The corridor of the first kiss.

~~~

A majestic grandeur palace-like architecture was right before my eyes and I gawked looking at the architecture. I had never seen anything like that beforehand. Heck, I had no idea that a place like this even existed. Keith drove us three hours nonstop and out of the city and finally when we reached the suburb area, the first thing that came into my view was the palace and a bunch of press reporters. Keith parked the car right before the entrance and the valet took the car keys and went away to park the car, somewhere. Meanwhile, Keith assisted me and held my hands as we posed before the paparazzi and walked in towards the entrance of the palace. The paparazzi were restrained from coming in, as it was a personal affair. Leila Devlin and her fiancé Mr. James Kelly had strictly wished the occasion to be a private one with only close friends and family.

The whole way towards the banquet hall, I gawked at the interior of the palace. It was marvelous and so aristocratic. The architecture was vintage and with minute detailing designs in every sculpture. Just an engagement ceremony and they are already celebrating it in a palace. 

I wonder what they have planned for their wedding.

Leila Devlin was the most successful entrepreneur after her father, who runs her father's business for ten years until Keith who was eleven years younger than her came to the right age and she met her other half, she thought of handing over the company to Keith and marrying off Mr. James Kelly who was also one of those ten successful and powerful businessmen around. They said they used to be rivals but then soon fell in love after they signed some projects together and came closer as time went by.

Everytime I met Leila Devlin, I felt a certain aura around her. Though she had a pleasing smile plastered on her face, she was truly bossy and intelligent. I have seen Mr. Aaron's agreeing to everything that she told him to do. And I knew, she was the one who has fixed me with Keith into a wedding. The question is why did she do that?

Keith could've met the one like she did while serving his company. So, why did she make him marry me before even the company was handed over to him?

Does Keith's power have anything to do with this?

Does she have any idea what Keith was?

Or does Keith's character has something to do with this? Like the company's′ reputation dependent on Keith and as far as I knew, I have checked the internet for Keith's history, I found no link-ups or any playboy type of thing in his past. Actually, no one knew what he was doing. There were only a few articles on him. The article was about when his mother died of a car accident and soon he was sent to boarding school in London. And after that, there was no news of him on the internet but then it was when he grew up and came back and was soon engaged to me.

I sighed as I felt the happy vibes of the family when I looked at them. Leila Devlin was on the stage, looking pretty as ever. She wore a long lacey grey gown and her jet black hair was done in a bun as she held Mr. Kelly's hand and they greeted the one who came to meet them. Mr. Kelly looked so happy. He wore a black suit and his blonde hair was combed back nicely and both of them looked the happiest which made me feel happy and jealous at the same time.

I have been feeling this jealous feeling, quite a lot all these days.

"Vienna!" I was brought out of my thinking state when I looked up to find Ms. Leila already making her way towards me, pulling Mr. James Kelly with her.

"Ms. Devlin," I smiled as she pulled me for a hug and I felt intrigued by the fragrance of her perfume that she wore. The smell of rose.

"Oh dear, call me Leila," she chuckled as her eyes twinkled with mirth and I gave her a small smile and looked at her fiancé who had his arms wrapped around her waist.

"Honey, she is Vienna Alvis, my brother's fiancée," Leila introduced me to him as he had not been able to attend our engagement announcement conference. "Hello," he greeted showing me his toothy grin and I smiled back at him.

"Hello, nice to meet you," I told him and looked back at Keith who stood there like a dumb doll apathetic of anything around him. He walked to his sister and gave her a hug while she smiled and hugged him back warmly, and then he gave a side hug to James, and like that he was back to his spot.

"My my! My brother looks so handsome. More than you James," Leila made a joke and I watched James chuckled at her "Of course he is," he laughed, and while the two went all lovey dovey before us we stood there awkwardly witnessing their acts and I heard Keith sighing right next to me.

