Jelena stared at the crowd without emotions in her eyes. She looked down at her fingers and her lips curved upwards in pain.

Across the dancing crowd, the groom sat down taking countless glasses of alcohol down his throat.

"Slow down, Andrew" Daniel stared at his friend who glanced at him and dropped the glass in his hand.

"I need you to check what this family is up to, I don't trust them" Andrew glared coldly at the girl who was seated a few feet from him.

****

"Tomorrow, you will be gone to your husband's house. I know you have no knowledge of etiquette and the elites but please don't embarrass us any further" Mrs Owen lectured Jelena who sat down staring past at the window.

Jelena was lost in thoughts, she had only agreed to come with her father not to marry her childhood friend turned enemy. Her mother didn't even know she was married, yet she was to move to her husband's house the next day.

"Remember the deal we made, if you make a mistake then your mother gets it" Mrs. Owen threatened and Jelena gave her a cold glare.

"You promised to stop targeting them if I did what you wanted" Jelena remained her but the old woman before her smiled mockingly.

"I said I would stop targeting them, not that I would let them go. '' She sighed and sat down rubbing her head.

"I wonder where my precious daughter is" Her voice sounded sober but Jelena wasn't moved.

She knew there was something amiss but what? Her stepmother was a selfish but loving woman who would sacrifice the world for her youngest daughter. She must have known where Natasha was but just decided to hide her.

A knock on the door awoke both women back to life.

"Nicole, is there any news yet?" Mrs. Owen stood up and walked to her eldest daughter.

"Nothing yet, Mom. Just go and rest we would find her soon" Nicole gave her mother a side hug and after a while they let go and Mrs. Owen left but not without sizing Jelena.

"Jelena, you are such a selfish pri*k" Nicole scolded.

Jelena turned to the lady who looked similar to Natasha but with a different hair color and body size.

"It's an honor" Jelena knew this sister didn't like her but would never hurt her so she was relaxed.

"You couldn't wait to marry Andrew right? You've always had your eyes on him and when you saw Natasha wasn't available, you decided to snatch him, right? How thoughtful" Nicole sat down and crossed her legs facing Jelena with piercing eyes.

"Coming from someone who feels she is better than anyone else, I'm on the right track" Jelena knew this game very well, it was either Nicole breaks her or vice versa.

Nicole smiled and stood up turning to leave, Jelena sighed and looked back at the window but Nicole's cold words made her turn.

"Do you think Andrew would ever forgive you after hurting his sister?"

"I never hurt her. What happened then was an accident" Jelena tried to defend herself.

Nicole smiled and turned back to Jelena who had gotten on her feet.

"An accident you caused yourself. As little as you were, you were so selfish that you had to hurt others to get money. So pitiful" Nicole scanned her with her eyes.

Jelena felt naked, she hated talking about that incident, everyone blamed her for it but she knew she was innocent but had no way of proving it.

"I am innocent of your accusations" Jelena looked at Nicole with clear eyes.

Nicole felt something was off but her sister was missing, she wasn't going to let Jelena off the hook till her sister was found.

She turned and left.

Jelena rubbed her arms and faced the window, she felt so alone and trapped. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she fell to her knees and wailed.

She was scared, scared of what Andrew would do to her.

*****

DOWN CITY

"Jenny, where is Jelena?" Mrs Stones asked, dropping her bag on the sofa and sinking into it.

"Mr Owen came and took her" Jenny explained to her mother as she poured her water.

"Thank you," She said to Jenny then collected the cup and gulped down everything.

"Today was strange," Mrs. Stones said as she bent down to remove her shoes.

"What happened?" Jenny asked to bring some food for her.

"Mr James who has been yelling at me all week was suddenly nice"

"Mama, isn't that a good thing?" Jenny asked, sitting down beside her.

"Yes but I don't feel good about it, something is not right" she complained as she removed her shoes and started eating.

Jenny shrugged and took her bag in.

****

THE NEXT DAY

Jelena looked at herself in the mirror, she looked like the princess she had always wanted to be.

She touched her reflection and her lips curved upwards making her cheeks red.

"May I come in?"

The warm voice made Jelena turn, her smile grew wonder seeing the man before her.

"Papa" she called out softly.

Mr Owen walked to her, grabbed her left hand, and brought it close to his lip.

"My Rapunzel" he complimented and Jelena smiled.

"Papa, how are you doing today?" Jelena asked, dragging him to the bed where he sat down.

She rushed to grab a comb and some ointments. Mr Owen smiled seeing that she didn't forget their tradition and that her mother honored his wishes.

He was a man who loved long hair but his wife refused to keep them and even her daughters followed in her steps. When Jelena was born, he made her mother promise never to cut it and she agreed. Jelena was his favorite.

He poured the ointment into his palm and rubbed it in his hair, his eyes welled up as he remembered that it was the last time he would do such.

"Papa, you are crying?" Jelena looked at the reflection and Mr Owen smiled.

"My precious daughter, your birth was a light to my dark world. You've always been a righteous daughter but this is how I repay you" Jelena understood what he meant but she couldn't let him feel bad.

She stood up and hugged him, "Papa, you know best. I'm happy with your decision," she said and Mr Owen looked at her with bright eyes. He opened his mouth to say something when Mrs Owen came into the room.

"They are here" she announced sizing Jelena.