Bargain Bride: The Billionaire’s Forced Wife

DAYS HAVE PASSED SINCE THE hit and run incident. Caterina was discharged earlier than they anticipated, for various reasons.

She doesn’t want to stay in the hospital anymore. Just the sight of the hospital machines and the smell of medicine make her remember that her child is already gone. Also, Giovanni’s men might go after her. It is not difficult to find her in a public hospital, after all.

“Use this,” Chiara gave her a card. “My men will meet you at the said place. I will provide you a care taker and some guards to make sure that Giovanni will not find you.”

Caterina received the card with a hesitating mind. She doesn’t know why Chiara is still helping her despite being spied on and betrayed by her.

“You won’t be Caterina anymore,” she added before handing her a pile of documents. “You have to live with a new identity. Read these files while on the way and memorize every information. You will be needing that.”

Caterina looked down on the files on her hands. “What are you doing this?” she asked, looking up at her former boss, literally.

“Doing what?” Chiara asked back.

“Helping me,” she answered. Caterina looked down to avoid Chiara’s gaze. She still feel guilty of asking for help to the person she betrayed before. “I betrayed you and gave information to your enemy. Why are you still helping me?”

She asked that because if she was in Chiara’s shoes, she would have left herself bleeding on the ground and let herself die. Caterina felt that she doesn’t deserve receiving help from her former boss.

“Before I answer that,” Chiara spoke. “Tell me first why you decided to betray me and sided on Giovanni.”

Caterina averted her gaze to some things so that she won’t have to look at Chiara’s eyes. With a shaking breath, she answered. “I believed him when he told me that he loves me,” hatred is evident in her voice. “He even said that we will build our own family, that he will make me his queen as long as I help him.”

“But he lied, right?” Chiara asked again. She stared at the woman in front of her who is shaking with anger.

She slowly nodded. “When you caught me, he didn’t even think twice before abandoning me,” Caterina wiped the traitor tears that are starting to fall.

“He said I was a dumb bitch for believing him,” she chuckled sarcastically after saying those words. “He told that he just used me so that he can destroy your company and dominate the mall chain industry. He even laughed and spat at me before throwing me away.”

Caterina was crying, but not to the point that she was wailing like the other day. Her tears were a mixture of betrayal, sadness, and most of all, anger.

“I didn’t do anything wrong to him,” she spoke again while furiously wiping her tears, as if those liquids from her eyes disgust her. “Is it my fault that I loved him? Is it my fault that he is a bad person? Is it my fault for biting his trap? My only mistake is that I loved the wrong person!”

Her fists were formed into a ball while gritting her teeth. Caterina would have let him pass even if he will not recognize their child. However, now that her child is dead, she wouldn’t just stand there and let him continue his bad doings.

“I understand your anger, Caterina,” Chiara responded after a short while. “The reason why I’m helping you is because I know that Giovanni also did you wrong.”

She looked at her with determination. Chiara hold her hands gently. “I’m giving you another chance. Not just for yourself but also for your child. I need to bring him down, but in order for me to do that, I will need your help.”

“Anything, ” Caterina replied almost immediately. “I will do anything. I want to destroy him!”

Chiara nodded at her. “The information you gave were already sufficient for me to remove those spies, ” she said while remembering the details Caterina said.

“For now, hide under a new identity and don’t let him catch you. Call me if you are in danger. ”

Caterina was able to leave the country undetected. Now that she already started gathering more information and evidences about Giovanni’s spies in their company, she knows that she has the upperhand in the battle.

“We’re already here, signora, ” Victor who was under the disguise of Ezio spoke.

Chiara looked outside and saw that they already reached one of the branches of Luminosa. This is the meeting place that Monika said to her days before.

It was quite ironic. She is the wife of their rival who also owns chains of malls, yet she chose to shop on Luminosa.

Victor opened the car door and Chiara went out. “You can go home now, Victor. Luigi will be the one fetching me later. Thank you.”

He smiled before bowing his head. When his signora is already out of his sight – when she entered the mall – Victor started the engine and went home.

It didn’t take long for Chiara to see Monika and Ms. Coppola sitting on a waiting bench in the open area of the mall.

“Good afternoon,” she greeted the twi who immediately stood up when they saw her. The three exchanged cheek kisses before starting their bonding session.

“I think this suits you,” Chiara spoke while showing a black backless dress to Monika.

