THE BRIDE CHAPTER 6

THE BRIDE
chapter 6

He had investigated my husband’s
life!
“What is this for, Signore?” I asked
coldly as eyed him that was enough
to burn his on the spot.
“So you will know what kind of
husband you have.” He answered
casually, as if this is the most logical
thing to do. To dig his past. “Look
at page three I think you will find a
revelation there.”
I unwillingly did what he told. I
flipped the pages and found the
page he said. I read the paragraph
after paragraph carefully when I
notice that my vision started to blur
and tears threatened to fall in my
eyes as a heart-wrenching pain
marked in my chest. I couldn’t
breathe. I couldn’t believe what I’ve
been reading. This is a joke—no a
nightmare. My worst nightmare.
“The husband you adored these
past years had feet of clay.” Marco
Orsini remarked, as my eyes were
fixed on the cursed paper. “He’s not
a saint that you thought him to be.”
He continued brutally. “Marrying the
woman fifteen years younger than
him because he can’t have the
woman he’d ever loved.”
No! Lorenzo loved me.
“Signore…” I warned him. I don’t
want to hear it out-loud. Whatever I
have read in this paper, my mind
rebelled against it. I fear that I
might lose my sanity if he
continues.
“He met Anna Haughton, Countess
of Ashlocke—former Anna Lillies
when he was still in the university.”
He recited what was written in the
reports. “They were together until
their senior year at the university
but right before the graduation
they broke up. Anna chose the
wealthy English lord over the
promising Italian law student
because her father’s company
faced bankruptcy. She married her
long time suitor to save her family
from ruin.”
I know that woman. She’s at our
wedding and the funeral of my hus
—Lorenzo. I can’t forget that day of
my wedding when she shot dagger
looks at my direction from time-to-
time and the sorrow in her eyes at
Lorenzo’s funeral. Lorenzo’s
parents told me that she’s a long
time family friend. What a laughed!
“Years later their path crossed
again in London when now the
successful Italian lawyer and the
Countess of Ashlocke whose now a
mother of three children.” Marco
Orsini continued ignoring my
warnings. “From then on, they
continue their affair for years until
the week of your wedding. Rumor
has it that the youngest son of the
countess wasn’t her husband’s
child.”
My heart shattered into a million
pieces but I ignored it. I will not
have this man the satisfaction
knowing he had hurt me over this
report.
London…
I can’t forget that Lorenzo went to
London the weekend before our
wedding. He told me that he had
some business to take care. When
the truth was he was just going to
London to meet his long time
mistress! He even invited that
woman to our wedding! They must
be laughing behind my back for my
naivety while they were in bed.
“What do you want to accomplish
with this report, Signore?”
The devil just merely shrugged. “So
you can wake up from your dream
that your husband wasn’t perfect
as you think. He’s not worth for the
adoration and love you have for
him. You should continue have a
life even without him, Francesca.”
How dare he to decide for me? I
thought furiously. He doesn’t have
the right in doing so. It is my life
and I will live it the way I wanted.
“Still…” I said my voice cracked with
emotion. “You don’t have the right
in speaking ill of the dead. I hope
you are vastly happy about this,
Signore. Goodbye.”
*
*
didn’t wait for his reply and march
out his office. Barely aware of
where am I going. Once I was out
of the Orsini Industries I heard
someone sobbed in pain.
Then I took me seconds before I
realized that I was the one who
sobbed in pain. That tears fell in my
eyes uncontrollably. My world just
collapsed after meeting Marco
Orsini.
Marco Orsini’s POV
“Francesca! I rapped the door
furiously. “Francesca! I know you
are in there. Open the door, per
favore.”
I felt like the lowest life form in
earth right this moment. I shouldn’t
have shown Francesca the report
I’ve asked my private investigator
to do for me. I realized my mistake
when I saw the glimpsed of tears
in her pretty brown eyes in my
office awhile ago. As much as she
tried to be brave I know she’s hurt
inside.
Now my conscience was nagging
me about the possibility that
Francesca might do after she left
my office. It took me an hour
before I convinced my good friend
