T'was the day before the wedding and not all was well. For one like Valarie stayed curled up in bed. Most people dreamt of waking up from this dream but the Chase's tactics seemed to be too clean. Only time would tell if their game plan would slip or maybe someone they had wrapped around their fingers would trip. Would someone be the hero and save the day? One would just have to read to find out they say.

Dimitri left with his parents for rehearsal after being forced to. Why prepare for something you did not want to be a part of? He was most annoyed and the idea of leaving Valarie behind sickened him. Leanna had told her parents that she would prefer if Valarie did not tag along since it was a personal time for them.

Poor Valarie, left all alone to fend for herself in the house of mystery. Kyle was supposed to touch down later that day and she could not wait for him to arrive. She would finally have somebody on her side and someone to comfort her. She walked down the hall to the guest bathroom to shower since the one in hers ran out of hot water.

Her head was throbbing, she walked down the hall massaging her forehead.

"Are you okay dear?" Mr. Pepper questioned. John had sent him back home to pick up some decorations.

"Ugh! Yes, just my head hurts so much!" she replied.

"Ahh! There is a medicine cabinet in the bathroom. You should find some pain killers there. Be sure to read the labels on each of them before you take your pick. Who knows, you might find the answer you are looking for. You will know what I mean when you see it."

With that he walked off. Valarie stood for a moment in confusion. What exactly had he meant? Maybe it was just his way of talking? She shrugged her shoulders and continued on her way. Valarie opened the medicine cabinet and shifted her eyes over the pill bottles. She started picking them up one by one to read the labels.

"Advil, Ibuprofen, Valium, Panadol..." she murmured while going through the list.

She had gone through all the bottles and nothing seemed out of the ordinary. They were all common pills that she was quite aware of. Perhaps Pepper just had a weird way of talking after all. She tiptoed to pull down the Advil bottle from the top shelf to pop one in. As she stumbled to keep her balance, her hand slid across the row of bottles and accidently knocked down a few.

"Dammit!" she said, scolding her clumsy self.

A few of the bottles crashed into the floor and rolled around. She picked them up and read them over to ensure that she had not missed out on them from before. All were ones she had already checked. Valarie pulled across a box she spotted in the corner to climb up on it so that she could easily reach the top shelf. As she was repacking the bottles, she noticed a piece of plastic sticking over the edge. She pulled it out completely to discover that it was a packet of pills.

She flipped it over on the other side to read the label.

"Roffy" she read and snorted.

"What sort of name is that?" she laughed. It sounded like a cute pet name for a dog.

She had not heard of it before and the strange olive green colour attracted her. Her boredom had caused her to act like a child. Valarie took one of the pills out and popped it in her pocket to show Kyle her new discovery when he arrived. She placed the packet back where she had found it and took a long shower to ease her mind.

Rehearsals seemed to take forever. Valarie had spent the entire day in the house by herself in misery. Mr. Osbourne called in a few times to check on her but each time she lied and told him that she was okay.

After what seemed like forever, the rattling of the front door was heard. Valarie sat on the step eagerly awaiting everyone to step in. Her brain made a head count and the number fell short by one. She searched faces to find that Dimitri was missing.

"Ahh Valarie!" Mr. Chase greeted as he spotted her.

"I hope that my maids took good care of your while we were out. I didn't expect thing to take this long but you know I had to make everything perfect for my daughter."

"It's fine" Valarie responded dryly. I kind of like the peace and quiet anyway."

Leanna trotted up the stairs past Valarie without saying a word. She was the most stuck up a person could get. Valarie shook her head and gritted her teeth to keep her cool.

"We are just going to pack these things in the storage room at the back. We will be with you shortly to have dinner" Mrs. Chase said.

"That's fine, I'm still not feeling well. I think I might just hit my bed early today so that I will be revived for the ceremony tomorrow" Valarie said.

"Okay dear. Get some rest and I hope you feel better" Mrs. Chase said before walking off behind her husband."

Nikolai and his wife took a seat beside her on the stairs.

