16| venom

D I A N E

I walked through the empty ballroom, my heels clicking on the marble floor. The space was vast, with high ceilings and tall windows that let in the afternoon light. It was a blank canvas, and it was up to me to transform it into a perfect setting for a wedding.

My wedding planner journal was already filled with pages of notes and ideas, but there was still a lot of work to do. I began to take measurements and sketch out the layout of the room, trying to visualize how everything would come together.

As I scrolled through the photos that Yulia had sent me, I felt a spark of inspiration. The royal blue roses were stunning, and the rain chandelier was a unique and beautiful touch. But it was the custom hairpiece that caught my eye. It was intricate and delicate, and I could tell that it was a labor of love.

My client's style was starting to come into focus, and I couldn't wait to bring her vision to life. I quickly typed out a text to my stylist, asking if she could work her magic and create a similar piece for my client.

I pulled out my laptop and opened up the venue's layout, which I had saved to my photo album. I began to mark out where the tables and chairs would go, making sure to leave enough space for guests to mingle and dance. I added in the rain chandelier and the hairpiece, creating a 3D model in my mind.

I pulled out my phone and opened up my contacts, scrolling through the list of vendors I had.  I began sending messages, inquiring about availability and pricing for the various services that would be needed for the wedding.

My fingers flew across the screen, and soon I was in the zone, organizing and planning the wedding. I knew that this was just the beginning and that there was still a lot of work to do. However, I felt a sense of satisfaction as I made progress on the project.

□□□

An hour later, I found myself following Claudia through the front doors of the mansion. I couldn't help but feel a pang of recognition as I took in the grandeur of the entryway. This was the same mansion that Isaak lived in, and I felt a sudden rush of anxiety at the thought of running into him.

"Are you going to the dance tonight?" Claudia asked as we got out of the car.

I looked at her, surprised. I hadn't heard of any dance.

We walked through the large, wrought iron gates, and I couldn't help but notice the number of security guards that were positioned around the perimeter. The men were all dressed in dark suits, and they all carried themselves with a seriousness that made me uneasy. "Don't be afraid," Claudia said, as If she had noticed.

"I didn't know there was a dance," I say. "and it's a good thing because I'm not going anyway," I said.

As Claudia's hand touched the biometric scanner, I felt a shiver of anticipation. The doors slid open, revealing the mansion that was larger than any I had ever seen before.

Chandeliers sparkled overhead, casting a warm glow on the marble floor.

At that moment, I couldn't help but feel a wave of awe.

"Oh come on!" She groaned. "No, Claudia. I'm not coming. What am I meant to do? Watch other couples dance?"

"There's so many single men out there and besides, you don't have to date any of them. It's just a dance,"

"No," My tone was unwavering and she sighed, giving up. "Fine but the doors will still be open if you want to,"

We walked through the doors of the mansion and up the grand staircase. We made our way to her room, the familiar mansion in sight. "You're going to help me with my dress though," Claudia said. "And I'm not taking no for an answer,"

Moments had passed and Claudia was still looking through her walk-in closet

"What about this one?" she asked, holding up a stunning olive green dress with a plunging neckline.

She was obsessed with green.

"It's beautiful," I said, admiring the dress. "But I'm not sure if it's quite right for a ball."

"How about this one," I said pulling out the royal blue one

"It's perfect," She said, her eyes widening.

She beamed at me.

We made our way to the dressing room, and I helped her out of her clothes. She stepped into the dress, and I carefully zipped her up. When she turned to face the mirror, she looked radiant.

The dress was made for her, and it fit her like a glove. "Wow," she breathed, her eyes shining. "This is the one."

"You look stunning," I said, unable to take my eyes off her. "It's like the dress was made for you."

"Thank you," she said, her voice filled with gratitude. "I couldn't have done it without you."

"Duh,"

We left the room and started walking down the hallway. Suddenly, I heard a noise from the other end of the hall. It sounded like a muffled scream. "Did you hear that?" I asked, my heart racing.

"Hear what?" Claudia asked, oblivious.

Suddenly, we heard a loud bang, followed by the unmistakable sound of a gunshot. I felt my blood run cold, my heart racing in my chest. Without thinking, I rushed towards the sound, with Claudia close behind me. As we got closer, the sound of voices grew louder, and I realized that someone was shouting.

We reached the room where the sound had come from, and my heart sank. There, in front of us, was a woman pointing a gun at a man, her blue eyes blazing with anger.

Just then, a man burst into the room, quickly striding towards the woman with the gun. He grabbed her by the shoulders and slammed her against the wall, his eyes blazing with fury. I froze, unable to move as I recognized the woman and the man.

I looked at Claudia, and she looked just as shocked as I felt. "Is that..." she began, but I cut her off with a nod.

"It is," I said, my voice hollow.

His hands were wrapped around her throat, and she was struggling to breathe. I could see the panic in her eyes as she tried to break free, but he was too strong. "Isaak, please!" she gasped, her voice hoarse. "Please let me go!"

I stood there, frozen in shock and horror.

"Isaak!" I yelled, my voice shaking. "Isaak, please!" I took a step towards him, my heart pounding in my chest. The look in his eyes was one of pure rage, and I knew that if I didn't do something, he would kill her. It wasn't every day that Isaak wanted to ki

yes, he was a mafia boss but he killed people without necessarily feeling any anger towards them his eyes were filled with rage and it scared me.

I reached out a hand, trying to make him see reason.  "She's not worth it."

"Don't get involved, Yulia," Isaak said, his voice low and threatening. "This is none of your business."

I looked at Claudia, who was crouched next to the unconscious man. She was examining his head, checking for any injuries. "He's got a bump on his head, but he's breathing," she said, sounding relieved.

"You see, Yulia missed on purpose," I lied, trying to find a way to diffuse the situation.

Isaak looked at me, his eyes narrowed. "You expect me to believe that?" he said, his voice dripping with skepticism.

Her cheeks flushed with shame as she held her hand to her neck, taking deep, shaky breaths. Her eyes darted from Isaak to me, a look of fear and desperation on her face.

"Okay fine, she missed her aim. Just let her go, Isaak,"

"Listen to your nurse,"

And then finally, he let her go.