Bargain Bride: The Billionaire’s Forced Wife

A DAY PASSED without Chiara and Ezio seeing each other. From time to time, they will have video calls for a few minutes. It helped Chiara made him not miss him too much.

However, there are times where Chiara won’t receive updates from Ezio for a few hours. She understands, for her husband has a lot on his plate right now. But she can’t stop herself from worrying.

So, in order to keep herself busy, she started doing her mother’s advice: do some hobbies to pass the time.

“Fara,” Chiara called her maid after she finished her stroll in the garden.

Fara stopped wiping the table and walked towards her signora. “Yes, signora?”

“Can you give me a canvas and some watercolors? I want to paint,” Chiara said to her. “I don’t know if we have that here, but please buy me some if there’s none.”

Fara nodded at her. “No need to buy, signora,” she responded. “We have some art materials in Signor Ezio’s art room.”

Chiara’s eyes widened when she heard that. “Ezio has an art room?”

She hasn’t heard of that. Well, it’s not quiet surprising. Ezio’s mansion is huge, and Chiara hasn’t entered all of the rooms yet.

“Yes, signora,” the maid replied before asking Chiara to follow her towards the room.

On the first floor of the mansion, they turned right from the living room. After passing a few doors, Fara stopped on the room with sliding door and opened it.

“Welcome to the art room, signora,” Fara said while extending her arms side by side.

Chiara’s mouth gasped at what she saw. Different paintings were hang on the wall. One side of the room has the art materials that a person could think of.

The colors of the paints were even arrange based on their shades. The paintbrushes are arranges based on their height, as well as the canvas. Chiara can see familiar brands of materials that she used way back in high school.

It looks like a paradise for her.

“I didn’t know that Ezio’s into art,” Chiara said under her breath while looking at one of the artworks that is on a vellum board. It was a portrait of a woman standing beside a tree. She can’t see the face of the woman, but she is wearing a lilac dress.

“My mother said that Signor Ezio started having interest in arts when he was just a teenager,” Fara said. “One day, signor went home, asking Signora Elisa to build a room full of art materials for him.”

Chiara looked at her maid. “And that is this room?”

Fara shook her head. “No, signora. The first art room was on their mansion in Milan. I didn’t get to see it because I’m still not working for them that time, but my mother said that it is huge.”

Chiara smiled while her mind is imaging how her husband looks while his arms are flexing on each sway of the brushes. How serious he looks while creating a beautiful piece.

When the maid left her alone in the art room, Chiara walked around to take a look at every painting.

She noticed that each artwork was made on different materials. Some were portraits using graphites, some were from watercolors, some where from alcohol-based markers, while some were made from poster paints.

Until she realized something, each painting he made has a woman in it. But those were not different woman. Actually, it is the same woman, just wearing a different clothing and have different hairstyle.

The woman is in different place in each art, but her face cannot be seen. It is either her face was blocked by another object, or she has her back turned from him.

In all of the photos, the woman would wear either lilac or green clothing.

Chiara couldn’t help but feel a bit of jealousy. She is not comfortable by the fact that her husband really took time to draw a woman, not just once, but a lot of time.

“I wish Ezio will also draw me,” she said to her mind while wondering around.

She shook her head while touching her chest, removing any jealousy she has in her body. “I’m his wife now. I should not be jealous,” she thought to herself.

To point her attention elsewhere, Chiara picked up one of the blank canvas. However, just as she was about to pull it up, she noticed something on the wall.

“What’s this?” she asked while trailing the gap between the wall. She felt like there’s something inside.

Chiara tried to push the gap, and was shocked when the portion of the wall opened. She touched the moved part and pulled it towards her.

Her eyes widened and her hands flew to her mouth as she discovered what was hidden behind the walls.

It is a portrait. A life-size portrait.Content (C) Nôv/elDra/ma.Org.

A portrait of her, in her teenage days.

She was wearing a white off-shoulder top paired with an emerald green maxi skirt. Chiara can remember where it was taken.

It was taken after she graduated in high school. Her parents brought her to Japan that day to watch a cosplaying event.