"Valarie I am really sorry to have left you here like this. They really insisted that it was just between us. You know that this wedding is already not under the best circumstances. We have to bend a bit to their rules since it is their daughter that our son impregnated."

"It's okay. I would not have wanted to be there anyway." Her tone was dead.

Nikolai furrowed his brows. "Are you okay?"

"Yes" she answered abruptly.

He had never seen her this unlike herself before. Nikolai narrowed his eyes on her.

"Valarie is something the matter? You can tell me."

"Sir everything is fine. I'm just not feeling well."

"Hmm it's probably just that lady time of the month" Mrs. Osbourne saved her.

"Ahh I see."

"You go on up and relax. I will take care of it" she suggested.

Nikolai nodded and brushed the back of his hand on Valarie's cheek before walking up.

"I bought a dress for you to wear tomorrow. I hope you don't mind" Irena broke the ice.

Valarie smiled half-heartedly "Thanks. I'm sure it is beautiful."

"You know when I imagined my son's wedding, I thought about planning months upon month to make it the most special moment for him and the one who would be his wife. Now I barely even get to be a part of the arrangements. I basically just have to agree everything that they decide. How wicked life can be sometimes. It rarely gives you what you want."

"I can totally relate. Nothing ever really goes my way" Valarie responded, her eyes fixed on the door.

Irena noticed the yearning in her stare.

"He's not coming home" she said.

Valarie turned to look at her confusingly.

"Who's not coming home?" she questioned.

"Dimitri. John requested that they did not sleep under the same roof the day before the wedding...like that makes any difference. It's ridiculous. He has to stay in a hotel room on his own until the wedding tomorrow."

She looked at Valarie and rested her palm atop her hand.

"Don't worry, he did not have a choice. He tried his best to stay here with you but his father has been under those people's spell since the day they announced that pregnancy."

She sighed. "I know that you and my son are not on good terms now and that is for now his fault, but he is devastated. I was just hoping that maybe you two can somehow get back talking again."

Valarie ran her hands through her hair. "Just give me some time. I'm still trying to get back on my feet again. Besides, him and I were not that close anyway. Everything will be fine okay? Don't worry."

She desperately needed to change the topic.

"Have you heard from Kyle? He should have been here by now."

"Oh he has been requested to stay at a hotel as well until the wedding tomorrow. Unbelievable isn't it? It seems like they don't want any outsiders in their house tonight. Perhaps they have something to hide? We met up with Kyle earlier. His phone fell in a drain when he was waiting outside the airport for a taxi so that is why he could not have contacted you."

"Oh wow. That's really interesting. There are so many rooms in this house and they refused to have him here?" Valarie was pissed.

"Well I guess there is no point being up and waiting around anymore then. I was only out here because I was expecting Kyle to arrive. I'll just go to bed."

Irene sighed. "Okay dear. Get some rest. We both have to mentally prepare ourselves for tomorrow."

She led Valarie up to her room to be left alone. It was a difficult night of sleep. In fact, she barely got any sleep in at all. Valarie literally tossed and turned throughout the night. Dimitri had a twin experience. His mind was heavy. Was he really going to get married to that witch tomorrow? The thought brought a painful knot in his stomach. Just as he found the woman he was willing to walk the rest of his life with, the devil came to knock him off of his feet. After all he had been through, to be left with this final torture of sleeping alone, miles away from Valarie. He knew that this was Leanna's doing. He had overheard her telling her father that Valarie was a threat. A threat to what? Even the devil himself would have been a better marriage contender for him than that spiteful woman.

A hectic start, the following day was off to. Everyone was busy with the last minute preparations for the wedding. Valarie had no zeal to look pretty yet Kyle had already called her three times for the day to ensure that she looked her best. His aim was to make Dimitri regret marrying that girl before he even did.

She took out the dress that Mrs. Osbourne had bought for her. It was gorgeous. The silver silk embellished with beautiful crystals was a dress fit for a queen. The gown fitted all the way down to the ankles and had a slit on the left side that went most of the way up her thigh. Her hair was set in an elegant up down style that screamed nothing but royalty.

