"So I am the stupid lamb here?"

Akira asked and rolled her eyes at Raymond.

"Obviously, does anyone else in this room looks stupid to you apart from yourself?", Mike said and teased her.

"I am going to kill you, Mike. You just watch your back. You will never know when death is incoming".

"How are you going to kill me? By bleating all around me?", Mike asked and both Raymond and Mike started laughing.

Annoyed with both of them Akira stormed towards the foyer to wear her shoes.

While Akira was wearing her shoe, Mike asked,

"So you are gonna do it today?"

Raymond looked at Mike and with an assuring smile on his face, he said.

"Yes".

"It happens today".

"Just double think about it Raymond, you are taking a huge risk here".

"But it's a risk worth taking and I am pretty sure I am not going to regret it".

"What are you two talking about?" Akira asked

"It does not concern you", Mike retorted immediately.

"Yeah, I know nothing does. God only knows what you two are up to. I should have had sent someone to see whether you both were actually busy flying drones or you guys just acted that you were working and the only thing you did was to plot against me".

"Ok now don't strain your brains thinking about all these scenarios Akira. Let's go it's already late", Raymond said and extended his hand.

"Now you are speaking my brother's language".

"This is just fantastic. Just a couple of days with him and you are already becoming like him. I think soon enough you will start a club and name it as "We hate Akira".

Saying that Akira stormed out of the house.

"All the best man".

Said Mike as Raymond left the house.

As they entered the car, Raymond tried to hold Akira's hand but she immediately retorted,

"Don't even think about it".

"Why are you mad with me?"

"Can you please just drive? We are already getting late.

----

She looked at herself in front of the mirror.

She was looking out of the world in that white gown and veil. The threads of the dress glistened and glowed under the light and made her feel all princessy.

Shawn had called her a couple of minutes back and he was about to reach her place in a few minutes. She knew it was happening. But then she kept looking at herself in the mirror for a while and after much deliberation, she removed her dress,

She went back to her wardrobe and took out a very simple yellow summer dress. It was quite old but that dress was very dear to Katherine. She dressed herself up quickly in it and when she started with her hair, she heard a knock on her bedroom door.

It was Kate.

Kate stepped inside the room and within seconds she had hit the panic button.

"What happened to the nice dress that we got? Why is it lying on the floor? Why are you wearing such an old dress? Are you not going to marry Shawn? Mom, what are you doing?", she started yelling at the top of her lungs and was almost in tears.

Katherine took a step ahead and wiped the tears away from her daughter's face and said.

"Who said I am not going to marry him? I will, for sure".

"Then why are you not wearing that pretty dress? Why are you wearing this old one? And why are you..."

And the doorbell rang.

Kate ran downstairs to open the door because she knew it was Shawn. They had hardly started interacting a couple of days back, but she doted on him and so did he. It was like they had already started to share a father-daughter bond.

As she opened the door she saw Shawn standing outside the door looking all handsome like a prince who had just arrived to rule his kingdom.

"How do I look my princess?", Shawn asked looking at Kate.

"You look like an emperor".

"And how is my queen doing?"

"Your Queen has gone nuts. She has removed her wedding dress and is wearing something else right now", Kate said rolling her eyes.

"What are you talking about?", Shawn asked all confused.

"You can go ahead and check for yourself", Kate said and pointed her finger towards Katherine's room.

His heart was all restless after hearing what Kate had to say.

Shawn immediately climbed up the stairs to check on Katherine. While he climbed every stair, he was scared if she had got a cold-feet, he was scared to hear a no from her side, he was scared with the thought itself that she might back out from all this.

But as he entered the room and looked at her, he was spellbound. He dropped everything that he was holding and rushed towards her and holding her face in his palm he kissed her.

"I can't tell you how much this means to me today. Of all the days you choose today to wear this dress. I don't know what to say, Katherine. You just never fail to amaze me".

"How do I look?"

"You look beautiful".

"But not like a princess right?"

"I don't need a princess. I need this girl, who is right now in my arms", he said and coming closer he touched the tip of her nose with his and ran his fingers through her hair.

"I never thought that you would still have this dress with you. I thought you hated it as you never wore it".

"How could I not have this dress with me, Shawn? This was the first gift that you bought for me and I never wore it because I was scared that it will be damaged. I have treasured it more than anything else in my life for all these years".

"8 years"

"8 years indeed",

Saying that he came leaned on her and captured her lips again.