THE BRIDE CHAPTER 38

The Bride
Chapter 38

There’s a great potential for blackmail.
-Brett Shirk
Francesca Orsini’s POV
“Breathe, mia moglie.” The command came from the
man sitting beside my bed. “You are just about to
have your first scan today. You are not going to die.”
“I am fine.” I tried to reassure him with a slightly
forced smile in my face when I truth I am really
nervous. Marco and I were back from Las Vegas
yesterday after a week of honeymoon in the city.
“You are as white as the linen, Mrs. Orsini.”
I consciously touched my cheeks. “I am not!”
He laughed heartily as he kissed my hand that he
was holding. “I am trying softened you up. Relax,
my darling. Don’t be nervous.”
“I’m nervous, Marco.” I confided to him finally.
“What if there is something wrong with our baby?
What if—”
He placed his finger in my lips. “Shh…everything will
be fine.”
“What if—”
“He or she will be perfect, Francesca.” Marco stated
confidently. His eyes gleamed with delight. “Because
he’s ours. This baby is ours.”
“But—”
“Enough of this, darling.” He said kissing my
forehead affectionately. He never failed to make my
heart pound so loudly in my chest. “We will love
him even if he isn’t perfect. We will give him a happy
home with parents who love him so dearly.”
My heart warms at his words. Oh, how I love this
man with all of my heart. “You were right, Marco.”
“Of course, I am right always.” He stated arrogantly.
I laughed gently. I raised my head slightly for him to
give me a kiss. He obliged without question and
kissed me in the lips soundly. Just in time for the
sonographer to enter the room without notice.
“Sorry, I’m late…” He said reading the chart in his
hand. He stopped midway through the door when
he saw us in our position in the hospital bed. “…do I
need to come back later when it’s more convenient
for all us? Say fifteen minutes?”
I blushed furiously as I sent my husband a dark
glare. But the devil merely smirked at the
sonographer and took his chair near the bed. “We’re
fine. Let’s have the ultrasound now.”
“You sure?” The man asked dryly with a knowing
smile on his face. “I will just come back later if I am
interrupting something.”
“I’m pretty sure that can wait later once we got
home.” Marco replied wickedly while I blushed
furiously from the bed. Once we got home I will kill
him!
“If you are certain.” The sonographer said as he put
the chart on the table and started the procedure. He
smear cold gel in my slightly bump stomach and
started to see what’s inside my womb.
We saw from the screen a slightly blurred figure. My
heart swelled with love. This is our baby. Marco
tightened his gripped from my hand. I am sure that
he could also feel this happiness that I am
experiencing right now.
The sonographer was so serious looking at the
monitor beside the bed. Is there something wrong
with our baby? Oh God, I don’t think I can bear it if
something happen with our child. “Is everything
okay with our baby?” I asked nervously.
The man seemed perplex with my sudden question
but then he smile. “Oh, forgive me. Yes, everything
is perfectly fine with your baby, Signora Orsini. She’s
healthy.”
*
She?” Marco inquired.
The sonographer beamed at us. “Congratulations.
You are expecting baby girl, Signora Orsini.”
Claudia Orsini’s POV
“They elope. I can feel it.”
I told my husband inside our grand library of our
home a week after Marco and Francesca noticeably
missing again. I am pacing the library with
determined stride.
“How did you know that?” Alfonso asked sanguinely
as he read his favorite broadsheet in his study table. I
glared at him. He seemed not concern about their
elopement. “Maybe Francesca was not feeling well
because she’s now expecting their first child.”
One of these days I will burn every newspaper
arriving in the vineyard. “I can feel it, Alfonso.”
He snorted. “That might be just a wild guess, mia
moglie.”
“My instincts told me I am correct.”
Alfonso sighed and finally removed his d--n eyes
on the newspaper. “You have no basis for your
intuition, amore. For all we know they only took
another out of the country vacation.”
“No.” I contradicted firmly. “I knew it in my heart that
Marco carted off Francesca somewhere so they can
marry without me.”
“Claudia—”
“If I saw your grandson I want to have a word with
him.”
My husband sighed again as he shook his snow-
white head. “You are thinking too much. Stop
stressing yourself, darling.”
I ignored him as I continued to saunter in the library
like a caged beast. What if Marco really blindsided me
again? What about my plans for their wedding? I am
