*eyes widened*
Aria Queens
[He took a stand for me?]
Xaven Kaelix
And her family.
Aria couldn’t believe her ears.
She just stared at the dark grain of the wood table in front of her and bit the inside of her cheek.
Aria Queens
[God, what does this man want?]
Aria Queens
[I didn’t expect something like this from him.]
Zara Kaelix had been unusually quiet throughout the exchange, perched on the armrest of a velvet chair.
Her legs were swinging slightly as she absorbed the sharp words volleying across the room.
Zara Kaelix
You didn’t run. Claire did.
All attention turned to her, but she wasn’t done.
Zara may be the carbon copy of her mother, but her words and thoughts were very much different from hers.
Zara Kaelix
And you didn’t lie. They forced you into that dress. It wasn’t your own decision.
Zara Kaelix
That’s obedience, not betrayal.
Celeste Kaelix
*inhales sharply*
Zara, don’t interfere—
Zara Kaelix
*cut off her mother*
You did nothing wrong, Aria.
Aria lifted her gaze at the girl and tried to smile.
It didn’t quite reach her eyes, but Zara smiled back anyway, lopsided and sincere.
Aria Queens
You’re the only one who understood me, you know? *mumbles*
Aria Queens
[And maybe Xaven too...a little?]
Zara Kaelix
You are my only sister-in-law.
In a room full of cold stares and suffocating pressure, Aria almost laughed.
Knox Rivare
God, Zara is so sensible.
*mutters*
Xaven Kaelix
*glares at him* Don’t eye my sister, assh°le.
Knox Rivare
I am just admiring her.
Knox Rivare
I mean, her intelligence! 😅
Celeste Kaelix
Just so you know, I will never accept her as my daughter-in-law.
Celeste’s words directly hit Aria, but she wasn’t so weak to let it show.
Aria Queens
Thanks, mother-in-law.
Aria Queens
I won’t waste my time on trying to impress you. ☺️💢
Celeste Kaelix
What? How dare you insult me like that!!
Aria Queens
By my mouth, respectfully.
Celeste Kaelix
*stands up from her seat with frustration in her tone*
Celeste Kaelix
That’s why, I accepted Claire.
Celeste Kaelix
Because you are a mannerless brat, who spends her entire time dancing.
Celeste Kaelix
The daughter-in-law of the Kaelix family doesn’t do such vulgar professions.
Aria Queens
Classical dance is the most beautiful form of dance, which is directly connected to gods and our history.
Aria Queens
It’s not just a profession. It’s my devotion.
Aria Queens
I talked back because I have self respect. It doesn’t mean I lack manners.
Celeste’s eyes slid to her son, her mouth immediately close.
Xaven Kaelix
Mrs. Aria Xaven Kaelix is my wife now.
Xaven Kaelix
I won’t tolerate anyone’s words against her.
Xaven Kaelix
She can do whatever she wants. No one can say no to her as long as her name is attached to mine!!
Celeste Kaelix
*eyes twitches in anger*
Aria Queens
*smiles internally*
Aria Queens
[At least, he respects me. That’s enough.]
AUTHOR
Stay tuned for the next chapter ~
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