The Billionaire’s Bargain Bride

Rides

SADIE

“Which from the two?” Tanner showed us the kind of blue colors.

“This one.” Cenric had already chosen my behalf, but Tanner was still waiting for my choice.

“Yup. This one.”

“Her eyes.”

He nodded as if he was not convinced of Cenric’s choice.

“Trust me, Tanner. I know my wife.” He was sitting on my desk with his arms crossed over his chest.

“Ace,” he said before he left.

“I’m starting to dislike that guy.”

I closed the folder on my desk and eyed him. “He’s nice, and Maeve is reporting tomorrow. I sent her flowers. Anyway, do you know—”

“She and Beck are dating?”

“Wow! You’re updated than me.”

“I pay attention to my guys.”

“So, you’re not leaving this office until I agree to free my whole Saturday?”

He’d been patient. Since our parking lot encounter, we had decided to stay under one roof. We slept in the same bed, but that was all. He didn’t initiate sleeping with me. We chatted a few minutes before we dozed off. That was why I was not complaining even if he barged into my office anytime he wanted.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll find out by Saturday?”

“Any dress code?”

“I’d love you to come naked if we’re alone.”

I hit him on his thigh and went back to reading the app proposal. “Okay. Now go and close some deals.”

“Okay.” He kissed the top of my head before he left.

When he was gone, I tried to focus back on work. I couldn’t, and I felt like something was missing, and there was a hollow inside my chest, even if I had everything in my life.

I was grieving, yes. The process of finding myself was not what I wanted. What I wanted was acceptance—that was what I needed. And I’d known what I wanted from the start.

I wanted freedom.

I wanted a job to pay the bills. I wanted to help others.

I wanted someone to care for me. I wanted to belong and be loved.

***

“So, you’re driving?” I buckled my seat belt.

“I want to spend some time with you alone. They will just follow us to the farm.”

“Farm?”

We hit the road. I didn’t exactly know how long this trip would be. Thank God I was wearing comfy clothes.

“My grandparents’.”

“Wow! Now, I can’t wait to see it.” He mentioned his grandparents’ house, but I didn’t think of him taking me to visit sooner.

“Don’t be too excited. There’s nothing fancier on the farm. Corbin’s way bigger.”

“It’s alright. And it’s been a while since we went out of the city.”

“I’m a terrible husband, babe. I know that now.”

I gripped his knee. “Give yourself some credit, Cenric. We both are busy people, especially you. And I completely understand if in a few months we would barely see each other.”

“I will make sure it won’t come to that. Otherwise, I would ask you to resign.”

I snapped my head at him. “There’s no way I would let you do that. You are the boss, and you can work anywhere you are. Unlike me, I should be in the office the entire time. Anyway, how far is the farm?”

“Three hours top if I drive like a grandpa.”

I chose something to listen to on the radio before resting my head until my lids grew heavy.

I might have fallen asleep. I heard him telling me to wake up, but my eyes still shut.

“Babe, we’re here.”

I opened my eyes. “Cenric?”

When I was back to my senses, I climbed out of the car. “Wow!”

Becks’ ranch house was bigger than this one, but this was definitely looked domestic and homey.

“Let’s get inside.” Cenric assisted me.

“You grew up here?”

“Nope, but we came here at least once a year. My father loved this kind of scenery. I think he would love you, too, babe.”

He brought me to his old room. His picture in the barn was still there.

I picked it up. “How old are you here? And you’re cute in eyeglasses.”

He laughed. “Around fifteen. I had an eye Lasik surgery.”

I faced him. “Really?”

“Kidding. That’s my grandma’s eyeglasses. My grandpa passed away when I was in high school. Grandpa followed before I joined the Marines.”

“I’m sorry.” I touched his face.

He pressed his cheek against my palm. “It’s alright. We had so many great times. How are you holding up, babe? We didn’t really talk about what happened.”

“I know, but I’m getting there.”

“Change to something comfy.” He dragged one of our bags. “We’re going on a horse ride.”

I jumped. “Really? Yes!”ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

“Yes.” He chuckled at my reaction.

“I’ll wait for you down.”

After he left, I literally danced while changing my outfit. I looked for him when I went down.

