The Kidnapped Bride

"Tell me, Javier.. that ring was supposed to be given to our dear wives. Jennifer isn't your wife and.. . neither have you married that dumb girl. So why was it in her finger?"

Charles was straight in his talks without raising his eyes. The way his eyes clearly showed how much he waited for this answer.

Javier, whose eyes were initially on the ground, can detect his heart already fading. It was beating erratically, at a rapid speed already.

"I..I.. brother.." Javier can't bring those words to his mouth that he is already married.

Knowing the temperament of Charles, he might burst out due to anger and blame him too. This was the last thing on his list to make his brother furious and give him another shock.

Yet Charles's eyes were stagnant on his brother, "Javier.. I've asked you something. Reply to me on that."

"Brother.. won't that be better if we keep this out? Things aren't at their place and ate already complicated enough for me to explain them.." the frown expression of his expressed how much he was against explaining.

However, Charles had other issues, where he was fixed on his question, "But this ring! Javier! You know how much she cared about that ring.." 

His eyes were cruel as he showed how much that ring was to be valued in their lives. Giving it to a mere girl.. who isn't their wife was totally the worst thing his brother can ever do!

"No matter how much you love her.. until and unless she isn't your wife in writing, I'm sorry but you have no right to give that to her as a surprise or whatsoever!" 

His actions were clear and lately, bold enough to say that he won't accept something like that so easily. No, in his eyes this was absolutely wrong.

Why!? His mother's wish cannot just crumble down into pieces. If this ring was meant to be for her daughters-in-law, then surely it will be given to them. 

No matter how much the girl in their life matters.

Javier made a straight face without moving his eyes an inch. Taking a deep breath, he nodded his head. "You are correct. This ring cannot be given  to anyone."

Hearing this, Charles's eyes narrowed slightly. "So are you telling me that you will remove that ring from Jennifer's fingers?"

"No, I never said that. I just agreed with you that it cannot be given to someone who isn't your wife and not our mum's daughter in law.."  Javier's words are confusing.

Charles was already feeling puzzled by the actions of his brother. Once he says he does agree then he said that he won't get the ring? 'What is this man trying to say?'

But Javier's next question was enough which made Charles dumbfounded."Didn't you give that ring to Sierra as well?"

There was absolute silence in the return. 

Charles gulped the saliva present in his mouth when he realized the situation was already turning against him. "This isn't about me.."

"True but it is about the precious ring you and I have." The meaningful question made Charles speechless back when he changed his position and let his back face his brother. 

Lowering his head, he even took a deep breath and surfaced messy emotions which weren't easy to define but Javier already found the answer to his question.

"You did.. you did give her a ring. I know that very well, she did send me a picture of that when I was abroad." Javier answered from the back, which made Charles shocked.

He was stunned to the core when his eyes widened in surprise. Initially, he turned to sound, he looked at Javier as if a ghost had haunted him. "She sent you a picture of that?"

Nodding his head, Javier gave him a position response to the same. That wasn't hidden from him that his brother did get engaged to that girl.. in private.

"The ring was exactly like ours. So, doesn't that mean you also gave her the ring which was supposed to be given to our brides?"

Javier had no intention of keeping all the things on him. Charles did something similar in the past, what was the reason for him to stay silent and yell at him for the same point?

As brothers, they surely need to share some major understanding about some crucial topics.

As a deep glint passed from Chalres'seys when he replied negatively. "That wasn't the ring which I gave her.."

"Oh, c'mon brother!" A scoff left Javier's lips when he just laughed away. "I saw it! That ring was exactly the same! I saw the picture."

"I gave her a ring exactly the same but not the exact one. The ring which I gave her.. must be still with her but the original one is still with me." Charles's different tone made Javier feel the coldness around them turning more deeper.

At this point, Javier's mind was filled with a messed-up turmoil of emotions. 'Does he mean that he asked the jeweler to make the same piece?' That was an exception.. for someone like Charles to do.

"So.. you never gave the ring to her.." Javier mumbled in between in his breath and Charles shook his head, "I planned to give that to her at the wedding. Unfortunately, that never took place."

In return, Javier nodded when he sensed that Charles was once again in a disappointing position. If he doesn't reveal, he is doomed but.. was there anything to do from big brother anymore?

He doesn't think so. 

The silence and how Javier's expressions interchanged made Charles slightly frown. His guts were already declining in some direction. ..

It was hard to say at this stage but then, Charles' instincts hit up out of blue. "I.. I.. i' m feeling something.. Javier…"

With the same determination in Javier's eyes, the air around them started to cool down a little bit. Not only that, the fear that was earlier related in Javier's eyes started to fade away with the time and until now, totally vanished into the thick air.

All that surfaced was the will and standing by his own words. The incident which he wasn't ashamed to speak off anymore.

"You might be the correct brother if you're going in the right direction.." his eyes red raised from its place when he tugged this hand deep into his pocket, "She isn't my girlfriend, nor any mistress."

"But she is my wife…Mrs. Jennifer Taylor Johnson... my legal wedded wife."