The Engagement of Madness

A few days have passed after that single line.

Yvette was in her elegant white dress with frilly laces and styled covers that matched her unparalleled beauty.

She was currently on her way to the venue of her engagement party. Her driver was the old servant that tried to persuade her.

How many times did she experience betrayal?

For what reason did she even ask that guy for help?

Yvette's eyes had no life on them as she stared outside listlessly. She was like a lifeless doll thrown out into the devious world of the rich. And the only thing that is controlling her right now was her enigmatic self.

And the reason for this unenthusiastic act is because of what Nathan said.

His betrayal—the one thing that Yvette didn't expect as he showed so much loyalty to his promise to not leave her side.

But in the end, Nathan left her.

She was abandoned just like how everyone did.

But the most painful thing for her was not because of their inability to keep their promise but because of their reasons for doing so.

Yvette was fully aware that she cannot drag an innocent person into her family affairs.

She's upset and disappointed but she knows that she couldn't really blame Nathan for deciding that because her stubbornness could cause the downfall of his life.

She didn't want an innocent young man to get involved in her family business dispute.

She realized that this fight was only for her and she needs to take responsibility.

And now that everything's too late, it's now up to her to press forward. No more running from her pre-destined path anymore.

All she can do right now is accept the harsh reality.

And wish that her young life shouldn't have ended like this.

I wish I could've done more...

***

After a few minutes, the black limousine finally arrived at the said venue and Yvette was escorted to the place by her servants.

She noticed that Rodney and Lance were nowhere to be found.

Are they stationed in a different place?

It's weird that two of her close friends that served her weren't in the venue for some reason. There are a lot of people waiting inside and it's possible that someone might disturb her.

She didn't have that much trust in the other servants. That's because she grew up with Rodney and Lance.

Those two were always on her side no matter where she goes and Yvette is very fond of their friendship. She sometimes asks them to drop the formal attitude but Rodney and Lance didn't want to do so because they know their place as a servant.

Their determination to stay low on her level made her sad and alone. She thought that everyone around her is always below her and that they couldn't interact normally even if she asks them to.

This isolated Yvette from many gatherings.

Friends, groups, cliques, and playmates. She wasn't blessed with any of those social relationships.

And even if she takes part in it, she can't fit in because of the restrictions that were binding her from socializing.

This is the curse of those who lived on a higher plane.

Yvette was alone.

No one interacts normally with her and now she's being forced to marry someone she didn't like.

She thought that everything was over and that she wanted to give up because no matter what effort she exerted, it'll always be the same thing. That lasted until he met a certain guy.

That's right, the boy Nathan Sumirez.

The only guy who treated her like an equal and didn't overly respect her.

Yvette's real identity was known throughout the campus but Nathan is the only guy who doesn't know her. She was afraid that if she tells him, he might change his attitude and be like the ones that are always holding her high.

But even so, Nathan still accepted to be her fake boyfriend after knowing her problem. It was pretty rare for someone like that to still care.

But now, she's alone again. And she couldn't really do anything about it.

If Nathan decided to stay away from her affairs, it's his choice. She can't force him.

But deep inside, Yvette was still grateful to him. She was grateful for the short moment that Nathan incited in order to make her relive a youthful and happy life.

That's why from now on, she'll face everything and act maturely.

After arriving at the hall, Yvette approached her parents who were sitting on the opposite side of the other family.

The whole venue was bustling with people that she doesn't even know. She suspected that these our their other business partners who only attended because they want some share and connection.

"Good Morning, father. May I sit with you?" Yvette greeted him.

"Of course, darling. Here..." Yvette's mother made some space and her father prompted her to sit down.

Yvette's side is already prepared and now they're just waiting for Vincent and the others to arrive.

"Are you okay...?" her father asked and Yvette nodded. "I deeply apologize. There was no other way..." he added.

"I understand, Father. You don't have to say sorry. In order for them to relinquish our primary source of income, we must connect each other through marriage." Yvette answered with a smile.

"But because of that, you're..."

"It's fine. I know that you're doing this for what's best and for the sake of our prestige."

That's right. Even if they sacrifice Yvette's happiness, as long as her family's on top, nothing's going to go wrong.

Seeing that Yvette was acting tough, her mother made a comment.

"Hey, Yve. Did you know that a marriage is like a cage?"

"Hmm? What do you mean, Mother?"

"One sees the birds outside desperate to get in, and those inside equally desperate to get out. A matured bird will never abandon a baby bird even if its cage or nest is touched. That's why, no matter what happens today, you'll be fine, sweetie..."

