Bargain Bride: The Billionaire’s Forced Wife

ALMOST SEVEN HOURS had passed, but Chiara didn’t receive any updates from her husband. She impatiently stood on the back of their main gate, waiting for her husband to arrive.

She kept on looking between her phone and the view outside the gate. She didn’t mind that she was sweating because of the heat and rays from the sun.

“Signora,” Fara called her while making sure that the umbrella she’s holding can cover Chiara. “I think it’s better to wait inside. Signor Ezio will get worried if he sees you sweating like this.”

Chiara shook her head. “No,” she said. “I will wait for my husband here.”

Fara just sighed. It’s the third time she asked her signora the same question, but her answer remains the same. She looked at one of the other maids and signalled her somethings.

After some minutes, the maid went back with a chair on her hands.

“Thank you,” Fara said to the maid before looking back at Chiara. “Signora, please sit on this chair. Your feet will hurt if you continue to stand.”

Chiara didn’t turn down her offer. She sat on the chair and anxiously tapped her feet on the ground.

“It’s been hours. Ezio should have landed in Italy an hour ago,” Chiara said, feeling her hands getting sweaty.

Fara tried to cheer her signora up to lessen her worry. “Maybe Signor Ezio is already on his way here, signora. He must have been driving now.”

“But he never fails to update me,” Chiara responded as she stares at her phone. “He will update me if he already landed.”

“Maybe he’s trying to surprise you, signora,” Fara said, trying to look for a reason not to worry.

Chiara just blew a sigh and extend her neck to look outside. Her fingers are tapping the tupperware that contains some of the arancini she made for her husband.

“Signora, I think it will be better if you will place the food inside,” Fara suggested. “It might get spoiled easily because of the heat.”

Chiara looked down on the food and gave it a thought. She really wanted to welcome her husband with the food as soon as he arrived. But maybe, putting it inside won’t make much difference.

“Okay,” she answered before giving the food to one of the maids to transfer it inside.

Chiara rubbed her palms nervously. She kept on refreshing the conversation she has with her husband, hoping to get a text from him.

“I should call him,” Chiara whispered but still heard by Fara. The maid didn’t say anything and let her signora do what she wants.

Chiara clicked on her husband’s name and put her phone on her ear. She heard the ringing tone before it changed to something else.

“Sorry. The number you have dialed is out of coverage area. Please try again later.”

The sound ended but Chiara tried to call her husband again. The same thing happened for several times until Chiara gave up.

“He’s out of reach,” Chiara said, her hands trembling because of worry.

Fara doesn’t know what to do either. When her signora felt worried earlier, she hurriedly dialed Luigi’s number for she knew that he’s with their Signor. However, his phone is also out of coverage.

She even tried calling some of the guards she knew is with Ezio, but she couldn’t contact them either. Fara wanted to be positive, but the last time something like this happened, their Signor was in danger.

Although she wants to tell Chiara about, she chose not to. Her signora is pale because of worry, and saying that without any basis or evidence might worry her more.

After more minutes of waiting, Chiara stood up, making Fara shocked.

“I’ll go to his office,” Chiara said before walking towards the gate.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

Fara ran after her signora. “Signora, just wait for Signor Ezio here.”

Chiara faced the maid. “If ever my husband came here, tell him to call me and I will wait for him in his office.”

“But Signor might not be in the office, signora,” Fara responded. “Just for him here. It’s dangerous to go out without him.”

“Ezio has a lot to do after that incident in his company in Dubai. He might finish some works in his office today,” Chiara said with a hopeful voice. “I just hope that he’s there.”

Fara didn’t try to convince her more, because she can see that her signora is really adamant to do what she wants.

“Okay,” she said, defeated. “Just atleast change your clothes first before leaving, signora.”

Chiara followed her. She changed her clothes to a presentable but still a comfortable one. Before leaving, she grab the tupperware she was holding earlier.

“I’ll give this to him once we met,” Chiara said, hoping that she will see her husband on his office.

“Signora, can I come with you? You can’t travel alone,” Fara asked while they were walking towards the gate.

Chiara smiled at her. “Sure. I think it will be better if you’re with me. I’ll also bring five body guards with us plus the driver.”

Fara didn’t need to be told what to do, she picked five guards who are always on call to guard their signora. They rode on one of Ezio’s bulletproof cars with the driver and one guard on the passenger seat. The other guards are on different cars, following them.

While on the way, Chiara kept on calling her husband, but the same thing is still happening. Later on, she chose to call her parents.

“Mi figlia, you called,” Fabio spoke on the other line. “Are you going to visit?”

“Good afternoon, daddy,” she greeted and her trembling voice is evident. “I want to visit but I can’t.”

“Oh, did something happen?” her father asked, noticing the worry in her daughter’s voice.

“Ezio hasn’t come home yet, daddy. He’s supposed to land here two hours ago, but he hasn’t updated me. I’m worried of him,” she explained. “He told me before that he wants to visit you and mommy, so if ever he went there without me, please inform me immediately and tell him to call me.”