Valarie's eyes widened as Mrs. Osbourne added the final touches to the make-up.

"Oh wow! You have really outdone yourself here. It's beautiful!" Valarie complimented in awe.

Mrs. Osbourne smiled. "Anything to make my daughter feel happy."

Valarie furrowed at the reference to 'daughter'.

"Daughter?" she questioned.

"Yes. You will forever be my favourite Valarie. If that wedding fails-. No scratch that. When that wedding fails, you will be the only person that I let marry my son. Don't look so surprised. I have been keeping tabs on you guys for some time now and it's clear that there is an undying connection. It is really unfortunate that he has messed up like he did, although I have a half mind to believe that he is at fault here."

Valarie could not believe what she was hearing. She had no idea that Mrs. Osbourne knew of she and Dimitri's relations and the thought made her stomach swirl. That would explain the concern she had because they have not really interacted with each other of lately.

"Yes, same here. As much as it is something that you cannot put past Dimitri, I'm not sure if I believe it. He said that he does not even remember much about being here and clearly does not remember bedding her."

"I know, my thought exactly. Also these people seem a bit off to me. You know that feeling where you know something is wrong but you can't really pinpoint exactly what it is? I wish I just had more time though but Nikolai is unstoppable. I am afraid of that beast I know he will wake up if this wedding does not take place."

"Ahh yes I know how he can be. I am not going to get in the middle of things. Also, let's say that the pregnancy turns out to be true and Dimitri does not marry that girl before it gets out, your names will be destroyed. As much as I despise the idea of him getting married to a woman that I know is the worse match possible for him, I would rather see it happen than to see him be destroyed by the press. You all did too much to build your reputation to have it thorn down by something like this."

Irene placed her hand on one of Valarie's cheeks. "You have always had us in your best interest. It is why I am so thorn that you may not become one of us. Valarie, I hate this. I hate to see my son this helpless but it is half of his fault for setting a nasty reputation for himself in the past. It is why his father won't believe him."

Three knocks were heard on the door and the two ladies turned around to see who was entering. Mrs. Chase's eyes narrowed as she saw the two. Irene was yet to have a one on one with her daughter like that. She finally noticed how beautiful Valarie was and she could make no comparison of her to her daughter. The fact made her jealous and quite frankly pissed.

"I have been looking for you. Why does the mother-in-law keep disappearing when she is needed?"

"I am needed?" Irene asked.

"Yes, my daughter is about to get dressed. The least you can do is help, after all, she will be your daughter too."

"She will never be my daughter" Irene mumbled in her head.

She rose from her seat and patted Valarie on her shoulder before walking out the door. Mrs. Chase glared at Valarie briefly before leaving herself. Valarie rolled her eyes and sighed. Poor Irene. What horrible in laws she will have.

Dimitri was not even close to mentally preparing himself for what was to come. His father had gone over to his hotel to ensure that he was still in check. He saw his father's reflection in the mirror as he was buttoning his shirt.

"Look you don't have to come here to remind me that I am about to destroy my life okay? I'm still doing as you say."

Nikolai sighed. "It's not what I came for."

"Then if you came for anything else than to tell me that the wedding is off and you believe me then I don't want to hear it."

"Look you can't expect me to believe you when all the facts point against you and you've had a past of bedding every woman you had access to."

"Yea the past will always come back to haunt you right? Maybe I was like that back then but I have changed now. I did not touch that girl and I was finally starting to settle down."

"How much more time would you have needed Dimitri? I have been trying for so long to see you commit to something like this. Maybe life got tired of waiting on you as well."

"So you are saying that I deserve this? Look, you are starting to piss me off. I know you just came here to ensure that I was still on board with the plan and I am okay? You can leave now. I will be ready soon."

Nikolai sighed. Saying anymore would only worsen the situation.

"Fine I will leave you to it then. Look I am sorry that I am like this with you but I have no choice. Also, just try to make this go as smoothly as possible. The press will be there and I will not tolerate any tricks. If you have nothing good to say, just don't say anything at all because if you mess this up, consider yourself out of the company for good. You will no longer have a position there."