Yvette stared at her while comprehending her mother's quote. She didn't understand what her mother was implying.

But that soon ended when she heard Vincent's voice from the stage.

"Greetings to all families who accepted our invitation. We are delighted to see you attend our event for a very special announcement..."

Everyone listened to his opening remarks and cheered.

"After many years of working together, our family has settled to tie our bonds. Ladies and Gentlemen, let me introduce you to my future wife, Yvette."

Vincent acted like a gentleman as he invited Yvette on the stage.

She heaved a sigh and walked slowly to approach him. All of the people who attended her engagement party cheered and clapped like there was no tomorrow. For them, this kind of settlement is very special as they are expecting a bloom of new beginnings.

Vincent then reached out for her hand and escorted her up to the stage near the microphone.

Yvette made a few speeches about their history while Vincent was holding her hands tightly. Yvette noticed this. It was as if Vincent won't let her go.

And then after that, he started to close in on her face.

"W-What are you doing?" Yvette whispered.

"Isn't obvious? I'm going to end this with a kiss..."

Yvette feared that this day would come. She understands that if she rejected his kiss right here, people would suspect that she's not willing.

Therefore, she loosed her tensed body and let everything flow.

Vincent slowly moved his lips forward but then...

Pwoosh...

"What?"

Several objects were thrown into the hall and started emitting thick smoke.

"Ahh!"

"Get out of here!"

"It's a terrorist attack!"

Panic was invoked and everyone in the hall started running away due to fear.

The white smoke covered the entire area, blinding their eyes and causing haze on the path. It generated a commotion one after another. People were constantly tripping and a distant shout can be heard.

"Where's the security?! Everyone stay calm!" Vincent panicked and let go of Yvette's hand.

As they tried to run, an array of explosions suddenly flickered into the corner. Specks of sounds resonated as if there was a machine gun firing on their way.

"AAAA!!"

"We're going to get killed! Run!"

At this point, the whole venue was covered in a horrifying state. People are dreaded and lots of them immediately left.

"Father?! Mother?!" Yvette tried to look for her parents but she cannot find them.

The smoke was blinding her vision and she can't see the path. All of the catered designs and balloons that were installed on the post a while ago were obstructing her passage and the place looks like a demolition site.

Where are they?

She was also panicking. Yvette has never experienced something like this.

She heard that rich families are always the target of criminals, especially terrorists who always rebels because of the power balance getting disrupted.

Right now, she was on the verge of collapsing from fear. Her body tensed and her anxiety flared up.

When she walked backward, Yvette tripped and she fell on her bum. But then suddenly...

"Grab my hand..." a hand showed up into the thick smoke coming from a mysterious person.

Yvette didn't even hesitate for a second. She immediately grabbed the hand that supported her up but after that...

"E-Eh?!"

"Sorry, bear with me for a while..." a whisper from a familiar voice as he adjusted her position.

Yvette was carried princess-like and the mysterious person swiftly fled into the clouded smoke.

***

"Huh?! You're going to bombard the venue and take Yve?!" Rodney couldn't even suppress his emotion when he heard my plan.

"Yes." I nodded.

Rodney, Lance, and I arrived at the venue a little bit early to prepare ourselves.

Both of them wears a suit capable of blending into the crowds while I wore a black long-sleeved shirt and a black leather coat.

The reason for this is pretty simple:

I wanted to destroy the shackles that are binding Yvette and let her enemy taste defeat so that their family will plummet.

And to achieve that, one must do the dirty work and set everything up to initiate the engagement of madness. Of course, I planned everything and with the help of these two lackeys, I was able to prepare the materials without exerting that much effort.

"As soon as I throw these smoke bombs, I want you two to go inside the breaker room and shut off the lights and then blend with the crowds," I instructed them.

"Where the hell did you even find these smoke bombs, there are loads of them!" Lance carried the shells as he inspected them.

"I made them..."

"What?! Did you make them? H-How?"

"Ehh... It's pretty easy, to be honest. Just cut some cardboard and shape it like a cylinder. Then put the heads of the matchsticks inside with the plastics and then glue them up altogether." I explained.

For more details, just watch some YouTube videos. There are a lot of tutorials on the internet.

"Is it going to be okay? Aren't we going to get arrested for this?" Rodney asked.

"There's even firecrackers. Nathan you're..."

"We will get arrested if we're caught but... you won't let that happen, right?" I made a devilish smile.

"Of course not. If this is what it takes to save Miss Yve, then I'll do my best not to get caught." Rodney and Lance firmed themselves.