The portrait was sealed inside a glass, as if the owner doesn’t want it to break or be dirty. As if it is the owner’s prized possession.

While a huge smile on her her face and teary eyes, Chiara closed it again. She went to the blank canvas before closing her eyes, imaging how her husband look.

It’s just a matter of time before she could finish her obra maestra.

IT’S NIGHTTIME and Chiara is excited to talk to her husband again. It’s been four hours since they last updated each other.

As soon as her phone rang, she hurriedly answered it.

“Ezio?” she talked over the phone.

Her husband on the other end, didn’t expect her to answer the call that fast. “Do you always have your phone with you, cara?” he asked.

“Yup,” she answered honestly. “I’m waiting for you to call.”

Ezio’s lips grew wider. “I know that you miss me, cara. And I miss you too, so much,” he responded. “I have a good news for you.”

Chiara’s eyes glistened that she even stood up excitedly. “You’re going home?” she asked.

“Yes, cara. I’ll be home by tomorrow morning. Maybe around 11 AM,” Ezio answered while laying down.

He could hear Chiara squeal and giggle on the other side of the phone that he can’t help but to chuckle. His cara must be really excited to have him home again.

“I’m happy to hear that,” she said when she became sober.

“I’m pretty sure you are,” Ezio commented with an amused grin.

The two talked for hours again. They don’t even know how they could keep their conversation running. They just keep on switching from one topic to another. They couldn’t ran out of words.

“Cara,” Ezio called her. “I’ll buy you some gifts here in Dubai. What do you want?”

Chiara was silent for a moment but her husband could hear her thinking while humming. She doesn’t really know what she wants as a gift. She is just looking forward to see him again.

“I can’t really think of anything,” she responded before clicking her tongue. “Surprise me, tesoro.”

Ezio ran out of breath when he heard his wife called him using endearment. It was the first time Chiara did that. Before, she would always address him by his name.

Hearing her sweet voice calling him ‘tesoro’ almost made his heart melt.

“Tesoro?” Chiara called her husband. “Are you still there?” she asked when the other end went silent. She even checked if the call is still connected.

“Yes, cara,” Ezio spoke like he ran out of breath. “I was stunned for a moment.”

“Stunned? Because of what?” Chiara asked innocently even though she is really aware of the reason. She knew that she caught him off guard by calling him that.

Ezio cleared his throat before shifting to another topic. He doesn’t want to admit that it was because of the endearment.

They talked about random things and asked each other about their days. Time comes for them to say goodbye to each other over the phone.

MORNING COMES and Chiara couldn’t be more excited. She even woke up at 4 in the morning to prepare the food for her husband: the arancini.

It is not the first time for her to cook for him, but she is always motivated to do it. She prepared all of the ingredients before putting her heart out on the food.

Her phone vibrated on the pocket of her apron. She washed her hands first before opening it.

Tesoro ? : Good morning, cara. I’m in the airport right now. See you later. Mwah!

She just reacted on his message before going back to work. Her heart is thumping so fast because of excitement. Finally, after two days, she will have her husband again.

On Dubai, Ezio was getting ready to ride the plane. After texting his wife, he walked to the departure area and towards the private plane while holding his gift for his wife.

“Is everything clear on the plane?” Ezio asked his assistant.

Luigi nodded. “Yes, boss. All clear. We have also double check everything.”

He continued stepping more until he reach the part where a guard has to scan his body. He felt the guards looking at him, but he didn’t mind. He’s used to those kind of look.

Behind him is his assistant and some body guards who were not tasked to check the plane.

Ezio didn’t say anything and walked towards the stairs of the plane. However, just as when he’s about to enter the door, he heard his assistant screamed.

“Boss! Get down!”

But it was too late. Ezio felt something hit his body. Pain sprung inside him and blood gushes out from his stomach.

Another bang was heard. Ezio didn’t know if it hit his body again, but he felt himself falling to the ground.

More gunshots echoed in the whole area. Footsteps and screams are also lingering on people’s ears.

He didn’t know how many of them hit his body. He can’t heard anything anymore. The pain was too much to handle. His eyes are starting to get blurry.

As his body made contact to the hard ground, Ezio whispered his last word.

“Cara.”