He left Dimitri to the silence of his room once more. Dimitri pondered on what his father had just said. If he was kicked out of the company, then that meant that he would be kicked out of Valarie's life completely. The thought sickened him. As much as he would regret tying the knot with Leanna, he would make that sacrifice to get the opportunity to be around Valarie any day.

Ariel and Jake were working hard at it to gather sufficient evidence to put that family down for good. It was only a few hours before the wedding and they did not have much time left at all. Ariel kept up the pace making calls and gathering documents against them. They were determined to get it done before rings went on fingers.

Valarie finally reunited with Kyle at the wedding venue. She had left Leanna behind to finish get dressed.

"Girllll these people want me to slap them!" Kyle busted into a fit after seeing her.

"After that dreadful flight, they shipped me off to some hotel because they smelt the threat. If they do not have anything to hide, why be afraid if the master investigator spent a night at their house?"

"Yeah they did not let Dimitri sleep there last night either."

Kyle huffed and shook his head. "Damn those people for now. You look stunning!"

"Thank you" Valarie smiled. "I don't feel the way I look though."

"'I know. This must be so hard for you. The least we can do is think about it as witnessing the beginning of the destruction of their lives. I am really looking forward to their vows. She must have a script prepared."

"Sad that I forgot my phone at the house though. I would have loved to have personal pictures."

"Ahh yes, it is unfortunate that my phone got trashed. Don't worry, I will go manipulate the photographers into taking some priceless shots."

They walked over to the bar to start gobbling down some shots to help them get through the ceremony in one piece.

Irene was just happy to get over playing dress up with someone she despised. She could smell the wolf under her skin but the lamb stayed apparent to the eyes. Mrs. Chase, Irene and the bridesmaids left Leanna alone to put on her finishing touches and mentally prepare herself for the big step in her life. They headed off to the venue ahead of her in a limousine.

Leanna took independence in getting there herself. She wanted to make an entrance and she sent her mother in front to ensure that everything was going to plan before she got there. As she struggled to make it down the step without mashing her dress, a strange sound stopped her in her tracks. She paused midway down the stairs to look up to where the sound was coming from. Wasn't she supposed to be the last one to leave? Her driver was outside awaiting her so who could possibly still be home?

She walked back up the stairs and walked down the hall towards the bathroom where the sound was coming from. When she approached the opened door, her eyes widened when she saw Mr. Pepper finishing close the medicine cabinet. Her eyes had already seen him push the mysterious packet of pills in his pocket. Leanna pretended to be confused.

"What are you still doing here? Did you not leave behind my mother and the girls?"

He fumbled to find words. "Ahh I-. Mrs. Osbourne was not feeling well so I came back here to get her some pain killers so that she can get through the ceremony without her intense migraine."

"Oh really? How thoughtful of you" Leanna smiled.

"It is good to see that you are eager to take care of my mother-in-law."

She reached out her hand elegantly towards him. "Help me down the stairs will you?"

"Of course dear" Pepper forced a smile.

He took her hand gently and lead her down the hall towards the steps. As they reached the top of the stairs, she bent down and pretended to move the fabric of her dress from under her shoe.

"I think I will try to take it on my own from here. After all, I got to walk on my own when I arrive at the venue."

She prompted for Mr. Pepper to take the lead in front of her. Leanna's face immediately morphed into something much more sinister.

"Nice try you stupid old man. I will not let you destroy my family!"

Before Mr. Pepper had time to process what she had just said, she stood tall and pushed him from behind with all her might. Pepper stumbled and slipped until his body went off the centre of gravity and he went flying forward, plunging down and over the flight of stairs. His body tumbled over and over until he crashed into the marble floor below.

Leanna smiled and stalked down the step fashionably behind him. She came to a stop at the bottom of the stairs where Pepper laid unconscious, bleeding from the head.

"You should have known better than to try to double cross me" she said.

She stooped down next to him and reached her hand into his pocket to pull out the packet of green pills. Leanna stood to her feet and modelled out, leaving the helpless man to fend for his life himself. It was as though it had not happened. She got into her car and headed to beautiful park that she was destined to get married in.