I like their enthusiasm in this one. It's almost like back in the past when I'm using a lot of people as tools to process everything.

"These four smoke bombs will act as a decoy to lure the securities inside. Once they go in, I want both of you to light up these firecrackers and throw them into the corner. The main bombardment will start once I get Yvette out of the venue." I explained the plan once again.

"Wouldn't this cause a fire?" Rodney asked.

"That's what I'm intending to do. There is a fire sprinkler inside the hall so the heat will instantly activate them. The shower will cause a disruption and then I'll cut the wire to obstruct them with the balloons." I answered.

"I see. The sound of the balloons popping and the firecrackers are going to imitate the sound of gunfire, right?"

"Yes. People will think that there's a terrorist inside even though there are only objects. We need that kind of reaction to make them vulnerable."

"This plan is so polished that I feel like I'm working under a spy company..." Lance heaved a sigh.

This is what you guys get for conspiring with the Former Brain.

"Anyway, I'll signal both of you with these lights. Make sure to keep your eyes on the smoke and just blend in..."

"Got it."

"Roger."

And so with that out of the way, I carried Yvette like a princess and rushed through the backdoor.

I had my face covered with a black mask so she couldn't see me properly but I know that she already realized who am I based on my voice.

The securities were busy dealing with the commotion inside so the outside was free. I didn't see any backups or police from the main gate yet so I pushed forward.

I left a rented motorcycle in the parking lot as our means of escape. To be honest, I didn't expect that it would be this easy to abduct Yvette. Maybe that foolish bastard who tried to kiss Yvette wasn't all that smart after all and I pity him so much.

"W-Where are we going?" Yvette had her arms clung to my neck as she stared at me.

"Just gonna borrow you for a while..." once we reached the parking lot, I adjusted Yvette's position and put on my helmet.

She clutched my waist and then I started the engine. After a few seconds, we finally drove away from the venue.

"This is Nathan. Mission Accomplished, both of you meet me on the bridge..." I then informed those two about the situation.

***

The destination that I chose for this moment was the bridge where I found Yvette last week.

I stopped the motorcycle in the center and gently removed my helmet and mask to feel the cold air flowing around.

The sky was still enveloped by dark clouds but there was no rain anymore. All that was passing right now was the cool breeze from the wet road and the smell of that Petrichor permeating throughout the passage.

As the cool breeze passes by, my hair and Yvette's elegant dress fluttered.

"Why...?" she muttered. "Why did you come? Why did you save me? I thought you said you're not going take part in it anymore..."

Instead of feeling relieved, Yvette was showing a melancholic expression. It's only natural because I destroyed her hope and chance. For her, it might sound like I decided that I will not help her or stay by her side but...

"I said I don't want to play with your methods. I never said that I'm going to abandon you..." I answered.

Yvette looked straight at me with her widened eyes. I could see small tears forming in it.

"I constructed my own strategy in order to save you from all of this farce," I added.

"B-But... Why? How? How did you plan all of this? It's too impossible for you to prepare all of this!" Yvette pounds my chest with her fist.

"Well, I uh... I sent a letter to your father..." I scratched my cheek.

"Huh?"

Back in the day when Rodney and Lance came to confront me, I sent them a letter on their way back and told them to give it to Yvette's father privately.

The content of the letter speaks of the plan that I devised the night when Yvette and I separated our ways due to her servants.

I told him in the letter that I'm going to concoct a fake abduction of her daughter and disrupt their connection with the other family in order to save Yvette from the arranged marriage. That way, they could pin the blame on the other party and that will generate an adequate reason for them to refuse the marriage.

"So that's why my Mother said that..." Yvette whispered. "Wait, but... if that happens, then my Family is still going to lose everything..."

"No need to worry about that because I sent those two to deal with the dirty work..."

"Those two...? Wait! Don't tell me—"

"Yeah. Rodney and Lance will redirect the commotion to the Ayala Family and put shreds of evidence on their belongings. Once that happens, the authorities will definitely accuse them of attempted terrorism and kidnapping. Rodney and Lance will bring you back and they should be here any minute now..." I said while checking the time.

"What about you?" Yvette asked.

"What do you mean?"

"What are you going to do? You caused this ruckus, how are you going to explain yourself?"

"Ah... I'm just going home after this as nothing happened. Those two already know what to say so you're going to be fine."

"Then the reason why the other servants aren't coming for me is that..." Yvette realized it.

"Yes. Your father knows everything behind the scenes. And I guess your mother approved my plan as well so you don't have to worry."

