Since I Found You
Ironbed

After listening to the message from Vlad, Altea was only able to sleep soundly. He wanted to dream of the lover who would pick him up tomorrow. Just imagining it, it has managed to make all the burdens in Altea's life as if lifted. Altea never slept as late as tonight, from the time he was taken away by Vlad to Russia.

Altea felt her body so comfortable. He could even hear her fine snoring, until a burly hand touched his shoulder and continued to spread to his neck. The hand ended up in the face, then silenced his mouth and nostrils until Altea could not breathe.

The young woman gasped. He woke up with a sweat. Surface of the bed. Altea also swept a glance around. However, there was no one inside the spacious room other than him. “Ah, just a dream apparently,” said Altea while exhaling a sigh of relief.

Just as Altea was about to get off the bed, suddenly it was heard that someone had unlocked the room door from outside. Delma came in accompanied by several women of Altea's age. “Good morning, Miss Miller,” said. “I brought my employees to help you get ready,” Delma said.

Altea doesn't talk much. He only nodded in agreement, as the women took him to the bathroom and carried out the treatment on his body. Meanwhile, Delma and the other servants prepared a complete makeup kit.

For two hours, Delma spent perfecting Altea's performance. With great care, she paired the luxurious wedding dress filled with sequins, onto the slender body of the young lady. “It's ready,” Delma said shortly after pairing the small diamond-studded crown, which became one with a transparent white headscarf.

“Mari. Come with me,” invited Delma as she extended her hand, which Altea immediately greeted. Two women of different ages had stepped gracefully out of the room.

Right in the doorway, Herbert Miller was already waiting with a tense look. However, the middle-aged man was trying to hide the uneasiness he was feeling. Seeing the beautiful appearance of her youngest daughter, made Herbert slightly entertained.

“Let me take over from here, Madam. I will accompany him to the altar,” said Herbert politely.

“Do you already know where the blessing is?” delma asked doubtfully. There was a worried hue implied from the senior woman's face.

“Of course. Mr. Ludwig Stegen's men have told me,” Herbert replied confidently. “Don't forget, Mistress. I am the real father of this beautiful woman. I should have been in charge of taking him over the altar, and delivering him to the groom-to-be,”.

“Alright." With a heavy heart, Delma placed Altea on Herbert. After all, what the middle-aged man said was indeed true.

Herbert immediately grabbed Altea's hand with a radiant face. He placed his hand, on the back of Altea's hand, then patted slowly. “You're so beautiful, son,” adore.

“Already. Don't talk much anymore, Dad. Quickly take me to the altar,” whispered Altea very slowly, so as not to be heard by Delma and the servants who followed behind them.

“Iya, Son.” Herbert accelerated his pace. He came out of the mansion, then down the path decorated with flowers on the right and left sides. The path stopped, in front of the archway of the vines.

A few feet in front of Herbert and Altea, Ludwig stood beside the priest. The man looked very charming, in a white tuxedo tailored to Altea's wedding dress.

“Come, Son,” Herbert took with him, when he felt that Altea was just silently glued. The middle-aged man had to slightly pull his daughter's arm.

“Where is Mr Ignashevich?” altea half-mumbled while circulating a glance. His brown eyes stared at every invited guest present. However, he did not find Vlad's figure there.

“Already. You have to trust me. He'll definitely come here and ruin this marriage. Follow his words yesterday,” persuade Herbert slowly.

After a moment of silence, Altea stepped back towards the altar. He put his hand on his father's arm. However, Altea immediately removed his hand from Herbert, when it had arrived before Ludwig.

“You are so beautiful, Perle,” flatter Ludwig while touching Altea's chin, and then turn that beautiful face to him.

“Can we start the ceremony now?” ask the pastor as he cleared his throat slowly.

“Yes. I also do not want to waste any longer,” said Ludwig. The man returned to his flat facial expression.

“Before I tied the sacred rope to the bride and groom, did any of the invited guests object to this wedding? If yes, you can say it now or be silent forever,” said the pastor loudly.

“I'm the objection!” the voice that sounded loud, and disrupted the sacred events held in the garden behind the mansion owned by Ludwig.

Suddenly, everyone turned towards the source of the voice. Similarly, dozens of Ludwig's men who had been on alert formed a guardrail, around the venue. They took out their respective weapons, which were hidden behind black suits.

“Are you still going to let your men shoot me, even though I came with General Inre Harald, Ludwig Stegeb?” Out of nowhere, Vlad suddenly stood behind the altar adorned with white flowers. He walked closer while clutching Inre's shoulders which looked tense.

“Master?” Altea's pale face immediately shone, as he saw the figure he longed for was walking closer and closer.

“Do not shoot!” inre exclaimed at Ludwig's men, who were ready to aim at him.

Ludwig did not remain silent. He immediately raised one hand to his men, as a gesture for them to lower the weapon. That beautiful face looked so cold and flat. However, his eyes pierced through Vlad's blue eyeballs.

“You're late, Vlad Ignashevich. Altea was willing to marry me,” Ludwig sneered without excessive expression.

“Toooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo? Altea just had to accept this,” Vlad replied accompanied by mocking laughter.

“Go away for a moment, Pastor." Ludwig shifted the skinny body of the priest. So did Herbert who swiftly took Altea away. Meanwhile, the invited guests who began to feel the problem, stepped away from the seat and left one by one. There are only a dozen of Ludwig's men still besieging Vlad and Inre.

“Bring him to me, General.” Still with a flat look, Ludwig reached out to Inre.

“If I bring him to you, then I will die,” said Inre shook his head in doubt.

“Trust. You're gonna be fine. I'll protect you,” persuade Ludwig with an increasingly cold expression.

“I'm not sure if you can still be confident seeing your desperate situation." Vlad gave a small grin, with his eyeballs directed to Ludwig's right side.

Inevitably, Ludwig followed Vlad's point of view. There, he found dozens of people numbering twice as many as his guards. They wear tactical uniforms complete with helmets and bulletproof vests.

“M Surrender. After all, General Inre is now on my side. You don't have a protector anymore now,” Vlad said with a satisfied smile.