(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“Has she returned?” Gerald asked Yosef. It was the umpteenth time he had posed this question to his assistant. Eventually, Gerald decided to go to the office because he couldn’t keep going to the restaurant and disturbing Ariana incessantly. Not that he didn’t want to meet her, but he knew she was upset, and Gerald wanted to give her some space for a while.

“No, Sir. Not yet,” replied Yosef. Gerald glanced at his watch; it was already five o’clock. “Are your staff members still keeping an eye on her?” he inquired again.

“Yes, Sir. They said they haven’t seen Madam after she went upstairs,” Yosef confirmed. Gerald could only nod again. “Make sure they don’t get complacent. If they do, I’ll cut off their legs, hands, and gouge out their eyes!” he threatened.

“Yes, Sir!” was Yosef’s reply.

Gerald turned his attention to another assistant who stood before him. “What’s going on?” he asked the man, who was three years his junior.

“As you predicted. After finding out that you got married, she’s started planning to return,” Vivan, a handsome man who could easily pass as a magazine model, had been Gerald’s right-hand man since Gerald chose to settle in Indonesia. He was the second person Gerald trusted after Yosef and happened to be Yosef’s son.

Hearing Vivan’s response, Gerald simply nodded. “Has she booked a flight yet?” he inquired further.

“Not yet, Sir. Someone is still holding her back over there,” Vivan’s answer made Gerald smile cynically. “Just keep an eye on her. Let her have her fun before deciding to come back for battle,” Gerald instructed. Vivan nodded and then left Gerald alone. Afterward, Gerald contacted someone else.

“She’s fine,” Amber’s reply initiated the conversation, even before Gerald could ask anything.

“I heard she hasn’t come downstairs since she arrived?” he asked his wife’s cousin.

I don’t know what Amber did, but then she responded angrily, “Did you install CCTV here? This is Ariana’s place; you can’t just violate her privacy like this!” Amber yelled. Clearly, the girl didn’t appreciate Gerald’s actions.

“I think it’s a good idea. Installing CCTV in every corner of the room so I can know all your activities when my wife isn’t around. Who knows, maybe one of you might be talking badly about her,” Gerald taunted Amber.

“For God’s sake! If it weren’t for Uncle and Aunt saying that you’re the husband who… never mind. I don’t care. And I don’t have to be your cheerleader!” the girl then hung up. Gerald immediately burst into amused laughter.

Ariana opened her eyes. Her head hadn’t been feeling better since earlier. Her neck felt stiff, even though she was using the same pillow she had always used. But why did it feel different? She had replaced all the bed sheets that she hadn’t changed since his departure with new ones. All of it was to get rid of Gerald’s scent that lingered there.

But replacing everything didn’t help. The man’s scent still clung to everything. And, rudely enough, the man even invaded her dreams. When Ariana left and stayed and camped with Chris, the man’s shadow seemed to disappear from her mind. But now, why?

Oh, damn it! Ariana wanted to throw the pillow, but after thinking it over, what was the point?

So, she got up from her bed and headed to the bathroom. Maybe by showering, all her thoughts would be washed away. Finally, she chose to drench her body with cold water from the high-pressure shower.

Ariana changed into fresh clothes from the wardrobe. The throbbing in her head didn’t subside. She opened the medicine box and hoped to find aspirin there. But she didn’t find it. God, her pulsating headache only increased, making Ariana’s vision blurry.

She went downstairs with the intention of asking one of her employees to get headache medicine from the nearest store. But before she even reached the last step, her head started throbbing again with the presence of a man who looked sharp in his expensive suit. “What are you doing here?” Ariana asked, displaying her clear displeasure.

“Dinner?” the man replied, looking at her inquisitively.

“He is one of our regular customers here, Miss,” Dara, who was the receptionist at that time, informed her.

Ariana simply nodded. “In that case, please serve this gentleman well. Enjoy your dinner, sir,” Ariana replied, her tone slightly sarcastic. She walked toward the cash register, where Amber was and currently on the phone. “I’ll bring the money.” She grabbed some bills from the cash register and showed them to Amber. Seeing Gerald in her restaurant made her lose her appetite, and she intended to buy food elsewhere. Street food was fine as long as she didn’t have to see that man.

Ariana then walked toward the kitchen door and exited the restaurant through the side door, intentionally avoiding Gerald. She headed to the back of the building, unaware that he had also instructed someone to guard the back of his restaurant.

Casually, she made her way to the pharmacy she knew wasn’t far from her restaurant. She asked for headache medicine and then continued walking away from her restaurant, heading to the nearest fast-food place she could find to fill her growling stomach.

She entered the first fast-food restaurant she saw. The place wasn’t too crowded. Half of the tables were occupied. Ariana quickly placed her order, asking them to pack it to go. She intended to return to the apartment she shared with Amber, regardless of whether that man would look for her or not. One thing was certain, Ariana didn’t want to go back to his house. She still felt repulsed at the thought of seeing him, especially after this morning’s incident. She had added one more name to her list of people to avoid.

“Make the same order for two!” The voice… Ariana turned around and saw the man smiling flirtatiously at her. “Don’t plan on running away from me again, Mrs.,” he whispered threateningly.

Ariana’s headache intensified. She rolled her eyes in frustration. She remained standing in front of the counter, waiting for her order – which Gerald paid for – to be prepared. She tried to ignore Gerald’s arm around her waist, which, despite her attempts to push it away, kept finding its way back there.

“Damn it! She forgot her pursuers,” she muttered under her breath.

Gerald smiled, seeing the irritated expression on Ariana’s face. He chose to pretend he was oblivious to the girl’s feelings before him now.© 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.