Cameras flashed everywhere as she arrived. Two prestigious families unite! It was a wedding to make headlines. Her father went to meet her at the waiting room where they prepared for the ceremony to start. He leaned down close to her air and whispered a few words to her.

"It is almost done with. Just stick to the plan and daddy will be able to take care of you like he used to before. I made sure that Nikolai had that boy in check. It is happening. You will get married to him."

Leanna squealed at the thought. Dimitri was already out front awaiting her. They were masters of their game. Their plan was coming to life and there was nothing to stop them now.

"Oh Pepper tried to slip earlier. I thought him a lesson. Hopefully one of the maids find him and get him to the hospital before we get back."

John widened his eyes. "What did you do?"

"Oh don't worry. I promise you that it will look like an accident. The old man slipped down the stairs."

"Ahh good" John said in relief.

Ariel had finally gotten the last piece of evidence she needed to prove that John and his family was an entire scheme. She ordered Jake to call Valarie and inform her so that she could put a stop to the wedding before it happened.

Jake excitedly called Valarie's phone but it went unanswered. The sad phone laid on her dresser, exactly where she had forgotten it.

"Dammit Valarie! Answer!" Jake screamed after the fourth try.

"Damn" Ariel paced the floor.

"Ahh call Kyle!" she suggested.

The frustration only built when his phone went straight to voice mail.

Jake looked at the time. It was a tick away from death.

"We need to go there. We need to leave now! I will get us the first flight out!"

They hurriedly packed their bags and headed to the airport in hope of stopping the wedding before it happened. Jake could already sense that it was going to be too late.

The musicians sweetened the air with the wedding song and Leanna walked down the aisle with her father. Valarie and Kyle looked on in disgust as she plastered the fakest smile on her face. Dimitri stood with his hand in his pocket. He could not even bare to look at her. He had hoped that his memory would come back before this time to save him from making the worse decision of his life but it was still all a blur to him. He could not explain how he was innocent even though he knew deep down that he was.

Bitcheanna was now standing opposite to him and her stare felt like that of Medusa, turning him to stone. His father could see the look of revulsion on his face. He clearly was not trying to hide the fact that he did not want to be there at all. Nikolai held his breath and hoped that it just went smoothly.

Kyle leaned into Valarie "You know I had it all planned out how I was going to object when the priest asks but damn Osbourne know me so well. He pulled me aside earlier and said that if I interfere, he will fire my ass. Dammit!" he grunted.

Valarie patted him on his arm "It's okay. What is to be, will be."

The priest babbled on with all those things he was supposed to say before the couple's vows. All ears tuned in when Leanna took centre stage with the mic. She crossed her hand over her chest as she said her speech.

"Dimitri and I fell in love since the first day we met. When he walked into my father's house, I knew from that moment that he was going to stay. There has been a few ups and downs but we always seem to get our way through it all. My heart has never felt this full before.

"So full of shit!"" Kyle mumbled.

A few people in his row heard him and busted out into laughter. They immediately stopped when the congregation turn back to look at them.

"Carry on honey" Kyle shouted from behind.

Valarie snorted when she saw the look on Leanna's face. She was turning red.

"Our souls were meant to be meshed" she continued.

Dimitri rolled his eyes. He was clearly getting annoyed. John could sense the mood changing. He could not leave time for their plan to be crushed. The sooner they got it done, the better.

He cleared his throat and Leanna got the memo. She wrapped up her speech. Dimitri remained silent when he was called upon to deliver his. A long awkward silence grew. Mrs. Chase moved in place to wipe the questionable stares on everyone's face.

"The man is just ready to claim his wife! He does not have time to waste on speeches" she Joked.

Everyone busted into laughter and cheered on. Irene could not be more pissed. She gritted her teeth as Nikolai coached her to keep her cool. The priest smiled and continued to the passing over of the rings.