overly excited with their wedding that I couldn’t sleep
at night.
“If you kept pacing the floor you will leave hole in it.”
The dry comment from my husband irked me
more.
“Where did they go? It’s been a week.” I
unconsciously bite lips as I wonder where they could
possibly hide from me.
“Claudia—”
“Even Tatiana—” I stopped when I realized that I’ve
been blurting what’s running inside my head.
Alfonso’s eyes narrowed in my direction. I don’t
think I like the way he’s starting at me. I need to be
careful around him. He’s quite known for having a
sharp mind. “Did you say ‘Tatiana’? As in Tatiana
Cavelli, the Duchessa di Caprielle?”
I looked away from his knowing gazed. “Oh, I don’t
know what you are talking about.”
“Claudia…” He warned as he stood from him study
table.
But before I could answer him we heard a throaty
growl of a high performance car outside the
window. Alfonso moved closer near the window
and stared outside. I mischievous smile fitted his
stern mouth.
“You don’t need to worry about them, Claudia mia.”
He said as he glanced at me. “The subjects of your
distress just decided to pay you a visit.”
Summoning to calm my nerves, I waited for Marco
and Francesca to arrive in the library. I faced the door
and put both of my hands in my waist as I wait for
them. I will give them something they will never
forget in their marriage life together.
“I know that position so well.” Alfonso remarked
thoughtfully. “You look like a woman who is
expecting a war, darling.”
"
I just ignored him and waited patiently. A few
minutes later the heavy door of the library opened
and Marco and Francesca walked in. My eyes
instantly narrowed in their direction.
It was Marco who broke the silence.
“We’re married!” He announced happily as he flashed
to me his wedding ring on his left hand.
I knew it.
You want play dirty, Marco? I said silently eyeing the
platinum wedding band on his hand. I will play dirty
with you. Calling for tears in my eyes the game just
began.
Marco Orsini’s POV
“We’re married!”
I knew my mistake as soon as I saw my
grandmother’s eyes simmered with tears. I expected
her wrath as Lucca had warned me over a week ago
when Francesca and I suddenly got married in Las
Vegas. But I didn’t expect the tears.
We have a short but blissful honeymoon in Las
Vegas. But as the duke warned we need to get back
to Italy to inform our family about our wedding in
the States.
Now here we are in my grandparents’ library facing
Nonna’s tears. “Oh, you are now married.” She said
while wiping the moisture in her eyes. “I am so
happy but a little bit hurt at the same time you didn’t
bother to invite an old woman like me to such
important event in your life.”
I glanced at my wife who glared at me with such
fervor due to my grandmother’s distress. Nonna
was really one heck of an actress. I knew she’s just
acting to make us feel guilty.
“We’re sorry, Nonna.” My ever kind-hearted wife
move closer to grandmother and comforted her.
“It’s okay, dear.” Nonna said but tears still glistening
in her eyes. She might fool my wife but not me. I
am used with this kind of scenario for years. “I know
you are eager to be wedded that’s why you flew
somewhere to get married. I am happy really. It’s
just the wedding I planned since Marco get into his
teenage years will be wasted now.”
“Oh, we’re really sorry, Nonna.” My wife said I could
see the remorse in her beautiful face. I snorted
silently while my grandfather remained quiet. It was
on the tip of my tongue to tell my Francesca that
Nonna wants us to play at the palm of her hands.
“I’m fine, Francesca.” She smiled as she dabbed the
tears in her eyes. “It’s my dream to see Marco get
down the aisle before I die now I guess that will be
only in my dreams.”
“Nonna—” I started but my wife glared at me again.
“Don’t worry, Nonna.” Francesca interrupted me.
“We will fulfill your dream to see Marco wed in
church ceremony.”
“Francesca!” I opposed fiercely.
“Really?” Nonna asked my wife completely ignoring
me. While Nonno beamed like an idiot at the corner.
“Yes,” My wife reassured with a smiled. She threw
me a stern looked. “We are going to get married in
church, aren’t we, darling?”
I sighed heavily. What else could I do but to give in?
“All right, fine.”
“Oh thank you, Francesca.” Nonna hugged my wife
suddenly. I couldn’t miss the smirked she threw in
my direction. That’s when I realized I lost the battle
with her. There will be extravagant wedding for me
and Francesca for all Italy to see.
I am starting to have headache.

To be continued