Bargain Bride: The Billionaire’s Forced Wife

ELISA’S FIRST DAY in Kazimir’s mansion was uneventful. Her daily routine didn’t change. She still woke up at seven in the morning, eat her breakfast, finish the paper works in her company, then spend the rest of the day doing random stuffs to lessen her boredom.

The only thing that changed is that Kazimir was always with her, almost 24/7. At first, Elisa thought that it’s because he wanted to keep a close eye on her, and check if she was doing something different. That’s why she was very careful in every move.

However, upon checking it closely, Elisa realized that Kazimir did that to have some physical interaction with her. Every now and then, Kazimir would touch any part of her body. Sometimes, even pinching it gently, as if he wanted to do more.

Elisa would let him do what he wants, but will stop him once he went over the line. Just like now.

“Belleza,” Kazimir intentionally moved his face closer to Elisa and whispered in her ear, hoping to give her a shiverring effect. He moved his hand closer to her chest, which Elisa removee immediately.

She turned her head towards him. “Kaz, don’t you think your being too fast?” she asked with a gentle voice, almost pleading like a submissive lady.

“I don’t think so, belleza,” Kazimir immediately answered, a hundred percent sure of his answer. “I just want to touch you. Can’t I do that?”

“But…” Elisa trailed off her words, as if she lost her words to say. But the truth is, she has a lot of things to say. Although most are curses, they still count.

Kazimir caressed the side of her face gently and smiled. “We’re now living in the same roof, belleza. That has no difference on being husband and wife,” he persuaded her to succumb on what he wants. “Why don’t we try it? Just little touches, belleza.”

Elisa became quiet while looking down on the ground. She played with her fingers and bit her lips. Kazimir couldn’t see her face because of her hair blocking his eyesight. But he can see that she’s hesistating, based on her actions.

He was about to give more words of persuasion, when he heard her sniff. “Belleza? What happened?” he quickly touched her hair and moved it aside, only to see Elisa crying silently.

Kazimir panicked upon seeing her crying face. “Belleza? Are you hurt? Huh?” he asked while trying to look for something that might have hurt her.

“I’m sorry,” Elisa spoke with a cracked voice, acting as if she was holding back her cries, but miserably failing. “I…” she acted as if she wanted to say more, but she ended up crying more.

Kazimir hurriedly wiped her tears. “Don’t apologize, belleza. You did nothing wrong,” he responded and hushed her down. “Don’t you want it? Are you not ready?”

Elisa nodded while hiding her face. “I’m sorry. I’m still not ready,” she answered, which sounded hoarse as her mouth is covered with her hands.

“It’s okay. I won’t force you anymore,” Kazimir said to her while wiping her tears. He touched Elisa’s hand and removed it from covering her face. He smiled softly at her and added, “I’ll wait until your ready.”

Elisa gave her a forced smile despite her tears. “Just give me a few days or weeks, okay? I’m still adjusting, Kaz. I hope you understand.”

Kazimir nodded and cooed her. He hugged her while caressing her back softly. In his mind, Elisa is a weak woman who cried easily. Forcing her like what he did before might sent her away. All he has to do is to get her trust before she will succumb to her fully.

On the other hand, Elisa who is hugging Kazimir, smiled evilly as she knew that he can’t see her face.

She knew what are the weaknesses of those men who are like Kazimir: tears. All she has to do is to appear weak and submissive, and to use her tears in the right time to make it look like she can’t do anything to hurt him.

And it looks like it worked on him easily. Elisa smiled inwardly, as her mind started to plan how she will use her tears to create a crack in Kazimir and Jacob’s relationship.

THREE DAYS PASSED and Elisa successfully got various information about Kazimir. She would follow him to his home office, watching him work, and would ask seemingly harmless questions to him.

For Kazimir, he was ecstatic because he thought that Elisa is having interest on him and on the things he does. That’s why he was being boastful on answering every questions, with a goal to impress her.

However, Elisa has a different agenda. She followed him to get more information, in hopes that they can find something that can help them in bringing Kazimir down, or in weakening his forces.

All of their conversations were being recorded by Chiara and Nick, who were working on different places. She edited the voice recordings, trimmed it, and left only those parts that she seemed to be important. After compiling everything, she sent it to someone who will do the other works for her.

“Kaz,” Elisa called for him after she received a signal from Chiara. “I want to go shopping.”

Kazimir wanted to agree, but he contemplated the choices. “Can’t we just buy online, belleza?” he asked.

As much as possible, he doesn’t want to go out in the morning. There is a huge chance that his rivals, especially Ezio, will find him. If they were just going overseas, it’s fine. But now, Elisa requested them to go out in Italy, where his enemies are scattered.

Elisa pouted a little bit and crossed her arms. “Shopping online is different from shopping face to face. I need to see the dresses I will buy in person,” she answered.

Kazimir doesn’t know how to argue with her words. She doesn’t want her to think that he’s hiding, or else she will think that he’s caging her. It might set her off.

