(Not) The Billionaire’s Replacement Bride

“I’m crazy,” Max said, shaking his head. Gerald winced upon hearing it.Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.

“I thought before, when you said he was the twin brother of your runaway fiancée, he did it-at least under pressure, but it was his parents’ pressure. I didn’t think you’d stoop so low, G.”

“You don’t know the whole story,” Gerald replied. “I didn’t even know she existed before that day if she hadn’t come to the Brooks residence.” And so Gerald spilled the entire story: his desire for her at first sight, his passion when he saw her anger, how he incited Brooks to exploit her weakness, which turned out to be her own father. He also told Max how they officially became husband and wife in bed, about Gerald learning about Ariana’s past, and Ariana discovering his. His dreams, aspirations, everything he had never revealed to any woman before.

“You’ve truly become a love slave,” Max interjected during his story.

“Now she’s handing me a nuclear bomb. She openly stated that she doesn’t want a child in her body because it belongs to her, and then she demands I set her free. I feel manipulated,” Gerald said resignedly.

Max furrowed his brow again. “Something feels off about all this, G,” he said.

“What’s off? Everything is clear, out in the open. From the beginning, she never wanted me. Especially when that scoundrel came back, she was more than willing to be with him. And when he left, she probably wanted to chase after him. I tied her down at the wrong time. If that scoundrel had come after our child was born, I swear, even if Ariana didn’t want me, I would’ve bound that child to me,” he cursed.

“Who’s the scoundrel you’re talking about? Do I know him?” Max inquired.

“Know him? Of course, you know him,” he said harshly. “Chris Alessandro. The bastard who always disrupts my life just like Shelma.”

Max widened his eyes, then burst into laughter.

“What are you laughing at, bastard?” Gerald asked angrily. But Max didn’t stop laughing; in fact, he laughed even louder.

“Bro, do you forget who Chris is?” Max asked, wiping the corner of his eye from tears of laughter. “I’m not senile; I know he’s from the Alessandro lineage.”

Gerald waved him off. “That’s not what I mean,” he said. He took a sip of the water on the table, opened the bottle cap, drank a quarter of it, and then spoke again. “Don’t you know what they’re saying about Chris?” he asked, which Gerald answered with a shake of his head. “Chris Alessandro is a gay. That’s why he didn’t want to stay in US, because he’s avoiding his father. He doesn’t want his family and his father’s clients to hear about that scandal.”

“Don’t joke!” Gerald said, irritated. Sexual deviation wasn’t something to joke about.

“I’m not joking,” Max said. “One of our friends saw him sleeping naked with another man in his flat. What do you think they were doing? You and I have never slept naked together, right?”

Gerald shuddered in disgust. Imagining being with a naked man next to him made him feel nauseous and want to vomit immediately.

“Chris is a gay. People assumed he liked you, that’s why he always bothered you. I thought you knew that, considering how much you’ve disliked him all this time,” Max said loudly.

“I didn’t like him because he always sabotaged my dates,” Gerald gritted his teeth. “Damn it!” he exclaimed. “So, all this time, he teased my dates because he liked me? Not them?” Max shrugged. “Damn it!” Gerald exclaimed again. “If he really is a gAriana, it means Ariana fell in love with the wrong man.” Gerald ruffled his hair roughly. “This can’t happen. If Ariana is determined to chase after that man and finds out he’s not a normal man, she’ll be devastated.”

“You don’t want your Ariana to be sad? Even though she’s hurt you?” Max asked, curious. Gerald understood the meaning behind the question and felt no need to answer it. Max glanced at his watch. “I think I’ve been here for too long. I have to go; Gina might be angry waiting for me. We’ll continue our meeting later because I’ll be in Indonesia for some time. And you, I don’t care; I promised Gina I’d introduce her to your wife. So, in any way, you have to make them meet. Otherwise, the agreement we’re going to sign next week is off,” Max threatened his friend.

Gerald looked at Max with disbelief. His friend never involved personal matters with company affairs. “You can’t act like this, Max. It’s not fair to me,” he pleaded. He wasn’t ashamed anymore; Max already knew the extent of his flaws since the beginning.

Max shrugged again. “All’s fair in love and war,” he said before leaving.

“You can meet her at her restaurant without me,” Gerald said loudly. “Gina can meet her at her restaurant without me. Go to Leonida’s. Find its owner. You’ll meet her there,” Gerald said.

Max furrowed his brow, then nodded his head. Gerald’s suggestion wasn’t a bad idea to try. After all, he didn’t want to hurt his friend any further. Max could clearly see how frustrated Gerald was at the moment.

*****

Leonida’s was bustling, as usual. It inevitably made Ariana proud. She sat in her chair on the restaurant’s upper floor and looked down. All the tables were occupied by customers. A knock on the door diverted Ariana’s attention. “Come in,” she called to whoever was outside.

“Ariana, sorry,” Amber appeared with a panicked expression. “A kid threw up, and the downstairs restroom is full. I brought her here to clean up. I hope you don’t mind,” Amber said again. Ariana nodded her head, and then a white-skinned woman with slanted eyes walked shyly behind Amber.

“I’m so sorry,” the woman said in fluent English. “My child threw up, and I didn’t want to make other restaurant customers feel disgusted. I asked for a private room to change our clothes.” She spoke hesitantly, still in English.

Ariana smiled. “It’s okay. You can use this room,” Ariana said understandingly.

“I’ll go back downstairs,” Amber said. “I’ll tell her husband to bring the change of clothes he asked for here.” Ariana only nodded upon hearing Amber’s words. She then guided the woman to enter her room. “I’m really sorry,” the woman said apologetically. Ariana just smiled.

“It’s really fine,” she said. Ariana approached them and looked at the handsome baby in the woman’s arms. The baby clearly didn’t resemble his mother at all, with his reddish-white skin typical of Europeans. His eyes were green, and his hair was blonde. “He’s very handsome,” Ariana praised sincerely. The baby reminded her of Axel. “What’s his name?” she asked the woman, who was most likely of Asian descent.

“Kenzo

Alessandro Cariann,” the woman said proudly. “My husband is of Spanish descent,” she continued. “My name is Gina Nakagawa Cariann.”