Why isn't she here yet?" one of the bridesmaids asked Iris; the chief bridesmaids.
Iris shrugged and quietly whispered back. "I know she was in the bride's room when Ben came to get me, I don't know where she could've gone, " Iris said.
She was starting to get nervous, it wasn't like Luca to be late. She was even early for her dentist appointment, which she absolutely hated.
Iris looked around the hall that been decked out for what the papers were calling the wedding of the century.
Her best friend Luca, who was also the newest Hollywood break out star, was getting married today.
To Ben Goodley, son of millionaires, an heir to a hotel empire. The Waterfront hotel where the wedding was being held also happened to be the first of the Goodley hospitality empire, which had branched out to resorts and high-rise apartments.
The bride's cue had come several minutes earlier and the musicians were stuck playing the wedding match song over and over.
"I am getting scared here, could she possibly be any more dramatic? This is getting too much and these awful heels are hurting me, " Gretchen another of Luca's friends whispered through gritted teeth.
"Calm down Gretch, she will show up. I should probably go check on her, " Iris suggested.
Gretchen sighed. "Maybe you should," she said. The brides maid standing behind her gave her back a nudge.
"Do you know what's going on? Ben left minutes ago and the guests are panicking. "
Gretchen looked around. The dais where the wedding couple where to stand was a bit elevated. The bride's maids and the groom's men were placed in a way that didn't allow them a direct view of the the guests.
Gretchen had to turn slightly to see what Lisa was talking about. And she was right. Some of the body guards were whispering into their hidden microphones. Most of the guests were esteemed men and women of the society.
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Some of Luca's new movie star friends were in attendance so the room was packed to the rafters with guards who apparently were being used to hunt a certain missing bride because half of them were gone.
She looked at where the groom had been standing a few minutes ago. He too was gone. She turned back to Iris.
"Maybe you should go and find out what is going on. Because something definitely is, " she said to Iris who gave a deep sigh, handed her small brooch to Gretchen and walked carefully down the dais.
Her peach coloured silk dress, which all the bride's maid wore, clung to her body like water. Her blonde hair was in the up do all the bride's maids were carrying. The bride herself was sporting a short hairstyle these days.
As she walked towards the long red-carpetted lane the bride was to take, Ben's mother grabbed her hand and pulled her down gently.
"Tell me what you find out, " the iron woman demanded.
Silver Goodley was Ben's mother and the head of the Goodley empire. Personally worth the upwards of 400 million dollars. Her hair was light brown smattered with gracious silver strands. She had blue eyes she had imparted to her dark haired only son.
She was wearing a peach suit. Peach being the chosen color of the day.
Iris sighed and with a slight nod she walked down the aisle.
An hour later almost all the guests were gone. The paparazzi craziness had finally died down. But the craziness that was Silver Goodley was just starting.
"That gold-digging little brat! I knew it! Right from the start I knew that girl was not a descent woman. And look, I was right!" Silver screamed at the few occupants of the big auditorium that was to hold a wedding.
"Mom please calm down, " Ben Goodley said as he tried to pacify his mother.
"Don't you dare tell me calm down! What did I tell you when you brought Catherine St. Claire's daughter home to me and said you were marrying her?" she demanded, going closer her son and obviously expecting an answer.
"M-mom...I-"
"What. Did. I. Tell. You?" she demanded again. This time, everyone left in the hall, which included Ben's father, Iris, Gretchen, Sam Withers; Ben's best friend, some body guards and some of Silver's peers, turned to look. The hall became eerily quiet.
"You said 'she will never be a Goodley', " Ben said quietly and his mother sighed.
"And I was right. This whole charade of a wedding was a publicity stunt done by a D-list actress to give her fame. She used my family as a stepping stone to imagined greatness, " Silver Ranted.
She turned to look into the eyes of everyone in the spacious room.
"Her mother was and continues to be a blight in this town. We endured her continues presence because its not her fault her husband is a lying snake. But now, her brat of a daughter thinks she can disgrace my family by leaving my son at the altar."
"Mom please, don't do this, " Ben pleaded. He knew his mother and he knew where this speech was going.
Silver ignored her son. "She messed with the wrong family. I will destroy Lucis St. Claire even if it is the last thing I do, " she vowed.
Ben groaned and covered his face with his left hand.
Iris sighed. "Luca, wherever you are you better leave town as fast as you can."