Bargain Bride: The Billionaire’s Forced Wife

PEOPLE THAT SAW THE INCIDENT, including Chiara and Victor, was glued to their shoes. It was when Caterina was already on the floor when the onlookers started moving to help her.

Chiara and Victor rushes to her side. When they arrived, a teenager boy was already checking her pulse and breathing. Chiara hurriedly called the nearest hospital to get some help.

“Miss,” the teenager asked. “Can you here me?”

He gently tapped Caterina’s body, waiting for some bodily response, but the latter didn’t move or made any noise. The teenager checked her pulse before saying, “Her pulse is slow. We need to rush her to the hospital!”

The ambulance hasn’t arrived yet, but Victor hurriedly carried Caterina on his arms before running toward the hospital. Chiara, who was still panicking, didn’t think twice but to follow the running Victor on foot.

There was blood everywhere. Chiara is concerned for Caterina’s health, but she is more concerned on the welfare of her unborn child. The blood was scattered on every step Victor takes, and they don’t know where the blood came from; whether it’s from Caterina’s injured skin or from her intimate part.

It didn’t took long for them to hear the siren of the ambulance. Victor meet with the ambulance halfway and the rescuers transferred Caterina’s bleeding body inside.

Chiara was huffing while sitting on the side of the ambulance, staring at the rescuers trying the best of their ability to save her. She reached for her phone and called for the police.

“Hello?” she spoke when she heard a male voice on the other line. “There was a hit and run incident,” she mentioned the name of the place. “The suspect ran away. Please look into this case.”

After a few minutes, they wheeled Caterina’s body to the emergency room. Chiara and Victor were left outside, waiting for the miracle to happen.

“What will happen to the baby?” Victor asked while sitting on the waiting chair, with his bloodied hands on his knees.

“I don’t know,” Chiara responded. “Let’s just hope both of them will survive.”

A long silence between them ensued. The only thing they can hear are the noises made by the other people inside the hospital, as well as the honks of the vehicles outside.

“She was targeted,” Chiara spoke out of nowhere, making Victor look at her.

He couldn’t help but to ask. “Are you sure, signora? How do you say so?”

Chiara messaged her temple. She slowly stood up from her seat. She walked towards the small window on the alley, watching the cars outside.

“There were other pedestrians crossing the road at the time,” she started explaining. She put her arms on a cross in front of her, recalling the earlier events. “The car purposely smashed into her. I saw how that car swerve so it will hit Caterina.”

Victor’s eyes widened for a little bit. He wasn’t able to see that earlier, but hearing what happened, it really make sense.

The distance between Caterina and the other pedestrians were not that far. The other pedestrians might have been hit if it’s not intentional. Bumping Caterina with precision, without affecting the other people crossing, is too much to be a coincidence.This content provided by N(o)velDrama].[Org.

After giving it time to think, Victor responded. “Could it be Mr. Giovanni?”

Chiara didn’t respond immediately. Actually, it was her first assumption. If the incident was really intentional, Giovanni is the only one she knows who have the motive to do such act.

Caterina knows some of Giovanni’s illegal practices. Although Chiara doesn’t know on to what extent Caterina knows, she is sure that the information she has is enough to put their rival behind the bars.

Also, if Giovanni knows that Caterina is pregnant, he might resort to some methods that will kill the unborn child. After all, Giovanni cannot afford to have another reason for divorce.

“I think so, too,” she replied. “However, we cannot pin him unless we can find a strong proof that it was really him behind this.”

Chiara let out a sigh. “I witnessed how quick and flawless Giovanni is when it comes to hiding evidences and pointing his crimes to another person. He did it to my husband and Mr. Leon,” she explained. “I am sure he can do it again.”

“He is a tough enemy,” Victor commented. “I wonder who are the people backing him up for him to get away in every crime he did.”

She gave it a thought. Chiara knows that Giovanni’s influence, also more on the bad side, can be compared to Ezio’s influence. His wealth is also near to Ezio’s, but his connection has been faltering since the last years.

“I have to look into that,” she responded, signing because there is another thing that was added on her plate.

She wants to give the task on looking for the suspect on Caterina’s hitting incident to Dante, but she knows that he was busy investigating on Marco’s disappearance.

Chiara thought of Nick. He still hasn’t responded to her and his parents haven’t read her messages. She was worrying about him.

Hours passed and Caterina was transferred to another room. Exhausted with their daily errands, Chiara slumped back on the chair beside Caterina’s bed while Victor went outside to buy water and fruits.

Chiara was on the verge of sleeping when her phone rang. She picked it up from the table and answered the call without looking at the name of the caller.

“Hello?” she spoke.

Monika’s voice echoed in her phone and ear. “Good evening, Chiara. I hope I’m not disturbing your day.”

Chiara went back to her senses hearing that. It was an unexpected call. She didn’t expect Monika to reach out to her that fast since the hostage incident.

Besides, she is the legal wife of Giovanni. It’s very ironic because one of Giovanni’s mistress – now former mistress – is in the same room as her.

