THE CONTROL: An Arranged Marriage Romance by Elena Monroe (ebook reader android .txt) 📕

carry that miserable ass attitude around all day. It’s your wedding day, could you at least pretend to be happy?” She handed me the garment bag and sipped her coffee when Khaos flew out of the doorway right into her arms.

Spinning her around so his face was facing mine, he smiled so big it made me want to hurt him. He always had a place in his heart for my mom in case my parents ever broke up. I was pretty sure my dad would go to great lengths before throwing in the towel, she was half his age and a ten if you ever saw one.

Khaos’s hands smoothed down her back, forcing my eyes into dangerous slits when he responded for me. “He was certainly happy last night… We all heard a lot we didn’t ask to.”

Mouthing a death threat, I waited for him to release her. She started walking past us, and I drove my closed fist into his stomach, watching him fold. Holding his shoulder, I whispered, “Don’t even think about it. You have secrets too, Khaos.”

Catching up to my mom, I followed her outside where everything was being set up in my backyard for our sunset wedding and reception. Everything was black and a vibrant teal like the wings of her butterfly. There were forget-me-nots and candles in abundance at every corner—I wanted things in a certain mood.

We weren’t the couple who got married on the beach, while giving birth, or in Paris of all places. We were the casualties of our trauma and none of that screamed a white wedding.

Her hand searched for mine, but she didn’t take her eyes off the altar that was covered in black branches tangled up in forget-me-nots with butterflies creating an arch behind where Khaos will come up with a monologue before pronouncing us husband and wife.

He was good at talking and I was good at blocking out his voice. 

Grasping my hand tightly, she whispered behind some tears, “It’s beautiful, Bowen, you did a wonderful job.”

The entirety of our wedding was my idea, and I let Eve think whatever she wanted without correcting her. I didn’t need to justify my marrying her with the bullshit details like butterflies and shades of blue.

She was marrying me, and that needed to be good enough on its own.

Taking my hand back, I coughed away all the feelings wafting off my mom. “When are her parents getting here? She probably wants to see her mom.”

My mom’s eyes looked just as sinister as mine when she turned towards me. “Hopefully she doesn’t come at all, Bowen. She is the tip of that shit iceberg.” Hot on her heels, I followed her inside wanting more answers but not desperate enough to ask for them.

I was missing a lot of the puzzle: Denmark, who her Romeo was, why my mom hates her mom, and why everyone is hell-bent on filtering their feelings, so we are all more comfortable.

My mother had been to my house all of three times—all dropping me off from rehab—so my discomfort was already sky high; adding on more was something I could handle.

“I’m not even going to ask; I have a wedding to dread. I’ll leave you to your own devices.” Walking by every door possible, I twisted them to make sure they were locked, even closets with no secrets in them because if you gave my mom an inch, she would take the damn mile.

I was on the hunt for my bride even though I wasn’t supposed to see her before she came down the aisle, but I needed to reign in every possible risk that could happen tonight.

It was barely five o’clock and risks were being doled out by the dozen; between my friends, my mom, and Eve’s parental figures that were apparently an inside joke. One I wasn’t privy to.

Really, I just needed Eve to behave in a way that didn’t push me over the edge with everyone we know witnessing our nuptials. The horsemen and their catalyst counterparts were the least of my worries after last night’s debauchery.

My head was still pounding with the reminder that I chose to get so wasted the night before my wedding I was practically drowning the parts of Braeden inside me and letting myself be… myself.

Vic started a war and Eve finished it.

This was as sober as she was going to get me and that was only because the nerves were too much to bear on top of being wasted. Adding alcohol to the contents of me was only going to make me act in ways I regretted.

Twisting the handle to Eve’s room, I slowed my movements down, letting it only slip open enough to see through a sliver. I found Eve sitting in front of the mirror in her black chiffon gown joined by a guy I didn’t know standing behind her with his hand slack against her neck.

The dress had a plunging neckline that showed off her small frame and perky ass tits in a way that already had me jealous that other people were going to see this. The sleeves were sheer, allowing me to see her fair, glowing complexion showing through from underneath. And below the fitted waist that accentuated her delicate curves, it was full and long, spilling into a villainous amount of darkness around her legs.

She looked like an angel who didn’t fall from heaven but skipped right down to hell willing to find me. 

I held my breath, watching the stranger who matched my height hovering over her. He was sporting neater hair and a suit that was way too extravagant for a wedding. His features were a blank canvas, nothing sitting on the surface, but his eyes were vast, full of lies—I was sure of it.

Bending down to her ear, his fingers trailing further down her neck to