Mafia Billionaire’s Forlorn Wife
Chapter 54

“I want a divorce.”

Arabella’s voice sounds weaker than before but still there is a certain resolve in her words that glimpses at how she still has a little fight left in her.

I cling onto it like hope as I reach towards her, but my hands stop just before they touch her as I whisper, “Ivy, listen, I know you’ve suffered through a lot, but maybe we can talk about this once you’ve been looked over by the doctor?” I coax, even though my heart is hurting in my chest just thinking about her leaving me.

She shakes her head slightly, “I just need to be free from you. I’m done.” She whispers without even looking at me just as a tear rolls down the side of her face, sending a sharp pang of pain through my heart.

“Yes, I understand, but first let Dr. Ming come.” I choke on my own words as I stare at her with tears filling my own eyes while Frida and Vernon get done with the first aid and sit by the other side of the bed, both of whom watch her with pure concern.

“Malyshka, you have to get looked over once by the doctor and tomorrow we can go for a complete check up.” Frida says to her softly, I’ve never seen the woman speaking so softly to anyone in my entire life and right now, I am so grateful for the gentle and motherly tone that she’s using with Arabella. My wife needs to know that she’s with people whom she loves and who love her back.

Arabella, however, doesn’t respond to her as she just lays there on the bed, staring up at the ceiling, blinking ever so slowly.

“I’m tired.” She whispers finally, taking a turn on the bed, away from me, as she curls up in a fetal position under the duvet, pulling it up to cover half of her face before she tucks her chin under and closes her eyes.

Her breathing indicates that she is crying silently at the moment and that makes my heart go wild as I reach towards her and place my hand on her upper arm.

“I’m sorry I let this happen to you, Ivy.” I whisper to her, feeling the pain of her tears in my own chest but her entire body stiffens underneath my touch and she slightly jerks her arm and I immediately pull back my hand.

She doesn’t want my touch right now.

I look up and find Vernon staring at me with an angry expression and Frida looks like she wishes to march into the kitchen and beat me with that century old skillet that she uses.

I deserve it.

I’m responsible for Arabella’s pain and the suffering that she has suffered through, and I should have been there to protect her.

Hell, I should have been there to believe in her words and claims when she was constantly telling me to stay away from Amelia. When she was constantly warning me about it.

We’re sitting in silence for a moment before there is a knock at the door and Vernon gets up to see who it is.

Upon opening the door, he turns back to me, “it’s Nikolas with Dr. Ming.”

I nod my head, “bring her in here.” I say to Vernon, getting up from Arabella’s bedside to make space for the doctor that I have trusted with my life on several occasions.

After a second, the middle aged woman steps inside the room with her stethoscope hanging around her neck as she fixes her glasses and her eyes meet mine.

“Mr. Mikhailov.” She says with a sincere dip of her chin as I step back, gesturing her towards Arabella.

“Please look after her, she’s pregnant.” I say to her in a hushed whisper but Arabella seems to have heard my words as she lets out a small, strangled sound of protest and looks at me baffled about the fact that I know this.

I give her a pained expression, praying desperately that our baby is doing fine in her womb as I turn back to face Dr. Ming who looks like she’s done examining my wife from afar.

“I’ll need to run some tests to make sure that everything is alright with the baby. You’ll still have to bring her in for an ultrasound tomorrow.” She tells me as she settles down beside Arabella on the bed and takes a look at her patched up wrists, “should I even ask?” She says dryly as she looks into my eyes.

She knows the kind of life that I live and that is why, she shakes her head and mutters, “everyone out. Frida can stay.”

Even though I feel like every cell of my body is denying what my mind is telling them, I still take one last look at Arabella’s face and start making my way out of the room as Vernon closes the door after us and I immediately make a beeline towards the mezzanine balcony that looks down to the indoor pool of the manor. Placing my hands on the polished wooden banister of the railing, muttering profanities for my own self because of the events of the last two days.

“Rhys,” Nikolas says coming up from behind me as he places his hand on my shoulders.

I immediately turn around to face him, jerking away his hand as I hiss, “this is all my fault.” My voice falls heavy between us as I try to keep my emotions at bay, “she’s pregnant, Nik…had I known what Amelia was planning, had I even believed Arabella when she tried to suggest how she doesn’t think Amelia has my best interests at heart…maybe she would have been safe, Nik. Maybe my baby would also have been safe.”

Nikolas looks at me with concern shining evidently in his eyes as he shakes his head and reaches out to place his hands on my upper arms, “you really did consider Amelia to be a friend, Rhys. You couldn’t have seen this coming.”

I shake my head, “I could have trusted Arabella’s instincts! I could have kept her closer to myself instead of pushing her away. I could have checked in on her when Amelia told me that she left the party without taking that b***h’s word for it! There are so many things I could have done but most importantly, it was my job to keep her safe, Nik. It was me who was meant to keep her safe!”

Nikolas looks at me with his lips pursed together as he shakes his head, “everything might still be okay, Rhys. You don’t know,” he says gesturing towards the closed door of my room, “baby’s are resilient, it might still be safe.”

That is when I feel my heart clenching inside my chest, “yes, but after what I have put her through, it’ll be a miracle if Arabella decides to stay here. Just five minutes ago she was asking me for a divorce.” I whisper, meeting Vernon’s eyes who is standing behind Nikolas but this time, the man who has practically raised me after my father is of no help whatsoever.

He looks away dejectedly, shaking his head and muttering something under his breath as he makes it evident how disgusted he is of me.

As he should be.

I have put Arabella through hell.

“Arabella is hurt right now, Rhys.” Nikolas says gaining my attention once again, “she’s in shock. I know that your actions over the last few months have put her through hell. But I also know that she loves you more than life itself and she will do anything for you. Let time do its work and just try really hard to gain her forgiveness.”

