Mafia Billionaire’s Forlorn Wife
Chapter 16

“One more.” I tell the bartender who nods his head and pours another glass of Irish whiskey in my glass before going away to attend to other customers.

My phone lays in front of me on the bar-top, flashing with Rhys’ name for the thousandth time tonight but I could really not give a f**k about him right now.

I returned from Paris a few hours ago and the only place I could think of going is this nightclub that I am currently sitting in. It is past midnight already and I don’t know how many drinks I have had by now.

But clearly not enough if I can still feel my chest aching and my heart pounding with pathetic hope every time that my phone rings and it says that it is my darling husband calling me.

The entirety of the last month was a f*****g whirlwind and right now, I am so f*****g exhausted that I could just sleep for a week straight.

The first two weeks were hectic with the new office opening and gathering new clients and making sure that everything went in accordance with Pierre— the man who is my partner in business in Paris. But it was after Rhys came to visit me for those two days that s**t really hit the fan.

His revelation about how he owned my mansion in Paris countryside was enough to get me on a hunt for all those assets that I have built in the twenty seven years of my life, and to my amazement and sorrow, every single one of them is currently under my charming husband’s name.

Even the small chateau in Montana that I won fair and square in a competition when I was still in college.

Everything that I have ever worked for, even my office here in Seattle, is under his name. And the only reason that he couldn’t take over my business as it is, was because it is a joint venture with Leo and all decisions have to go through him and his team of lawyers too. Had it just been me, he would have most certainly taken that as well.

I wonder why he didn’t try to bribe or threaten his team of lawyers, though. Because I had to fire them all after I realised what was happening.

I gulp down the drink right as my phone buzzes once again but this time, seeing that it is my best friend calling, I pick it up and place it against my ear.

“Hey, what’s up?” I drawl, realising that my senses are still functioning normally and I’m not half as drunk as I want myself to be. Rolling my eyes, I raise my hand to the bar tender, motioning for another drink.

“Why the f**k is your husband knocking my door down?” Leo calls out, sounding strained as my eyes widen slightly.

But then, realising that it isn’t exactly shocking, I roll my eyes, “tell him to f**k the hell off, Lee. I’m sorry he disturbed you.”

“Yeah, but—”

Leo’s voice cuts off as I hear a loud bang from the other side and my entire body jerks up in shock, “LEO? Are you okay?” I call out but there is no response just shuffling from his side.

And then comes his voice, “where the f**k are you, Arabella?”

Just the sound of my name from his lips, just the heavy timbre of his words is enough to send a shiver racing from the roots of my hair to the tip of my toes as I feel my heart squirming in my chest.

Rolling my eyes at how my treacherous body reacts to him even after everything he has done to me, I respond, “I don’t think that’s any of your business, Mr. Mikhailov. And I would suggest you leave Leo alone before I actually do something that i might regret.”

I have never spoken to him with such coldness. I have never used the tone that I reserve for my business rivals and enemies. But after everything Rhys has done to me, I know that he deserves it.

He is silent for a moment, and I am almost certain that it is because he is surprised by the way I am talking to him.

“Where are you, Arabella? I will not ask again.” He growls once again, almost seeming to be on the edge of losing the bare minimum amount of control that he currently has on himself.

A lazy smirk makes its way to my lips as I trace the rim of my glass of whiskey, “why? Can’t trace me down this time, can you, Mr. Mikhailov?” A surprised sound from his throat makes me smirk even more, “what? You didn’t think I would find out how you found me the last time? I might have been a fool a few months ago, but trust me, I am anything but now. And let’s not forget that between the two of us, I am the better coder.”

I knew Rhys had tracked me down with one of his elaborate softwares when I went clubbing with Leo a few weeks ago. But after finding out about everything that he had done behind my back, I knew it was now time to start protecting myself. I have successfully blocked any future attempts from Rhys at tracing my locations and whereabouts. And from now on, I will start working on finding a way to get everything back. And once I do, I will leave this man and this life.

I will be free again.

“Arabella, I’m not joking, I swear if you don’t tell me where you are—”

“Arabella?” A familiar voice from beside me draws my attention away as I look up and the moment my eyes clash with hazel eyes that I know so well, my own eyes widen in surprise.

“James?” I utter out, unable to believe the fact that I am currently staring into the eyes of my ex after almost a year of him disappearing off the face of the planet.

“James? Is he with you?” Rhys’ glower reminds me that I am still on call with him as I roll my eyes.

“I’ll be home in a few hours. Stop calling. And don’t harass Leo further or I will show you more surprises than you can handle,” and saying that, I end the call, fully turning in my chair to face my ex who looks at me as though he has seen a ghost. “Hi!” I greet, an almost uneasy smile coming onto my lips as I wonder how exactly this situation is going to go.

We haven’t spoken in more than a year now.

Hell, he hasn’t spoken to anyone during this time.

One day he was still in my life and the other day he just…vanished.

No contact, nothing.

“Hello, love.” He says in his enchanting British accent that always drove me crazy and had my heart racing. But surprisingly, it doesn’t have that effect on me anymore. His hazel eyes twinkle with glee as his pearl white teeth are pulled in a crooked grin that was one of the first things I fell for when I was falling for him. “How have you been?” He asks tilting his head to the side as he rests his elbow against the bar top.

I stare at him wordlessly for a moment, “seriously? Is that how you wish to take this conversation?” I ask, annoyed because even though I don’t feel that way for him anymore and have more than moved on since his disappearance, I still expected him to apologise for the way he left things.