I thought I wouldn't be able to persuade them but I guess my letter made an impact.

The venue, the style of the party, the planning, and the decoration—All of it is my suggestion in order to enact this plan perfectly. And I used Yvette's dad to prepare everything for me.

They're doing it not because they're threatened but because they wanted to save Yvette as well.

"Why...?" Yvette rests her head on my chest. Her tone switched to a solemn one. "Why would you go that far to create a mess just to save me...? I'm just using you! You shouldn't have stayed away from me from the start yet you're still here! Why didn't you abandon me? You do know that what you're doing right now is a crime, right?! Why?"

She was sobbing so hard that her grip on me was tightening.

It's actually a good question. Why would I go this far just to save a single girl from her inevitable path?

"..."

I didn't answer for a while and waited for her to cry all of it.

What she needs right now is a person who will accept all of her heavy emotions and guilt. That's why I'm going to respect her time and wait for her until she cries about all the things she endured.

As minutes passed by, the dark clouds that were looming in the sky parted ways for the sunset to illuminate the whole city. They were fading and the orange flare lighted up the surface.

The storm finally subsided... And so is Yvette's suffering.

Sniff sniff

I gently supported Yvette and lifted her chin up so that she could stare at me. I looked at her with my dark eyes and told her this...

"Happiness is mostly obtained by creating your own path. You cannot create your own because you're caged in and shackled by the responsibility produced by your lineage. And you cannot utilize anything that is on your path because of that locked mindset." 

"..." she listened to me attentively.

"I'm willing to do the unorthodox and decide whatever diabolical plan I can think of in order to free you from that cage..." I looked at the sunset.

"That's because I hate the idea of not being able to decide for yourself..."

I patted Yvette's head and she stared at me passionately. She then snuggled on my chest and embraced me.

"Thank you... Thank you so much..."

After that, Rodney and Lance arrived at the beach to fetch Yvette and bring her back home. I told them the last instruction and they followed it flawlessly.

I bid them farewell and then decided that I spent my night in Mr. Finn's cafe.

Not because I'm feeling down but because it's freaking cold so I need a coffee. Thank god Angelica was there.

***

A few days have passed.

The police investigated what happened and they found pieces of evidence on the belongings of the Ayala family. All of them are the smoke bombs that I used and the illegal firecrackers that are banned from the country.

They tried to defend themselves but they couldn't deny it. That means I successfully framed them and now they're suffering false accusations.

Before that though, I made sure that the operation was smooth and that no fingerprints could be traced. They also didn't notice Rodney and Lance and my appearance so no desirable suspects showed up in the findings.

I'd say we're covered up because of Yvette's father and I'm really grateful for him.

This revelation destroyed the image of the Ayala family and they're now prompted to get a house arrest including that Vince-whatever.

After that, Yvette's family refused the marriage and severed their connection with them. They gained support from the other companies and because of that, Yvette's family is now back on top as a powerhouse.

[Well, that's the gist of it... There's actually a lot more that happened because of you but I'm not gonna tell that.] Yvette was updating me through a phone call.

"I see. So what are you going to do now?" I asked.

I was currently relaxing on my room's veranda. It's been a while since the sun came in so I was enjoying the fresh air.

[Well, for now, I'm going to continue my college studies and hopefully inherit my family's business...]

"Sounds like nothing have changed..."

[I never said I would leave my responsibility as the upcoming head of the house. I want to nurture our business and other branches. I just wanted to get rid of that arranged marriage. Hee hee...] she giggled.

"Is that so...?"

[Oh yeah, come to think of it. Nathan, do you want to have a free scholarship in college after you graduate?] Yvette asked.

"I do but... why are you asking me?"

[My father has a referral and I can apply to you immediately so that you won't have to worry about the expenses. I insisted to give you one because you're a great help to me...]

Huh? That's weird...

"Wait, how come your father can apply me directly without any process? If I'm correct, in order to have a scholar, I must achieve an excellent grade. Isn't that strange?" I asked.

[Hahaha! So you actually don't know anything about me! Haha!]

"Huh? What do you mean?"

[Let me introduce myself again. My name is Yvette Denisse Sierra. I'm the daughter of the founder of SASMNHS. Nice to meet you, Natsu~]

I dropped my phone on the floor and clutched my head.

[Hello...? Are you still there, Nathan...?]

No no no no no no... This is not happening right now. Yvette's the daughter of the owner of this school?! And I did all of that!

"AAHHHH!!! I'M SCREWED!!!"