My head turns to the ground, feeling my body caving under the weight of my guilt as I wonder if I will ever be able to truly get Arabella to forgive me.

If I were in her position, I know that I wouldn’t ever want to see my face.

I just hope that she is gentler than I am.

“There is something else…” Niko whispers, his voice sounding like he has struggled to find the right words as he says, “Viktor found out about who attacked your car a few weeks ago.”

I quirk my brow, wondering how that is a relevant piece of information right now but I still nod, knowing that Nikolas never says or does anything without a reason.

He gives me a knowing look, “it was Amelia.” He mutters.

“f*****g cunt!” I hiss under my breath as I look away while running my hand through my hair, “she is going to face torture for a long eternity. That b***h!” I mutter with nothing but pure venom in my tone as I shake my head.

Amelia is just adding to her sins at this point and I am going to make sure to make her suffer in the depths of Tartarus for decades to come.

That is when I realise something, “wait, that was my car that we were coming back in.” I say to Nikolas, “she wanted me dead. The men she sent probably didn’t even know that Arabella was going to be with me.”

Nikolas furrows his brows, “James said that she was willing to give Arabella to him so he can use her to blackmail you. That bastard just chose the easier route.”

I clench my jaw, “Amelia has been trying to sabotage me in other ways that we don’t know about. Find out about everything wrong that has happened with me or the company and see if you can find a pattern. Maybe that’ll also give us a means to find out where she’s been hiding.” I tell him, “get Viktor on her trail now!”

Nikolas nods his head at that, “alright, I’m on it.”

And with that, he walks away from me, knowing well enough that finding Amelia and ensuring Arabella’s safety is the only thing that is a priority for me right now.

I sigh, my heart is still racing wildly in my chest as I shake my head and then meet Vernon’s gaze.

“Are you really not going to talk to me?” I ask him, wondering how long is he going to stay mad at me.

He gives me a pointed look, “I have told you from day one to take care of that woman in there.” He says pointing to the door, “she has always been by your side since the day she stepped into your life. She changed you for the better, me and Frida often talked about how you were happier than ever, and you just had to spoil that happiness on your own, didn’t you?”

I shake my head, “I didn’t want this to happen.” I mutter weakly.

I don’t understand how I, the most powerful man in the mafia world, could have managed to be fooled by someone of Amelia’s caliber. That woman played me like a fiddle and I never saw it coming.

“I also warned you about Amelia.” He states while glaring at me, “I have told you endless times that she isn’t good for you.”

“Vernon, I—”

“WHERE IS SHE?” Leo’s enraged voice blares through the corridor as my head snaps towards the stairs and I find him storming towards myself until he reaches out and grabs me by the collar. “What the f**k happened to her?” He says staring at me with nothing but pure hatred.

“Okay, that’s enough!” Vernon steps in between is and Leo is slightly pushed back but that is also with great difficulty considering the man’s athletic form. “You both are mature men, f*****g act like it!” He snaps before walking away grumbling something under his breath.

Leo sneers at me, “where is she?” He growls once again.

I don’t have the courage or the right to fight him as I gesture towards my bedroom door, “she’s inside. A doctor is with her right now.” I tell him, “Christopher and Amelia had taken her captive.”

Leo’s eyes widen before he furrows his brows, “who the f**k is Christopher?” He asks shakily. “What did they do to her? Why does she need a doctor? Were you unable to find her on time?” He asks the last question in an accusatory tone and my heart shudders to a stop inside my chest as I wonder if I was really late in finding her.

Every breath of mine is a prayer sent to whosoever might be listening— keep her and our baby safe. No matter what.

“Christopher was a business rival of mine.” I mutter dejectedly, “he’ll be killed very painfully and slowly. He’s currently being treated of his gunshot wounds and once he’s in recovery, he’ll know hell like never before.”

“And what about that best friend of yours?” Leo spits.

I sigh, “she’ll suffer a fate much, much worse than his. She has a lot to answer for.”

Leo scoffs, shaking his head as he gives me a scowl, “you know this is entirely your fault, right?” He asks me in a chiding manner, “Arabella would have been alright without you! I even tried to warn her to not marry you but she was so f*****g foolish!”

“Say what you will about me,” I snap at him, my voice turning darker than ever before as I repeat his words in my head, “but don’t say anything about her.”

Leo glares at me, completely looking like there is still something left for him to say but then the door opens and Dr. Ming steps out.

“How is she now?” I ask stepping near her, immediately wanting to know about my wife’s condition.

Dr. Ming gives me a skeptical look, “the bruises and external wounds will take time to heal. But that’s not what I’m worried about.”

I hold my breath, “then what is it?” I ask softly as Leo too listens to her words.

Dr. Ming shakes her head, “she told me that she was punched in the stomach by Amelia, Mr. Mikhailov.”

My eyes widen and Leo’s gaze turns harsher towards me as I feel my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach.

“Is the baby…?” I trail off, not even able to say it clearly as I stare at the doctor.

She sighs, “that’s what I’m worried about. With the assault and the mental stress, all that has made her bleed. I’m only worried about the baby now. You need to bring her to the clinic for a check up.”

I gulp, immediately nodding my head, “I’ll bring her right away.” I say and Dr. Ming shakes her head.

“It’s past midnight.” She reminds me, “bring her tomorrow.”

And with that, the middle aged woman walks away while Leo and I are left with the remains of her words.

Leo then shakes his head, “f*****g hell…” and with that, he enters the bedroom just when Nikolas comes back towards me from where he had disappeared down the hall.

“Rhys!” He says trying to get my attention.

That is when I look at him slightly irritatedly, “what?” I just want to be beside my wife.

Nikolas gulps, “Viktor just found Amelia.”