He was about to give another reason when Elisa turned her back to him. “I see. Maybe your ashamed of being seen with me,” she spoke with a sad voice before standing up. “I understand. I don’t want to go shopping anymore. Just continue your work.”

After that, she walked towards the door of his office, getting ready to leave. Suddenly, Kazimir ran after her, panicking.

“Belleza,” he caught her wrist and pulled her towards him. “I’m just kidding,” he chuckled even though he really felt nervous that Elisa is now mad at him. “I’ll accompany you, okay? Just tell me where you want to shop.”

Elisa looked up at him, looking like a little girl. “Really? You will go with me?” she asked. “You’re not ashamed of being with me?”

“Of course, not,” he answered immediately. “I want the whole world to you that you’re with me; that you chose me.”

Elisa’s face beamed with happiness because pulling Kazimir out of the office. “Hurry! I have lots of stores in mind!” she exclaimed while running towards the bedroom.

ON THE VITALI BUILDING, Ezio received an anonymous email. He doesn’t usually open such messages, but the name of the sender caught his attention. He clicked the email and was greeted with various mp3 files and a short message.

Subject: [DON’T IGNORE THIS!] Recordings From Your Rival

From: carahasahugebelly@gmail. comThis text is property of Nô/velD/rama.Org.

Text: “Setting goals is the first step in turning the invisible into the visible.” – motivational quote for today

PS. Don’t do something unless I told you so. For now, go to La Rinascente. Te amo.

Ezio smiled after reading the email. He saved it to his favorites. He downloaded those recordings that the email has and transferred it to a hard drive. He made a mental note to listen to those recordings once he got home.

“To La Rinascente,” Ezio ordered Luigi when they went down to the private parking lot of the building.

Although he doesn’t have any idea, Luigi followed his boss’ order and drove towards the place. When they arrive, Ezio looked around the place, walked towards the adjacent building, before going up in the escalator.

“Where are we going, signor?” Luigi asked while they were riding the escalator. He looked on the areas where Ezio is looking, but found nothing that might have caught their attention.

Ezio put his hands on his pockets and answered, “To the place where we can have the 360 view of La Rinascente.”

When they arrived at the area that Ezio chose, the two of them sat inside a restaurant and ordered a little but made sure that those were one of their expensive meals.

Ezio looked at the La Rinascente infront of him, waiting for something to happen. He doesn’t have any idea why the email told him to go in the place, but he knew he will discover something in this place.

While Ezio was sipping on his coffee, Luigi suddenly pointed something at the building in front of them. “Isn’t that Signora Elisa?” he asked with a widened eyes.

Ezio looked at that area, and he wasn’t surprised to see his mother walking hand in hand with Kazimir: the man who pulled his wife away from him.

His eyes darkened and his mood turned sour by just staring at his rival. Kazimir and his mother looked like husband and wife just by the way they act.

Kazimir’s hands rested on Elisa’s waist while the latter is choosing between the dresses in front of them. They looked happy while shopping, as if Kazimir didn’t do something to his family.

Ezio knew that his mother is now living with Kazimir, just like what she said on their last meeting. He doesn’t know what plan she has in mind, but those recordings surely were recorded by his mother.

“What are we gonna to do, signor?” Luigi asked, wanting to use the time to corner Kazimir now that he’s outside.

Before Ezio could respond, he received another message from the same email. He smiled and answered his assistant. “We won’t do any unnecessary movements,” he responded before sipping his coffee. “Send Dante’s drone to follow Mamma and Kazimir. After knowing the location, send the drone back. We’ll standby, for now.”

Luigi didn’t question his boss’ decision. He just nodded and relayed the message to Dante in order to activate the drone.

They just watched Elisa and Kazimir walking around the building. Elisa was pointing on several things such as dresses and jewelries, while Kazimir and his men were carrying several bags that contains the things Elisa bought first.

While watching them, Ezio’s eyes landed on the emerald green dress which looked almost similar to the one that Chiara wore during Marco Leon’s birthday celebration.

His attention was first caught by the dress. However, as he focused on it more, he saw a familiar face standing just behind the mannequin.

“Cara,” he whispered. Ezio stood up and walked to get a closer look to the person he is seeing.

He wasn’t dreaming. He really saw his wife standing, just a few meters away from him; just a building away, and with a road separating them.

Ezio’s heart thumped faster, and his body felt alive again. He couldn’t help but to shed a tear while staring the his wife, who is now smiling at him from a far.

He thought he was just delusional. Those letters, those emails, those messages. He thought those were from his wife, even if he doesn’t have enough evidences to believe it. He held on tight to those things in order not to falter.

But now, seeing her alive and healthy, Ezio knew that he had to fight – that he had to survive. His wife is working behind the curtains, helping him, and doing most of the works to bring down their enemy.

In just a blink of an eye, Chiara disappeared from his sight. A hole was uncovered in his heart, but that short moment of seeing his wife is enough to motivate him for the next days, weeks, or even months.