I heard you are older

"Arina, I felt someone grabbed my throat," I coughed, my voice still shaky from the experience.

"Zoe, sit here," Arina said gently, guiding me to the bed. She poured water into a chalice and handed it to me. "Drink it, you'll be fine."

I took the chalice and drank. The liquid was unexpectedly sweet, tasting more like honey than water. I swallowed it all, feeling a warmth spread through my chest.

Arina's fingers played with my hair, her touch soothing. As I finished drinking, she seemed lost in thought. I could see a strange glint in her eyes, something both tender and unsettling.

She murmured softly, "He asks so many questions, and I really don't like it. He is such a baby, and I like babies so much."

The way she said it sent a chill down my spine, but the sweetness of the drink and her touch made me feel drowsy, almost hypnotized. I leaned back, trying to shake off the unease that lingered at the edges of my mind.

"Arina," I whispered, my voice heavy with sleep, "what was in that drink?"

"Just something to help you relax," she replied, her fingers continuing their rhythmic motion through my hair. "You need to rest, Zoe. Everything will be clearer in the morning."

I wanted to protest, to demand more answers, but my eyelids felt like lead. The room around me blurred, and I could barely keep my eyes open.

"Sleep now, my love," Arina's voice was the last thing I heard as I drifted off. "I'll take care of everything."

Arina and I started living together after that day. The wedding day came, and we registered our marriage. However, not everyone who was invited was present. It was very strange that those who had consented to this marriage did not show up. It seemed that everyone suddenly got sick.

I couldn't understand why. If they didn't want to come, they could have just said so. Why make excuses? It bothered me, but Arina seemed unfazed.

I sighed, "I never thought they wouldn't come on my important day," I told Max.

Max is my childhood friend. He's an orphan who used to live with us and studied with me until the 7th grade. After that, he transferred to a different school. He was a brilliant student, and his dream was to work in the intelligence department. In a few months, he would finally join the department.

Max uttered, "Bro, forget them. You can't force them to come."

Suddenly, Arina came downstairs, wearing a black sleeve and backless gown. As usual, her fragrance, sweet and alluring, filled the room. The scent seemed to force everyone to close their eyes and breathe deeply, captivated by her presence. She walked towards me with a graceful elegance and kissed me on the cheek.

"You look handsome in a black suit," Arina said, her eyes twinkling.

I crossed my fingers on her back and answered, "It's my wife's favorite color, after all."

I felt a shiver run down my spine at her touch

Arina smiled sweetly and then turned her attention to Max. 

 "Arina, this is Max, my childhood friend," I introduced them.

Max smiled, extending his hand. "Nice to meet you, Arina. I've heard so much about you."

Max stared at her for a long moment before speaking. "I think I know you. Have we met before?"

I looked at Arina. She was about to say something but paused, her eyes flickering with an unreadable expression. She turned her gaze away from him and said, "Maybe somewhere or on the way."

Max narrowed his eyes in confusion. "Yeah, maybe."

Arina quickly changed the subject. "Max, how long are you planning to stay in town?"

Max shrugged. "Just a few days. I wanted to be here for Zoe's wedding and catch up with him."

"That's wonderful," Arina said, her smile returning. "We should all have dinner together before you leave."

"Absolutely," Max agreed, though his eyes still lingered on Arina with a hint of suspicion.

The atmosphere took a weird turn, so I tried to normalize the situation. "Babe, please help me greet them. I'm so tired of it."

Arina smiled and replied, "Don't worry, honey. I will take care of it."

Max and I went outside for some fresh air. As soon as we were alone, Max turned to me. "Hey, did you get all her information?"

I hesitated. The truth was, I hadn't. We had only known each other for two months. But I didn't want Max to worry, so I said, "Yes, don't worry. I took everything."

Just then, one of my old friends came towards us. "Zoe!"

"Avil!" I exclaimed.

She came up and hugged me tightly. "I'm so happy to be here."

"I'm glad you came," I said, genuinely pleased to see her.

Avil smiled at me. "I wouldn't miss it. After all, it's your wedding. Anyway, where is she?"

"She's inside, greeting some of the guests," I replied.

 "I'll introduce you."

We headed back inside, and I saw Arina chatting with a group of our friends. She seemed to be in her element, laughing and smiling, her charm drawing everyone in.

"Arina, this is Avil," I said, bringing her over. "Avil, meet my wife, Arina."

Arina turned her attention to Avil, giving her a warm smile. "It's nice to meet you, Avil."

Arina extended her hand to shake, but Avil didn't reciprocate. Avil had always been possessive about me, and she wanted to marry me. I'd rejected her many times, and now it seemed she might show her anger on my wife.

"Hello, Arina. I heard you are older than our Zoe," Avil asked mockingly.

"Avil, what kind of question is this?" Max spoke out, clearly uncomfortable with the tension.

"Avil," I was about to say something, but Arina stopped me.

"Yeah, Avil, I'm older than him, but I'm young all the time. No one will be able to defeat me in this," Arina replied smoothly, with a strange confidence. As she spoke, I noticed something different about her. It was true—she seemed to be growing more beautiful each day.

"Honey, please stay with her. After all, she is our special guest," Arina said, then turned to engage with other guests, leaving us standing there.