"Let's go! I want to drink something," Keith whispered into my ears and as his breath fanned my ear, I found myself shivering in the spot but nonetheless nodded and soon excused ourselves and walked towards the food section to have some water. I watched as Keith gulped down two glasses of water and looked back at his sister and then at me.

"What?" he asked as he caught me staring at him.

"You don't really look happy," I said as I noticed his expressions and his body language.

"What do you mean?" he mumbled as he took one more cup of water and was ready to gulp it down but stopped when I spoke: "For someone whose only sister is getting engaged; you look really apathetic to everything that's around us."

I watched him staring down at his cup for a second and then he gulped the water and literally slammed the glass on the table which caught me off guard and I gasped, surprised. "It's nothing like that," he said and took his handkerchief out to wipe his mouth.

We watched as Leila Devlin got engaged to James Kelly and they exchanged rings looking as happy as ever. Mr. Aaron was literally jumping up and down, too happy for his daughter, and while Keith sat on of the chair clapping occasionally looking impassive. It was hard to tell if he was happy or he was sad. But the fact that he was clapping made me think that maybe it was how he was. Always impassive.

After the ring exchange, Leila and James made their way to the dance floor and we circled them as they danced together with the live band of musicians playing romantic pieces of music on their piano and violin. It was truly a mesmerizing sight to watch. I guess it was true, when you see people happy; you feel happy. The smile that was plastered on Leila and James' face told it how happy they were together and they would make a bright life ahead. They swayed to the romantic music while people gawked at the couple and I looked back at Keith to find him nowhere.

"Keith?" I found myself searching for him.

I looked back at the couple and soon some other couple joined them to dance but Keith was nowhere in sight. I excused myself and looked at the big antic clock on the wall to read the time, twelve in the night. Keith was nowhere in sight, nor in the whole banquet room. For a moment I thought it was not my business to think about his whereabouts but then I found myself reacting the other way to what my mind actually wishing me to do.

I walked out of the hall and looked around the long hallway. It was so dark but thankfully I could see everything because of the moonlight and additional lamplights that fell on the open corridor of the palace.

"Keith?" I saw a figure leaning next to a pillar and looking up at the full moon.

"Keith?" I found myself calling his name when he did not respond. Soon, I walked over and I was beyond surprised when I saw him holding a bottle of wine and gulping down the wine all at once. His hair disheveled, his tie hung open on his collar, the top buttons of the shirt looked as if he had ripped it open and his eyes were bloodshot red as if he had been crying but most importantly he looked drunk.

"Keith, what are you doing?" I asked and held his hand refraining him from drinking further.

"Leave me alone," he said in a slurry yet calm voice but I shook my head negatively and took the bottle out of his grasp much to his dismay as he tried to take it back but failed as I threw it away towards the garden, where the glass bottle smashed into pieces as soon as it touched the pebble ground.

"Why did you do tha-" he stumbled and fell on me. I had my hands over his shoulder stopping him from falling as he kept his head on my shoulder. "Keith you have totally lost it. Come on, I will drive you back home," I said as I tried to make him stand straight. But as he was taller and heavier than me, I was failing to help him. I clicked my tongue in annoyance and looked around for anyone for help.

At first, I thought I should call Leila but then thought it would really disturb her she finds out about her brother's condition and on top of that, I didn't want to ruin her day.

"Keith, why did you drink so much?" I asked as I held his hand and wrapped it over my shoulder trying my best to make him stand straight.

"H-Help!"I stopped and looked at him as he uttered the words. "Hel-p my sister," he said and that got my attention. To say that I was beyond confused would be an understatement.

What does he mean by help his sister?

"What do you mean?" I asked and he held the edge of the pillar as he stabled himself and stood straight. The moonlight falling on his face as he undid his tie and wrapped it around his knuckles. I watched as he got rid of his glasses and looked over at me. All of a sudden, he looked sober as he leaned down, and before I knew it, he touched my lips with his. My eyes widened up in shock but as soon as that happened and before I could even connect the dots, he was gone. He vanished right before my eyes leaving me in a state of shock and in confusion.

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