“He’s in the stable.” Linden knew I was looking for Cenric.

“Thanks!”

I could see the stable from where I stood in the foyer. My excitement took the best of me. I sprinted toward the stable. Cenric was talking to the caretaker when I arrived.

“Babe, meet your horse.” He was holding the rope of the most beautiful black horse I’d ever seen.

Arabian. I opened my mouth to say something, but I just ended up staring at the horse. I touched his mane, down to its body. It was already attached to the saddle. I climbed up, and the horse did not even move.

“He likes you.”

As silly as I was, I hugged it and giggled. “I like him, too, babe.”

“Okay, take it easy, cowgirl.” He gave me the rope. “I think you should create a bond with him.

“I just did. See?” I showed him. The horse was like a baby with his feeding bottle.

“Okay. Wait for me here.” He went to take his own horse. It was a black chestnut.

Once he climbed up, I took the lead.

“Take it easy, babe. Familiarize each other.” He followed me through the trail.

“He loves me!” I yelled before I put pressure on my leg. He started galloping, leaving Cenric behind. I didn’t know where to go. I just follow the vast space towards the trees. The sound of the galloping and the feeling of being on top of the horse made me feel alive. I closed my eyes as I let the air kiss my skin.

When we were far enough, I clucked him to trot. He looked in very well condition and discipline. Maybe he was well-trained.

Cenric managed to catch us up. “You really never listen, do you?”

“Oh, you found me.” I giggled.

“Don’t do like that again, babe.”

“How did you find Red?”

“Who’s Red?” he asked quickly, and I knew that tone.

“My baby boy.” I grinned.

“You named him already?”

“Red fits him.”

“But his color is black.”

“I know, but I like the color red.”

“Okay, babe. He just arrived two days ago from Dubai.”

“I knew he’s well-trained. My baby is disciplined and gallops like a pro. How old is he?”

“Five. This one is almost six now.”

“So, what’s his name?”

“Armelle.”

I widened my eyes. “No way you named him after me.”

“Oops.” They trotted away.

“Cenric!” I caught up. “Don’t name your horse after me, you asshole.”

I followed him as he laughed it out loud as they galloped away.

He helped me down and tied my horse to the other tree. We reached the end of their property. The grass was greener, and the wind smelled fresh forest.

It was peaceful here—just what I wanted. We sat down, enjoying the serenity for a while.

“I wasn’t having an identity crisis when I asked for space,” I started.

His gaze was far beyond the green scenery, but I knew he was listening.

“I was having a hard time accepting a sudden change in my life and the grief of losing my family. After what they’ve done to me, I still care about them. And there’s this marriage. Being married to a person who used me as a subject to capture the person I called father. What took me a hard time believing was the reason for my mother’s death and how you got involved in our lives.” I faced him. At this time, he looked at me. His eyes were sympathetic.

“I didn’t blame you. I was mad at first, but I realized that you were just doing your job or at least whatever you signed up for. However, I fit into the plan, and I felt being used didn’t matter. Maybe that’s the price I paid for my freedom.”

“I’m sorry if you felt that way. The twenty-five million I offered to your father was for your freedom, but I had to wait for you to turn twenty-one and finish college before I married you. I swear I didn’t know that they were not treating you right.”

I shook my head. “Thank you. Thank you for keeping the promise even if you went a little too far. Why marry me?”

He held my hands and played with my engagement ring. “I chose this ring by myself.” He pressed it to his lips. “I think if I had to admit my true intention of marrying you, it wasn’t just about keeping you safe. Maybe at the back of my head, I just want you for myself. Knowing that you’d be left no choice but to stay with me, I would get to know you. Your father told me that I shouldn’t let you work, but you are my wife now, he doesn’t have a say anymore, and I will do and give you whatever you wish. Our other condition is he will pay my money if you escape within a year of our marriage. It means I’m not a good husband.”

He took something from the back pocket of his jeans. It was his wallet. He then pulled a piece of paper out and gave it to me—it folded into two.

“What’s this?” My eyebrows met as I took it from him.

I gasped as I unfolded it. It was a picture of my mom and me. I looked at him and back at the photograph before I threw myself into him.