“We will, mi figlia,” Fabio replied. “Do you know what airline Ezio used? I’ll try to ask update from them if I can.”

Chiara told her father the name of the airline. “He’s using his private plane, daddy. He left Dubai eight hours ago, based on his update.”

“I see. I’ll look into it, mi figlia. I’ll update you immediately.”

They ended the call after some goodbyes. Chiara somehow felt a little lighter then before, but the worry if still there. She just hopes that her father can ask update about her husband.

After some minutes, they arrived on Ezio’s office. The staffs greeted Chiara with a smile. Of course, they know her. She always visits their boss for lunch.

“Good afternoon, signora,” one of the female staffs greeted her. “What brings you here?”

Chiara went straight to the point. “Is my husband here? Is he in his office?”

The staff shook her head. “No, signora. We were informed that Signor Ezio travelled to Dubai for some business matters. We were not told when he will come back,” she answered.

Chiara’s hope were crushed when she heard that. She didn’t respond immediately but she kept on looking on her wedding ring and the container in her hand.

When she became composed, she gave a little smile to the staff. “Thank you. Please inform me if ever he arrives. I’ll get going now.”

When they left and entered the car, Chiara rest her back on the seat, staring at nothing. Fara wanted to talk, but she can see that her signora is not in the right state.

Chiara mind is in chaos. She doesn’t know where to look for her husband. She wants to call Ezio’s mother and update her about what happened to ask for help, but she knew the relationship between her husband and his mother.

“Let’s go to the airport,” Chiara suddenly spoke.

“Signora, you look tired. Please have s rest first,” Fara said with a worried expression on her face. The driver didn’t also move, for he was hesitant to travel more kilometers because of his signora’s condition.

“No,” Chiara firmly said. “I can’t get any rest until my husband is home. Drive to the airport.”

No one spoke a word and the car started. While on the way, she called Ezio and Luigi, but both numbers are still out of reach.

She’s getting frustrated and anxious at the same time. She wanted to cry, but tears won’t even form in her eyes. It felt like they are stuck and they kept on building up behind her eyes.

When the car stopped, she hurriedly went outside to ask any personnel about her husband’s flight. Just as she was about to speak to one, she felt her phone vibrated.

Thinking it was her husband, she hurriedly opened her phone. But her hopes were crushed again when the screen showed her father’s name.

“Daddy, do you have any update?” she asked when she answered the call.

“Mi figlia, I asked the airline you said for updates,” Fabio paused for a few seconds, gathering strength not for him, but for his daughter.

“What did they say?” she asked.

Fabio blew out a breath. “The record shows that Signor Ezio was supposed to leave at 8 AM in Dubai time, 5 AM here in Italy,” he started explaining. “But, their records shows no departure.”

“What do you mean, daddy?” Chiara asked, not confused, but asking for more information.

“Ezio’s plane didn’t left Dubai. He didn’t left Dubai, mi figlia. You husband is still not here in Italy.”

There was a long silence after that, but Fara can see how her signora’s hands trembled. Chiara’s eyes started to get red as her grip on her phone tightened.

“I asked them what could be the reason, but the management told me that they cannot disclose it. I even told them that you are my daughter, but they insisted that they will just call you for updates.”

Chiara didn’t answer. Her arms just fell down together with her phone snd the food container in her hand. Fara hurriedly get down to picked up the things. She even looked at some guards with them to help her clean up the food that was now on the ground.

“I want to go home,” Chiara suddenly spoke before walking like a dead zombie towards their car.

They hurriedly followed her. Fara was on her back, ready to catch her anytime her body falls down.

Fara breathed a sigh of relief when they entered the car without her signora falling down. However, Chiara was so quiet throughout the travel. She just kept on staring outside with longing eyes as she caressed her wedding ring.

When they arrived, Chiara didn’t take a glance to the mansion workers greeting her. It looks like she cannot see or hear them.

She just kept on walking towards Ezio’s room. As she stepped her foot inside and locked the door, her body fell down on his bed.

A wave of tears that she’s been hiding for hours broke free like a dam that has been opened. She was laying down, making it difficult for her to breath.

She hugged one of Ezio’s favorite shirt, the one she’s been sleeping with since he went to Dubai. She tried smelling his scent, but her blocked nose can’t smell anything, making her frustrated.

“Where are you?” she asked while staring at Ezio’s framed picture.

She kept on asking the same question over and over again, looking for answers. Her grip on his shirt tightened. Ezio’s shirt was soaked by her tears, but she didn’t let go of it.

“Ezio,” she called his name several times.

Chiara lost track of time as she was crying for hours. If not for her body shutting down because of fatigue, she wouldn’t stop crying.

Her body gave up and made her fell to sleep, giving her a temporary comfort before she faced a destructive truth that her husband’s not going home anymore.