November 15, 2003 (More than one month later)

Antoniou Winery

The Island of Santorini, Greece

“You look so beautiful, Cassia,” Anna told her.

Cassia smiled at her and squeezed her hand. It was truly a good thing that her friend was here, for her nerves were eating her alive. Here she was in her room, in all her wedding finery, waiting for the moment of her wedding to come.

“Come on, do a twirl for me, my friend. I want this to stay in my memory forever,” Anna pleaded.

“Sure. By the way, thanks for being here. I don’t know what I’ll do without you,” Cassia said, and with those words, her eyes started to fill with tears.

“No! Don’t cry. You’ll ruin your perfect make-up. And it’s nothing! You paid for all of my expenses! Of course, I won’t let the opportunity to travel pass me by. I’ll never earn the fare here in my meager job back at home. And I’m really enjoying it here so far! So stop going all sentimental on me, all right?” Anna chastised.

Cassia laughed and wiped away her tears with a tissue before they could fall and ruin her make-up. Then she stood up and did a twirl for her best friend who had been with her since her parents died. They were once fostered together and stayed friends ever since.

Cassia wore a cream-colored wedding gown envisioned by one of the top international designers. She fell in love with it the moment she first set eyes upon it. The beading and the design in the bodice, where diamonds were embedded, was very intricate. The skirt of the gown fit her hips snugly and then flared out into a skirt with a very long train.

The train was a bit heavy but she still loved it. She twirled for her friend and they both laughed when she managed not to fall.

“You really look so beautiful. I never thought I’d see you like this,” Anna said, and this time she was the one who wiped away tears that threatened to fall.

“Thank you, Anna.” Cassia smiled as she hugged her tightly.

“Wait! We might wrinkle your gown!” Anna laughed.

“This is an expensive gown. I don’t think it would get wrinkled that easily,” Cassia teased.

“True,” her friend agreed.

Cassia sat on the chaise once more and willed the time to pass away so that her wedding and her life with Nikos could start.

“So...tell me about this Nikos guy that you are marrying. What’s he like? Every time I see him, he’s polite and all. He’s also really good-looking. But...I don’t know Cass...he seems cold to me. There’s something about him I can’t quite fathom,” Anna said thoughtfully.

Cassia tilted her head to the side and thought about her friend’s observation of her fiancé. During the past month after her engagement, she went to all her social obligations with Nikos as her date. They also went together to the places and events for their wedding preparations.

Nikos was always on time. He was always perfectly polite, always immaculately dressed and always a perfect gentleman.

Just like Anna said, Nikos was a great man...he just seemed cold. And there was something else about him that was different.

Maybe it was the way his eyes looked as if they were filled with rage?

Maybe it was the way he looked at everyone in a cynical and calculating manner?

Maybe it was the way he held his body rigidly?

Cassia shook her head and let go of those thoughts. Nikos was a great man. He was very smart and he had made a fortune for himself already at such a very young age. Everyone had their faults so maybe his surly attitude was his.

“Nikos is really like that. But overall he’s a great guy. Maybe he was just brought up in the kind of environment where everything’s cold and has to be perfect.” Cassia shuddered for that was how her grandfather wanted her to be, and sadly, she was far from perfect.

“Huh. Then why does it sound to me as though you are convincing yourself rather than saying it to me?”

Cassia glared at her.

“I don’t know...I am not even sure about all of this...it’s all so fast...”

“I agree that it’s all so fast. What if your grandfather had something to do with all of this?”

“I don’t know, Anna. Maybe he did. Maybe he didn’t. I also put in the equation the fact that his company was almost ruined and that maybe this is all a business deal,” Cassia sighed.

“If you know those things then why are you still marrying him?” Anna asked as she placed Cassia’s veil in position.

Cassia didn’t reply for she did not know how to tell her friend how much she wanted Nikos Demakis, so much that she was willing to overlook the fact that her brain was screaming to her that something was definitely wrong.

“Maybe I’m just selfish when it comes to him. I’ve got him, Anna. I don’t want to let go. I believe we’d be great together. I can’t wait to start my life with him.”

“What if he’s wrong for you?” Anna prodded.

“It’s him for me. If this is wrong, I don’t ever want to be right.”

Anna sighed and when Cassia looked around, she saw that her friend had tears in her eyes.

“Now I know why you want to marry him, Cass. You’ve got it bad for him,” she stated.

Cassia sighed. “I do.”

“Then I wish you all the best on this marriage.”

“Thank you, Anna. You’re the best!” Cassia replied and hugged the other woman tightly.