He purses his lips before sighing, gesturing to the bartender for a Scotch on the rocks before he takes the empty seat beside me and fidgets with the insignia ring on his index finger— a nervous habit that I know all too well about.

“I’m sorry, Arabella, I just…I don’t know how to explain all the reasons that I had to leave.” He mumbles, not meeting my gaze as he looks down at his hands.

“Well, find the words, James. That is the least you can do after what you did.” I mutter dejectedly, somehow agitated by the fact that with James’ reappearance, I am only reminded of the fact that I have been such a fool when it comes to choosing men.

James and I weren’t together for a long time before he disappeared. The truth is, that he is the man that my father wanted me to marry. He is the current boss of the most dominant mafia group in the UK, and with his support by our side, my father was set to make billions through an alliance between our families.

He only courted me for about three months but I did thing that we were getting closer in those three months. It had been James’ demand that we date and get to know each other before announcing our engagement to the world and even though we had had an unofficial ceremony, nothing had yet been made public.

The ceremony was supposed to be held just a week later but James disappeared off the face of the planet and no one had been able to find him.

“Arabella, I know I did wrong. I’m sorry. But I had no choice. I can’t tell you where I was, but I am back now and I didn’t wish to trouble you because I know you’re probably not interested in me anymore, but I saw you here tonight and couldn’t help but wonder…what if—” his gaze falls on the heavy pair of diamond rings sitting on my ring finger and his eyes visibly darken while his lips purse into a thin, harsh line.

James was never a violent person— at least not in front of me— but right now, seeing my wedding rings, I think he is inching close to opening someone’s skull.

“Who?” He growls, staring into my eyes with barely contained fury and I feel my grip tightening around the glass of alcohol in my hand.

Who the f**k does he think he is? Who gave him the right to be angry at the fact that I am married now? Who gave him the right to ask me in such an entitled, pompous manner?

I am about to open my mouth to rip him a new one but someone else’s voice interrupts me as I feel a daunting presence coming up behind me.

“To me, Charleston.” His hand snakes around my waist as his chest is pressed firmly against my back while I stiffen in my seat, staring at James’ eyes widen the moment he sees— what I am certain is a furious expression of my husband. “Is there a problem?” Rhys hisses, his breath falling onto my shoulder as I clench the drink in my hand tightly, stopping myself from shivering in response to him.

God, what the f**k is happening? One night of peace. That is all I wanted after the month that I have had. Why can’t these arrogant, jerk faced men just leave me alone?

James’ face visibly pales seeing Rhys, and even though I haven’t yet turned back to look at my dearest husband, I know that he is giving him the same murderous expression that he gives to every other man that threatens to approach me. I had heard that men were possessive, but Rhys takes the meaning of that word to a whole another level with his territorial acts.

“Mr. Mikhailov.” James stutters out and I can’t help but furrow my brows at just how scared he looks right now. I never thought of James as someone who would cower in front of anyone. I mean, yeah, Rhys is powerful but James is a mafia kingpin in his own right and I don’t know what Rhys has done in order to inspire such fear in the man that my father deemed suitable for me.

Clearly it can’t be anything good.

James meets my gaze, betrayal and fear shining wildly through his eyes, unsettling me further, “you married him?” He asks in an accusatory manner.

A growl ripples out of Rhys’ chest as he steps to my side, glowering at James with a furious scowl as I finally take in my husband’s appearance.

His jaw is set in a harsh manner, his stubble looks longer and more untamed than usual, giving him a ruggedly raw appearance. His whole six feet five height towers over James as his midnight blue eyes are currently glimmering with nothing but hatred at the moment. He is wearing one of his dark suits but the first few buttons of his black shirt are open, giving view of the silver chain that he always has around his neck along with the Bratva tattoo on his chest.

All in all, the man looks deadly enough to kill and sinful enough for me to spend the whole night f*****g.

But that isn’t something I would do.

No.

No matter how much I want to.

“It was good seeing you, Arabella.” James’ scared voice breaks me out of my state of ogling at the man that I should hate with a passion. And by the time I finally turn towards him, James is already halfway out of the bar area.

I deflate hopelessly in my seat, bringing the drink back to my lips as I take a sip, feeling grateful for the bite and burn of the liquor smoothening down my throat as I feel Rhys’ gaze on the side of my face.

I still don’t say anything aside from motioning the bartender for another drink. I wonder why I am not getting drunk tonight. Perhaps it is because of the anxiety that has my senses on high alert. Perhaps I’m too stressed by everything in life that even the alcohol doesn’t seem to be working anymore.

“You really need to stop getting on my nerves, Arabella.” Rhys growls, stepping closer to me before taking the seat beside me, his physique makes me feel like a dwarf in front of him.

“And you really need to start minding your own business,” he scoffs at the dryness of my tone but I couldn’t care less about that anymore.

“Come on, we need to go back home.” I let out a bitter chuckle at his words, still staring at the amber liquid in my hands as I shake my head.

Home? Is that what he calls it?

“You mean to say that it is time for me to go back to my prison?” I question him, finally meeting his gaze but I have to blink to clear my vision because suddenly, everything in front of me looks blurry.

“Arabella…” he drawls with repressed anger but I have had enough.

I gulp down on my drink before sliding out of the chair, “I wanna dance.” And muttering that, I am already stepping towards the dance floor, ignoring his hissed curse of my name after me.

I don’t care about anything tonight.

He has already taken enough.