“Don’t worry,” she responded. “I wasn’t really doing anything right now. Why did you call? Is there a problem?”

“Not really,” Monika spoke. “I was just wondering if you and Ms. Coppola could accompany me to shopping next Sunday? I want to give back your kindness to me.”

“Oh, of course! I would love to accompany you,” Chiara replied, thinking that it is a chance for her to know Monika more. She was really interested on the tattoo Monika has on her nape. It was the same name of the man in the flash drive that Elisa gave. “Have you talked to Ms. Coppola already? I can call her after this.”

Monika smiled at Chiara’s response. “Thank you for agreeing. And didn’t bother, I will call Ms. Coppola after this to inform her that you will come. I’m sure she will also go.”

The two talked for a couple of minutes. Catching up on Monika’s health after the incident. Fortunately, her wound started to heal. But the doctor said that it will take weeks for it to be fully recovered.

“Oh,” Chiara reacted when her phone vibrated. “Someone was calling me. I have to hang-up.”

“I see,” Monika replied. “Let’s see each other next Sunday! Take care!”

Chiara ended the call after they bid goodbyes. She answered the another incoming call from an unknown but familiar number.

The man in the other line introduced himself as someone from the police. “We received your call and report about a hit and run incident, ” the man spoke. “We looked into it and we would like to discuss the matter. Are you a relative of the victim?”

Chiara looked for her words before answering. “I’m a friend of the victim.”

“Okay. Can you go to the police station, ma’am?” the police officer asked.

She looked at the unconscious Caterina on the bed. “I’m sorry, but I can’t. I’m the only one looking after my friend,” she responded. “Can you perhaps go to the hospital? If it is not bothersome.”

The police agreed and said that they will be there within twenty minutes. Chiara gave the room number. Just as on exact time, Victor arrived carrying a basket of fruits and two bottles of water.

“The police will arrive after a few minutes,” Chiara informed him. “They will discussed about the incident.”

“I hope they can find something,” he replied.

They sat down and ate the snacks and fruits. After a few minutes, they heard a knock on the door. Victor went to peep through the hole before opening it.

“Good evening, officer,” Chiara greeted the uniformed personnel. They exchanged pleasantries before going to the main topic.

“We traced the plate number of the car that hit the victim,” the officer started explaining. “However, as per our records, the car was reported as stolen two weeks ago.”

“Is there any way to know who the suspect is?” she asked. “That person inflicted a lot of damage to my friend. She’s even pregnant!”

“I understand your frustration, ma’am. We will look into it,” he responded. “We already found the car being abandoned on one empty lot, just a few meters away from the crime scene. The team is currently checking for fingerprints. We will update you as soon as possible.”

Chiara was somehow relieved hearing that. “Please update me as soon as you have leads. I will use my resources to make sure that the suspect will be punished.”

They talked and interviewed for a few more minutes before the officer left. He gave a copy of the records of the car and a contact number.

As soon as Victor closed the door, Chiara spoke. “If this is Giovanni’s doing, then he is doing a good job.”

“Signora, this is not a good time to praise the enemy,” Victor spoke before pursing his lips.

Chiara chuckled while shaking her head. “I just can’t believe he can move and think that fast. I might have underestimated him.”

The two were engaged in a conversation when they heard Caterina making a noise.

“Caterina?” Chiara asked and stood up to look at her. “Are you awake? Do you feel fine?”

Instinctively, Caterina’s hands slowly moved towards her stomach. With a weak voice, she asked, “My baby… What happened to my baby?”

Chiara was taken aback. She knew that it was the first thing Caterina will ask, but she is not sure how to respond to her. Not after remembering the sad news by the doctor.

She looked at Victor for help, but he also doesn’t know what to do. Caterina, who was uncomfortable with the silence, asked them again.

“What happened to my baby?”

Chiara gently held her hand and looked at Caterina straight into the eye. “Caterina,” she spoke. “Please stay strong.”

“What?” Caterina forced herself to sit but the pain overtook her body, making her to go back on laying down. “What do you mean?”

Chiara took a deep breath before revealing the truth. “I’m sorry, but your baby didn’t make it, Caterina, ” she said with a shaking voice. “You had a miscarriage.”

Caterina shook her head furiously, not believing the words Chiara spoke. “No, no, no!”

She screamed while touching her belly, trying to find her small baby bump. When she can’t feel anything, her screams became louder that it was unbearable for the human ears.

“No! My baby!” she started wailing, salty tears falling from her eyes while she was hysterically feeling for her baby.

“Go to hell, Giovanni! Go to hell! I hate you! I hate you! You killed my baby! I hate you!”

She screamed and screamed with a sound Chiara hasn’t heard before. She can’t do anything but to watch the despair of a mother who just lost her unborn child.

After a few minutes, Caterina’s screams subsided and only hiccups and sobs can be heard. Her hand is still on her belly when she looked up at Chiara with hatred in her eyes.

“Giovanni killed my baby,” she spoke with a firm but shaking voice. Her voice was rasped after screaming for a long time. “Help me bring down Giovanni. I will tell you everything I know. Just make sure that he will pay for my child.”