Monika blushed when she saw the dress. “I like it, but I don’t really wear dresses like that, ” she said with disappointment in her voice.

“Oh, why?” Ms. Coppola asked. “This dress will highlight your body better!”

“I’m just not used to it, ” she answered while her eyes are looking at the dress. “During parties, I will just wear a top and a pants or skirt.”

Ms. Coppola grabbed the dress from Chiara and put it on Monika’s hand. “Then it’s time for a change! Go on and try that one.”

Hesitating, Monika still nodded. She walked towards the fitting room while the two other women waited outside, excited for the reveal.

After a few minutes, the door opened and it revealed Monika.

“Oh my,” Chiara reacted before smiling at the view.

Monika felt conscious on how she looks. She can’t pinpoint their reactions. “Do I look bad?”

“You don’t look bad, my dear,” Ms. Coppola spoke while walking towards her. She touched Monika’s shoulddr before gently making her turn around. “You look gorgeous!”

“You should wear dresses like this more often,” Chiara suggested while admiring how Monika looks.

The dress made her look a lot younger. It gave attention to the shape of her body. The color also looks good when partnered to her skin. Overall, Monika looked like an elegant, young lady.

It boosted her confidence. Finally, she found a type of clothing that suits her. They bought a couple of more things before deciding to have a lunch in one of the restaurants inside the mall.

“The food here is really delicious,” Monika commented after she finished her meal.

“Do you usually visit here?” Chiara asked with a hidden intention.

Monika nodded. “Yes. This mall is my go to place whenever I will buy or eat something,” she answered while smiling. “It was my mother who always brought me here when this was newly-built. This is a good place not just for shopping, but also for resting. My favorite part is the artificial terraces in the highest floor.”Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

“No doubt. A lot of people really admires this mall,” Ms. Coppola commented before taking at sip on her juice. “The establishments here were also top notched. The customer service and great. And the ambiance? You will really feel like you’re at home. It’s very comfortable.”

Chiara couldn’t help but to blush at the comments and praises. Although she still hasn’t revealed to Monika that she is the wife of Luminosa’s owner, she still thinks that the compliments are for her.

Their conversation progressed, mostly about girl stuffs like cosmetics and fashion. They wete too focused on their conversation, but it was interrupted when they heard a lot of people clapping.

The three of them looked around, finding what the cause of the people’s amusement might be. And on the middle of the crowd, a man was kneeling in front of a woman. He was sliding a ring on her finger before standing up and kissing her.

The two looked perfectly matched for each other, and the people know that they will be marrying soon.

“To find a love like that is rare,” Ms. Coppola spoke while watching the love birds.

Monika nodded. “Truly rare. I hope they will prosper and make a loving family for their own and their kids, ” she said while her right fingers were slowly caressing the tattoo on her nape.

“Uhm, Monika, ” Chiara called her, itching to ask the question that she wanted to ask for a long time.

“Yes?” Monika responded.

“I saw the tattoo on your name. What does Ariti mean?” she straightforwardly asked. “If you don’t mind answering.”

Monika smiled, but it was a sad one. Her eyes were filled with longing while still caressing her nape.

“Ariti is the name of my first and greatest love,” she answered to Chiara. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t with me anymore. He died before we even got married.”

Ms. Coppola, who knows the feeling of losing someone you loved, gently touched Monika’s left hand.

“I’m sure he’s watching over you, guiding you for a good life,” she said.

“I hope so, too, ” Monika responded. “It’s been years but I still can’t forget about him. I don’t think I can love another man.”

Hearing that, Chiara’s suspicion was right. The marriage between Giovanni and Monika wasn’t made out of love. It could be a marriage of convenience, hence, why they are under a divorce process.

“Nape is a very delicate part, my dear, ” Ms. Coppola commented. “Why did you choose to tatto his name on that part? You could have it near your chest.”

Monika smiled, as if she remembered something that is a good part of her life. “Ariti loves planting kisses on my nape, that’s why I chose that part.”

And that started their conversation about Ariti, Monika’s greatest love. The adoration and love is evident in Monika’s eyes whenever she will talk about him or their relationship. She sounded like a proud wife while talking about his achievements.

In just a short span of time, Chiara discovered a lot about Ariti and Monika – and their relationship as a whole. Hearing Monika’s words, one would think that Ariti is a perfect man.

However, a question with a possible answer is still lingering in Chiara’s mind, and she knows that she is still not ready to know the truth.