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Anna hurried to open it and Costas and his personal assistant rushed inside the room.

“Let’s go,” he barked. He wore a black tuxedo and his hair was slicked back. He also “brandished” an elegant wooden cane today.

She saw Anna roll her eyes before they turned and followed Costas out of the room. Cassia flipped her veil over her face and smoothed the skirts of her gown as they ascended the staircase and moved towards the open balcony with a beautiful view of the sea.

The view was truly breathtaking. The Greek coast was such a beautiful sight! The first moment that Cassia arrived and she was able to see the view, she was truly dazed. That was the second time she knew that it was possible to fall in love at first sight.

“This is it, princess. It’s your time to shine,” Anna whispered as she fixed the train of Cassia’s gown on the floor.

She also handed Cassia her bouquet and the moment that her fingers touched it, her heart started to beat erratically.

Any moment now, the doors to the balcony would open. Then the music would sound and she would walk down that aisle. She’d say some words, exchange rings...

...And then she’d truly be married to Nikos Demakis.

Mrs. Cassia Demakis...

She stifled a giggle at the thought and concentrated on staring ahead of her while her grandfather bristled with impatience at her side. They were still maintaining the act that they were a happy family and Costas was going to give her away at her own wedding.

Cassia waited and waited but the doors still did not open. A few more minutes passed and a shiver of unease slid down her spine.

Suddenly, Cassia saw Antonio exit the room. He looked flushed and his face was pale. And by his frazzled appearance, Cassia immediately knew that something was wrong. Nikos’ friend never lost control and he was always as immaculate as possible.

Yet right now, he looked as if he was on the verge of panic.

“What happened, Velez?” Costas hissed.

Antonio looked up and, for a moment, his gaze landed on Cassia. For a moment, he appeared stunned. Costas repeated the question but Antonio acted as if he did not hear it. Costas repeated the question for the third time and this time he was shouting. That seemed to snap Antonio out of whatever trance he was in.

He ran his fingers through his hair.

“There’s a problem. But I am already taking care of it,” Antonio answered. But when he said this, he was looking at Cassia and not at Costas who asked the question.

“What is it?!” Costas bellowed.

Antonio shrugged and then moved closer to Cassia. “I don’t know what happened but someone might have spiked Nikos’ drink before the wedding. He is now very intoxicated. Please give me some time to fix this,” he answered.

Before Costas could reply or ask more questions, Antonio was gone.

“This is your entire fault!” Costas hissed at Cassia.

“How is this my fault?!” Cassia cried out in despair before she was able to stop herself. Her hands shook too much because of her wedding jitters. Furthermore, to find out that her groom was drunk was like a big blow to her ego.

“You insolent brat! Lower your tone! This is your fault! It’s because of you that your groom has got himself drunk! He does not want to marry someone like you! A half-greek, half American bastard who grew up in the slums!”

Anna gasped and Costas glared at her and then inclined his head to the side.

“You want to know the truth? Nikos never wanted to marry you! I got him to do it so that they will not lose their company! I offered them the merger in exchange for marrying you! And I did it because I wanted revenge on his family. I want him to suffer. A man like him will definitely suffer with a bride like you! One day maybe he’ll hit you because of his anger or maybe he’d go to his mistresses! Either way, that’s grounds for divorce and he’ll be at fault! Then Stavros Demakis will surely die knowing that it was his precious grandson who lost him everything!”

“WHAT?!” Cassia shouted.

“Yes, dear girl. So you be good today. Nikos needs to marry you so he could gain back Demakis International. He needs you and his family needs you. Maybe he just wanted to drink some brandy to steel his nerves for the ordeal he has to go through today. Then got himself blindingly drunk!” Costas roared with laughter. “I would too if I had to marry someone like you.”

Cassia reeled as if she’d been slapped. She looked at her grandfather and he shook his head at her and left. She could still hear his curses along with his laughter echoing across the narrow corridor.

She was so stunned that her bouquet slipped from her fingers at the same moment that tears fell from her eyes. Her entire body felt numb and she wished that the floor could open up and swallow her right at that moment.

“No...sweetie, don’t. He did not mean that...you know that’s not true. He’s just a bitter old man,” Anna whispered as she hugged her.

But even Anna knew that Costas’ words already did their damage.

“Cassia...please...just allow some time...and then all of this would be well. It might have just been a prank by Nikos’ friends or something. I think it was not his intention to get drunk at his own wedding.”

“I think it’s all true,” she whispered.

“No! Don’t say that! Come on, let’s go somewhere you can sit,” Anna said and tugged on Cassia’s gloved hand and led her towards an empty function room.