There was no hesitation for Leanna to say yes when she was asked. When it came to Dimitri's turn, he struggled to bring out the short little word. His head turned towards the guests and his eyes searched for Valarie. He turned to an empty shell and lost every bit of himself when he saw the tears pooling in her eyes. The threat his father made lingered in his mind and he knew what he had to do. Getting himself fired was not the right move. He knew what his father was capable off and he was sure that he would make sure that he was not able to associate himself with anything or anyone surrounding the company.

"Sorry" he mouthed as he gave Valarie one last stare.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife" the priest said as Dimitri gave into that dreadful three letter word.

Leanna jumped as she stared at the ring on her finger. Dimitri could not come to terms with what he had just done. He needed time alone. He needed to get away from this place before he did another thing he would regret. Dimitri fisted his arms at his side and walked away from the altar to walk down the aisle. Leanna followed behind like a chick chasing behind a hen.

Valarie sighed and ran her hands through her hair. It was done. It was actually done. She imagined the time to go by excruciatingly slow but it seemed like everything just happened in the blink of an eye. It was over between she and Dimitri for good. She had been crushed to pieces while Nikolai had gotten his wish. His son had finally shown him the commitment he so longed for. Kyle embraced her in a tight hug as she sobbed the last of her future with Dimitri good bye.

No one had seen Dimitri from the time he left until the reception later that day. Valarie was already on the road to being drunk. She let another round of tequila slip down her throat. Kyle joined her at the bar. They looked on the dance floor as Leanna took turns dancing with the guests. She had not seen Dimitri since he had left earlier and an emptiness built inside. Even if she could not have him, to see him would at least curb the longing she had.

"I can't stay here" Valarie told Kyle.

"I need some fresh air."

"Aww I will come with you." He suggested.

"No. I need some time alone."

She gave him a kiss on his cheek and walked outside. Valarie hoped that the earth would open up and just swallow her. The crushing in her chest was unbearable and she could pass out at any moment now.

Kyle frowned as he saw Leanna walking towards the back room. The fact that she looked around to see if anyone was watching before she entered raised red flags. Kyle furrowed his brows and stalked after her like a ninja. He grabbed a mini camcorder from an amateur photographer as he walked by.

"I promise that I will bring this back. You will thank me later for the footage that I will capture. "

Before the man could protest, Kyle ran away and disappeared into the crowd. The man tried to run behind him but he was swarmed by a string of people who entangled him in their line dance. Kyle creaked the door that Leanna had disappeared behind. Her back was turned towards him and she did not hear him enter. Kyle kept the camera rolling. Leanna took up a key from the table and walked towards one of the lockers. She opened it and pulled out a flask of whiskey. She unscrewed the bottled, held it to her mouth and sucked the potent liquid down.

Kyle's jaw dropped open. Wasn't this b*tch supposed to be pregnant? He watched as she chugged more than half the bottle down.

"Ahh finally we meet again baby!" she said to the bottle.

Kyle slipped and crashed into the door. Leanna spun around swiftly to see who was there but he was lucky enough to make it out without her seeing his face. She ran after him but his eager feet were too swift. He ran outside in search of Valarie to show her what he had found.

"Valarie!" Jake shouted from across the lawn.

He and Ariel had finally arrived. Valarie's eyes widened as she saw him.

"Jake? What are you doing here?" she questioned as she ran towards him.

"You have to stop the wedding! You have to stop it!" he said.

Valarie sighed. "It's too late for that. It's already done. You are a few hours late. Dimitri gave in and they already exchanged rings. It's done."

"'Dammit!" Jake said, stamping his foot on the ground.

"I tried calling you. Why haven't you answered?"

"I forgot my phone at the house. What is the matter?"

"It's all a big scheme. It's all a big scheme!" he said.

"Jake slow down. What's a big scheme?"

"That family. This wedding. All of it."

"Well nothing matters now. It's already done. He is married and there is nothing we can do about that now."

It was as if Ariel's brain clicked into first gear.

"There is still one thing we can do. Come with me!" she ordered and they chased after her without knowing what plan she had or if she even had one.

***

Guysss. One more chapter left! O.O :D