Lucca Cavelli in giving me the
address of Francesca Marcolini.
“Francesca!” I continued to knock.
“Open the door. Let’s talk.”
“What do you want?” She asked as
the door suddenly opened. Her eyes
were bloodshot. My heart
constricted with pain at the sight.
“We need to talk.” I told her. “Let
me in…please.”
I was half prepared that she will
send me away but I was surprised
when she stepped aside and let me
in into her house for the very first
time.
The first thing I notice was the
wedding portrait that probably
hangs on the wall facing down the
floor with broken glass scattered all
around while several photo frame
suffered the same fate. I tried to
side step from the pictures it was
disrespectful to stepped them.
“What do you want to talk about,
Signore?” She asked. She tried to
look composed but I knew better.
“About what happened in my office
—”
“Isn’t that enough damage?” Her
voice started to quiver. “You want
more?”
I frowned. “No. I—I want…I want
to apologize.”
“For what?”
“I shouldn’t have showed you the
information.” I told her regretfully.
“I should have kept it to myself.”
“That what?” She asked as her
shoulder shook with emotion she
desperately hide from me. “My
husband never loved me? Or the
fact that he’s foolishly in love with
the woman he can’t have.”
“Francesca…”
“He never really loved me, was he?”
Her resolve finally broke down and
she sobbed. “I’m just a substitute
for the woman who should have
been his wife. He just married me
because his family is already
pressuring him to settle down.”
“Shhh…” I wiped the hot tears from
her cheeks and drew her into my
embrace. At first she stiffened but
after awhile she returned my hug
and clutched the back of my suit
like a lost child while she continued
to cry her heart’s content. “Don’t
cry, Francesca dearest.”
“You must probably think I’m
stupid.” She removed her head at
the crook of my neck and stared at
me with her watery eyes. “That I
mourned for the man who doesn’t
deserve my love that—”
I stopped the words that come to
her mouth with the only way I
knew. I crashed my lips to her. She
stiffened while every muscle in my
body sighed. At last.
€
$
At last, I finally knew what is like to
kiss those lips I’ve been dying to
taste in like forever. Our lips dance
together. I felt like taking
advantage in this woman in her
current state right this moment but
I couldn’t help it. Her lips are like
temptation I couldn’t just ignore.
Like a little boy having his first taste
of candy in his life.
“I think I should go now.” I stated
when I have the strength to
remove my lips from hers. My
breath was ragged. I felt like a
randy teenager with his first
experience of kissing a woman. A
certain member of my anatomy
was starting to camp in my
trousers.
“What? Why?” Francesca’s passion-
clouded eyes were instantly
replaced by pain again. Did she
think I don’t want her?
“I think we both know what will
happened if I stayed, cara mia.”
“Please stay, Marco.”
My heart jumped off my ribcage. It
was the first time I heard her called
my name. It sound so intimate and
sexy coming from her lips. But her
plea was more arresting. She wants
me to stay here with her all night. If
she was just another woman I will
agree within heartbeat but this is
Francesca Marcolini and I respect
her so much.
“I’m sorry, tesoro.” I kissed her
both slender hands. “I think we
know what will happen if I stayed
her and you will probably regret it
in the morning so it’s better if I
leave.”
“I will—”
“Shh…” I placed my finger in her
lips. “Now listen to me, Francesca.
Come let’s put you to bed I will stay
until you fell asleep, my darling.”
She nodded and let me led her to
her room I tucked her to bed and
sat on the mattress waiting for her
to fall asleep. I smile ironically. This
is the first time I am in bed with a
woman and not having a s-x with
her. “Sleep now, Francesca. I will
watch you over while you sleep. I
will not let anything happen to you.
I promise.”
“Thank you, Marco.” She murmured
sleepily. “I’m so happy everything
comes out in the open now…”
A few minutes later her breathing
become evenly. I brushed some
strands of hair off her face and
leaned down to kissed her briefly in
the mouth before summoning
every ounce of my strength to walk
away from her bed and her room.
I need a long and cold shower once
I arrived at my penthouse.

To be continued.